Page 70 of The Complication
“There is one thing,” Rome said softly.
I looked at him, expecting to see that cheeky grin of his, but he was serious. “What?”
“Are you sure this is what you want?” I opened my mouth to argue, but Rome held up a hand, stopping my words in my throat. “Parker is great—don’t get me wrong. I like the guy. But he’s a package deal with that kid. You never struck me as the type to want a family. You go down this road with Parker, and that means your goal is to be husbandand daddy. Are yousure you want that? Because right now, Parker has handed you the perfect opportunity to take a step away and reassess your own desires.” Rome shrugged, seeming unsure. “Not trying to be a dick or anything. Just worried about you.”
His concern for me was touching but completely unnecessary. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket as I stepped around to his side of the island. Standing next to him, I opened the photo app and let him see as I scrolled through nearly two hundred photos of Joy until I finally located the video Parker shot of her first attempt at crawling.
It was a side view of Joy’s army crawl across the blanket, but it also got a good view of me as I watched in awe of that baby girl’s single-minded focus as she worked her way to her favorite toy. My voice filled the kitchen where we stood as I called and coaxed her to keep going. Rome said I never smiled, but there was no missing it as I watched her.
“There are at least two dozen short videos of Joy on my phone,” I started, my voice low and rough. “Some with Parker. Some without. But this one, I have watched at least once every day since Parker and Joy moved out. I didn’t want kids before meeting her. Now, I know it would be a blessing and an honor to be considered her daddy.”
Rome clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. His grin was crooked as he looked at me, and maybe his blue eyes were teary. “Don’t worry. We’re going to get your family home again.”
24
PARKER CAIN
One week later,Byron arrived to check on my sanity.
There wasn’t much left.
The day after my discussion with Declan, I’d “moved out.” It was hard to call it that, considering I’d left so much of my crap and Joy’s crap at Declan’s house. I’d found a ridiculously expensive furnished apartment that allowed me to rent by the month. For now, I simply needed a temporary home to give me time to figure out my shit.
Declan had my new address because I didn’t want him to feel cut off, but so far, I’d heard nothing from him.
Franks and Donovan were entirely different stories. Franks had helped me to pack up some of Joy’s things, and the man had cried during most of the packing, hating the idea of not being able to see Joy every day. Donovan wasn’t much better, since he’d loaded up a reusable grocery bag with baby food he’d made for Joy. As I’d unpacked the bag in our new place, I’d found a survey inside that I needed to send back so he knew what foods she did and didn’t care for. I couldn’t tell if he was planning to start a baby food company or if he just wanted to continue making food for his littlest customer.
I wasn’t surprised when Byron showed up. We’d texted abit after the dinner, but he was generally busy getting settled with his new job.
“Hey!” Byron greeted me brightly as I opened the door.
I smirked. “Which one of them sent you?”
Byron’s smile didn’t waver for a second. “I didn’t want to meddle, but Sebastian has threatened to cut off sex. We haven’t been dating that long, Park. This is supposed to be the time I’m constantly getting laid. Plus, I’m still young. This is the period I should be getting the best sex of my life.”
I choked on a snicker and stepped out of the doorway, waving for him to enter. “Well, I understand. I would never want to be responsible for a friend not getting laid.”
“Thank you. I knew you’d understand.”
There was no foyer in the apartment, so guests walked straight into the living room. Byron’s wide eyes and tense silence had me gazing into the living room and cringing. The place looked like a baby store had thrown up across the beige sofa, pale-wood coffee table, and floor. Every surface was covered in baby clothes in the process of being folded, toys, stacks of unused diapers, and other random baby supplies. Not to mention there was a basket of my own clothes next to the sofa waiting to be folded. Clearly, today was laundry day.
Actually, that was yesterday, but I sucked at folding my clothes after they came out of the dryer.
On top of the clothes chaos were sketch books, colored pencils and other drawing implements. Regardless of what was going with my life right now, I’d still promised to paint murals for Declan, and I had commissions for three more paintings from Declan’s friends. No one had canceled their orders yet, so I needed to deliver.
“This isnotbecause I got used to having people clean up after me,” I said sharply. “I used to be really tidy, but I’m not as good at it with a baby. Plus, Joy is a terrible slob, too. She never picks up after herself.”
Byron’s smile returned, but it was much weaker and tenser than the first one.
I rushed into the bowels of the chaos ahead of him, snatching up the scattering of clothes and toys so he’d have a spot to sit.
“How’s Joy?” Byron inquired. He gingerly dropped onto the edge of the sofa, his body relaxing.
“Good. She’s at daycare right now.” I closed one of the sketchbooks that was supposed to hold ideas for Declan’s murals. Except all I’d drawn today were Declan’s hands and his mouth. Yeah, my work was going justgreat.
“I’m not disturbing your work, am I?” Byron asked and I’d swear the man had a grin on his lips, as if he knew my brain was a rotten mess of longing, confusion, and frustration.
“No. No. Doodling for a bit as I try to come up with some new ideas for work. How have you and Sebastian been? I heard the good news that your proposal saved Courtland Enterprises. Congrats!”
