“I wasn’t ignoring you. I was trying to figure out a way not to be pissed at you.”
“And how’s that coming?”
“Well, I still pretty much hate you right now.”
“Really,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. “Hate is a strong word.”
“Well, you pull it out of me.”
He sighed and walked over to me, boxing me into the wall like he liked to do. It was his way of getting me to stay and hear him out. And as much as I didn’t want to hear him out, it was Alec, and I was in love with him, even if I hated him at the moment.
“Florrie, you have to believe me, I want that kid with us. I’m just trying to do what’s best for him.”
“I know that, but Alec, you totally blindsided me. How am I supposed to trust you if you do stuff like that to me?”
“It wasn’t intentional. We only had so much time to make a decision, and I knew that if Reid had to leave twice a month, it would be fucking torture for you. I was trying to find a solution that worked for all of us. I know how you see it, and I’m sorry that I put you in that position, but I love you and I will do whatever I have to so that we can fight this together.”
“Except keep Reid away from those people,” I reminded him.
He sighed and took a step back. “We have to do what the court wants. We knew this was coming.”
“There’s a difference between knowing what’s coming and walking right into it. You made it so they would have full access to Reid.”
“I know, but-”
“Look, I get it. You did what you thought you had to, but I want to know when I come first. When do my needs come first? Are you always going to do what you think is best for everyone?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You split up the team. You didn’t make that decision with Craig and I.”
“Florrie, I talked to you about it. We both know that was the right move.”
“It doesn’t matter. You made that decision and didn’t include me. There was no way I could talk you out of that. Right or wrong, you made the decision and Craig and I had to deal with the fallout. That’s the same fucking thing you’re doing now.”
He nodded and took another step back. “I broke your trust. But we’re not going to win custody of Reid if we’re fighting. We need to be together and be strong.”
“And what if the judge sides against us? What are you going to do?”
“I won’t break the law, Florrie.”
“You mean, you won’t fight for him.”
“Is that really what you want for Reid? You want to take him on the run and ruin his life? How the fuck is he supposed to have a normal life if he’s away from anything normal?”
“At least he would be with us.”
“You know I can’t do that. I’ve told you-”
“Fine,” I snapped. “I hear you. You won’t do what I need you to do.”
“Florrie,” he said, rushing up against me and pushing me up against the wall. His nose ran down my throat and his hands gripped my hips. I felt the intense heat pouring off him and my anger fled. “I want you-no, I fucking need you. I’ve always needed you, but don’t ask me to do something that goes against everything I believe in. I need you on my side. I need you to fucking understand.”
It felt like cold water splashed over my body. I pushed him back, shaking my head. “So do I, Alec. I need you on my side too. Don’t ask me to walk away from him. I can’t do it.”
I slipped under his arm and walked out of the room. It was like we would never see eye to eye on this, and I didn’t know how to make him see my side of things. I walked out of our suite and headed down to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I was just grabbing a sandwich out of the fridge when Craig walked in.
“Are things any better with Alec?”
“We just keep going around in circles. I don’t think we’ll ever agree on this.”
“What exactly are you disagreeing on?”
I sat down at the counter and unwrapped my sandwich. “I want to make sure that if things don’t go our way in court, Reid stays with us.”
“You want to run with him,” he said.
I stared at him, daring him to challenge me on this. He didn’t know what it was like, to be so close to having everything you wanted, only to have it ripped out of your arms. “It’s the only way to keep him, Craig. He belongs with us.”
“And Alec doesn’t want to run.”
“He says he can’t,” I scoffed. “He thinks that if the court rules in the Fullers’ favor, then we need to let it play out.”
“Why?” Craig asked in confusion. “I mean, I get that what you’re suggesting is illegal, but we all know how you feel about Reid. I know that everyone here would do whatever they could to make sure that he stayed with you.”
“Are you sure about that? I’m not so sure that everyone would side with me. I know Alec doesn’t feel the same way. He loves Reid, but he thinks that he’s helping Reid by reuniting him with family.”
“You are his family,” Craig said fiercely. “Florrie, no matter what Alec says, that kid is yours. I’ve known it since you picked him up off the streets and brought him home. That kid belongs here. Hell, it’s in his name.”
“Try telling Alec that.”
“Fuck that. Florrie, you make the decision and I’ll back you. If you feel you need to get out of here, just say the word and I’ll make sure it happens. I know you love that kid. I can’t even imagine someone trying to take my kid from me and
