“Why not tonight or tomorrow?” he asks, quirking a brow.
“I have to, um, work the next few nights.”
“Thought you worked for Connors?”
“I do but I have a second job,” I whisper, casting my gaze to the floor, unable to meet Hunter’s eyes anymore.
“Who watches him when you’re working?”
“Normally Connors or Jordan, sometimes my boss’s wife watches him for me; however, I’ve already called to tell them I’d be late and they told me to stay with Huntson.” Wrapping my arms around myself, I turn to face away from him. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you . . .”
“Nope not talking about this now,” Hunter snaps quietly interrupting me. “Not the place for this conversation and I don’t have the fuckin’ time to deal with it right now. Give me your address. I’ll come over later when I get free.”
“Oh, um, okay,” I murmur, nearly shaking in panic of him being anywhere near me let alone in my house.
“Address,” he mutters as someone knocks on the door. “Yeah?” he calls out. The door opens to Tanner sticking his head in.
“Everything good in here?” he asks, eyes focused on Huntson.
“Yeah, we’re good. Any update?” Hunter returns.
“They’re moving Bethany to a room now. Getting ready to take Chaz up there. Mackenzie also just came in,” Tanner states.
“Fuck, she okay?”
Who’s Mackenzie?
“She’ll be okay once Lex gets here.”
“Good, I’ll be out in a minute,” Hunter mutters.
“Got it. I’ll be with Chaz.” The door closes directly behind Tanner as he informs Hunter where he’ll be.
What in the world?
Did Chaz get shot again?
“Write down your address, Annslee, as well as your number so I can get in contact with you,” Hunter grumbles.
“Okay.” Great, I’m internally freaking out in my head and right now the only thing I can say is ‘Okay’, seriously there has to be something completely wrong with me.
Opening the diaper bag, I grab a sheet of paper out of the notebook I keep in there. I’m always forgetting things if I don’t write them down, if not I’m screwed this way and that. I’ve done this on several occasions whereas I forgot to go to the grocery store to buy tampons, or worse pay my utility bill, only to remember when they send a cutoff notice.
I’m seriously screwed up and a horrible mom for keeping Huntson from his dad.
It’s like my father always said to me before escaping his grasp, ‘Women are meant to be in the home. To cater to their husbands and birth sons for them. Women are beneath a man. You bow to the men in your life or reap what will be bestowed upon you.’
Guess I’m now reaping what was bestowed upon me for being horrible in keeping a man from his son.
Chapter Four
Hunter
Shit. Shit. Shit.
How the hell can I have a kid? There is no denying Huntson is mine. He’s the spitting image of me when I was a kid. Well, besides the eyes.
Those were Annslee.
Fuckin’ beautiful eyes when he looked up at me, tears streaming from his eyes as I started humming ‘Dark Lullabies’ to him. Hell once I started singing it to him, Huntson stopped altogether and fell asleep against my chest.
Something inside me shifted in that moment. I don’t know what it is but for some reason, I almost felt completed again. Like the hole that’s been embedded in my soul was finally healed.
Crazy as it sounds.
Is it even possible for a baby you just met to do something as impossible as heal a soul?
Don’t know, right now I don’t even care. All I want right now is to get to know him and find out why Annslee kept him from me for all this time.
I have the right to know my son and I’ve missed a year of his life. More than a year, actually.
Taking the paper Annslee gave me I shove it in my back pocket. I’d had to shut her down when she started speaking, trying to explain herself, make excuses. Nothing is right about what she did, but I want to hear what she has to say, only I have to see to the rest of my family first.
It sucks though because Huntson was dealing with a double ear infection. To which he’d have to have a shot to help him get better. Hailey and I were the same way. Mom said until we hit seven, we wouldn’t take any medication by mouth. Even said if we thought something has medication in it, whether it was food or drink, we’d refuse it unless we watched her make it.
I’m sure Huntson’s not that bad considering he’s only a year old. What also sucks is the face Annslee made at the mention of hospital bills. That and the fact she’s working two jobs, if I knew about Huntson this whole time I would have been able to help her. Keep her from having to work so much.
Shit, hate to say it but I would have had her move into the house with all of us, put her in my wing, in one of the rooms I have.
“Hunter, man, you good?” Chaz asks, pulling me out of my head.
Meeting his eyes, the question marring his entire face.
“No,” I mutter, shaking my head. “This shit is fucked, when the hell are we gonna get a break from all the bullshit we’ve been eating lately.”
“Yeah, brother, I know what you mean,” Tanner grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. “Did the nurse go get you a wheelchair? You know they’re not going to let you go unless you’re in one.”
“I know,” Chaz grunts. “Jordan went to get one. Said she’d be right back. I’m ready to get my ass upstairs to where Bethany is, set eyes on her then see our son. This is not how any of this was supposed to go. I was supposed to be in the room with her.”
“Sorry, Chaz, this sucks for you but just look at it this way. They’re both
