“I'll help. Just want to make sure you’re not getting a unicorn or something tatted on your ass like last time.” He chuckles, and I punch him in the arm.
“I wasn’t trying to get something tatted on my ass. Stop trying to change the narrative asshole.”
Tiny familiar giggles stir me out of a dream of a girl dressed in red. “Owie,” Matty coos as he pokes at the bandage over my new tattoo. “Owie too.” He goes for my sore, bruised ribs. I stop his hands before he can inflict pain.
“Let’s not stab there because it will hurt.” I laugh and kiss his little hands. He giggles in response. “I’ve missed you, little buddy.”
“Miss you.” He lays down and curls into my side.
“You tired?” I pull my blanket up and cover both of us. “Where’s your mommy?”
He doesn’t say anything and his eyes close as he cuddles into me further.
“I’m sorry, little man. I’m never leaving you again.” I stroke my finger down his back as his breathing evens out. It always amazes me how quickly he falls asleep.
“Matty, where are you?” Holly hisses lowly as the bedroom door creaks open the rest of the way.
“He’s in here,” I call out.
Holly steps into the room her hair in a messy ponytail pulled over her shoulder. She’s wearing a pair of low-cut cotton shorts and a shirt showing off her midriff, telling me she got dressed in a hurry and threw on the first thing she found. I expected I would have to call her and beg for forgiveness, but what she’s showing me is she didn't give up on me like promised. Fuck if it isn't fair if I could love her more.
“Sorry. He wandered off while I was in the bathroom.”
“It’s fine. What are you doing here?”
“I know you don’t want me here, but I promised you I wouldn’t go anywhere. Just because you're being cranky and saying shit, I’m not going to leave you on your own.”
I put my hand through Matty’s hair. “I'm sorry.” I breathe out. “My head hasn’t been in the right place lately.”
“It’s fine. You're in pain.” She plays with the edge of her ponytail and doesn’t look at me.
“It’s not fine. I am in pain, but you didn’t deserve how I lashed out at you. Matty didn’t either. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him.”
"He didn't know what was going on and as you see he's not scared. Kids love unconditionally and are also very forgiving."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Are you forgiving?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" She tilts her head and gives me a weak smile.
“Come here.” I pat the side of the bed beside me. She sits down beside me.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?”
“Besides getting hit by the car?” I crack a smile and take her hand.
“Yes, besides that. What had you shutting me out?”
“What if I told you it didn’t matter anymore?”
“I can believe it doesn’t matter anymore, but it mattered.”
“I had a fight with my brother. It’s nothing new.”
“About what?”
“Work. You.”
“Me?” she squeaks.
“He’s an ass. He says shit knowing how to get to me.” It’s not a full lie. “He called you a distraction and we had just dealt with the fallout of a huge company we were about to undertake.” I pull that one from out of my ass. “It seems childish, doesn’t it?”
“Do you think I’m a distraction?”
Shit. I should've known she was gonna ask that as a follow up question.
“I admit the asshole got into my head. Cracked a joke about me better on my game when I was on pills and having one-night stands. He thought it was funny, but it hit something deep.” My eyes close tight and I feel like I’m going to hell for this, but it’s better than the actual truth. “I needed time to think. As you know, before you, work was all I did. Even when I was high, I turned my dad’s company into my own. Then when I got sober, fuck if I wasn’t twice as focused at making it great. Now with you and Matty keeping me busy, maybe I felt I was missing the ball. I guess he called at the wrong time, considering everything happening with Davis that night and the fallout.”
“The last thing I want to do is be a distraction for you.”
“You’re not. Every time I talked to you I felt like a bigger dick. I ended up running off my aggression and trying to clear my head. It’s when I ended up in the middle of the intersection and got hit by the car. They ran the red light and I went flying back into the road. The doctor offered me pills. I thought it was a sign.”
She curls into my side and I think she’s believing the bait I’m feeding her. So, I do what anybody would do; I keep feeding her the bait.
“I’m not good at dealing with stress and pain all at once. When you saw me in the bathroom in that moment, I hated you seeing me like that. I really wanted to take those pills.”
“And now?”
“I want you and Matty more.”
“I'm glad to hear you say that.” She presses a kiss to my chest. “We want you too.”
“I’m sorry I took it out on you. That I hurt you.” I brush her hair back.
“It hurt what you were saying to me, I won't deny it, but I could see deep down you didn't mean it either. You were hurting and lashing out. I only wanted to understand why. Now I do and you’ll have to understand I’ll be here, through the good and bad.”
Matty swings his leg over
