Page 49 of Playing the Neutral Zone

“Can we watch it again?”Mia shouted.

I looked up to see the credits rolling on the TV.

“Not right now, maybe in a bit,” I said, moving Mia off my lap.I got up, flipping the TV to the cartoon channel for her.

“Mia, you stay here and watch some cartoons, okay?I’m gonna go find your dad,” I said, putting on one of her favorite shows and leaving her on the couch with Potato.

“Okay, don’t be gone too long,” she sang and then giggled, throwing Potato up in the air.

Mia talked to herself as I made my way into the kitchen to see the door to the condo ajar.I could hear Levi talking.His voice wasn’t loud, more like a mumble, but I could tell whoever was at the door had aggravated him.

I pulled the door open, and that was when Levi whipped around and glared at me.His shoulders were tense, his back straight, even the muscles in his forearms were taught from the pile of paperwork he held in his hands.Whatever was going on out here wasn’t good.The tension was so high you could feel it in the air.

“Go inside, I’ll be right in,” Levi grumbled.

I was about to turn and go back inside when I heard a woman’s voice.“It’s you.”

I poked my head back around the doorframe to see Skylar standing there, her arms crossed in front of her, a manilla envelope in her hands.

So, this was the legal issue she had to take care of.Was she here to get custody of Mia?Surely, she couldn’t take her away from Levi, could she?I tried to pretend I didn’t know what she was talking about, but then Levi grabbed my arm and looked at me.

“You know one another?”he questioned.

“No,” I quickly said and went to head back inside, trying to get away from what I already knew was coming.

“Yes, we know one another.She just did an interview with me about what happened with my job at the New York Enforcers.She works for theIce insiders.”

I could feel my stomach turn.This was all wrong, and I wanted to shout at Levi and tell him everything.We hadn’t even talked about the article he’d just seen, now this.

“So, let me guess, you’re the reason Skylar is in town?”he growled, the look on his face one I’d never wanted to see.

“No.”

“You’re the reason she’s here trying to get custody of a child she’s barely laid eyes on.What did you promise her if she did the interview?”

“Levi, believe me, I didn’t—”

“Just go inside!”he yelled.

I could feel Skylar’s eyes on me, I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die.I stepped back into the apartment and closed the door, making my way down the hall to the bedroom, where I sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at the floor, praying he’d give me a chance to explain.

“Scarlett…” I heard Mia’s voice say as I got up and folded my clothes, placing them in my overnight bag.

It was probably best if I gave Levi some space, at least for a couple of days, I thought to myself.

“Yes, Mia?”

“Where are you going?I thought we were going to the park today?”she asked, coming into the bedroom and crawling up onto the bed with Potato in her arms.

“Not today, sweetheart.”

“But you promised.”

Yes, she was right, I’d promised, but that was before my world blew up.

“I know, sweetie, but something has come up and I need to go.”I sniffled.

“Daddy says when you promise someone something you should follow through.”

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