Page 74 of Breaking Point

Another text flashes across my screen:

Taylor: There was a fire at the venue last night. There’s something you should see. Someone slipped this into Liv’s pocket last night.

He sent a picture, and without thinking, I throw a bag of clothes together.

Taylor: Lydia went into labor early. Need you to call me.

I drive to Liv’s apartment without hesitation. Without a single thought otherwise. Taking the stairs two at a time, I quickly key in. I expect to find chaos inside. Instead, I find Taylor perched on the couch, reading something on his phone. Olivia paces the kitchen with a phone to her ear, but my eyes find the bandage around her palm.

My eyes narrow in on the injury. She watches me for a beat too long, almost as if she can sense my eyes. But she looks away, saying into her phone, “Look, I wish I knew what happened. We’re doing everything we can to figure it out.”

“Hey,” Taylor says, standing to greet me. He eyes my duffle- bigger than my usual overnight bag. “You alright?”

I breeze over his question, stepping fully inside. “Are you okay? How is Lydia?”

He fills me in quickly, saying something about unexpected complications. The baby’s coming- there’s no stopping it now.

I shake my head. “You have to go.”

He nods, clearly worried. “You need to see the note first.”

“Where is it?” I ask. He pulls the note off the coffee table, proffering it to me.

Secrets burn.

Anger flares in my chest. “What happened last night?”

“The entire venue went up in flames. Police are saying one of the candles probably caught on something, but she found this.”

This wasn’t an accident.

“Have you talked to Harvey yet?”

“No. Liv’s been on the phone with people all night.” I nod, rolling my neck just to loosen the ache in my shoulders. “What’s going on with you?” he asks again, pointing to my bag.

I set it down, taking off my cap to scrub a hand down my scalp before replacing it. “My dad,” I reply. Two words is enough to silence him. I’ve never talked about my dad. Not in all the years I’ve known him.

“Look, if I need to find a way to stay with Liv while Lydia-“

“Don’t.” I shake my head. “No. Your wife needs you. I’ll figure this out.” I sigh, chuckling despite the riot in my gut. “Life just has funny timing.”

He scoffs, looking down at his hands with a look that seems a lot like fear.

For Lydia, for Olivia. All of it probably.

“Tell me about it.” He shakes the feeling off, looking at me again. “What do you need?”

I shake my head, glancing at Liv as she paces the kitchen, Chesna twirling between her legs. “I gotta leave town for a bit. Was thinking about getting in touch with an old buddy from our squad- Lewinsky.”

“Jake Lewinsky? It’s been years. You trust him with watching her?”

The truth is, I don’t know. I trusted him with my life years ago. But trusting him with that then and her now… are two very different things.

“The only person I trust with her is you,” I answer, glancing to see a fresh crinkle between her brows. She sighs in frustration, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. The blue in her eyes ripples like water, emotion passing between us like always.

“I think the safest place for her is away from here,” Taylor says, interrupting my thoughts.

“It’s not exactly like I can uproot things here and leave."

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