Page 78 of Every Broken Piece
Bring your girl home.
After I reassure Jack that I’ll be there on Monday for the Montrose meeting, I hang up and take the water and pills to Tess, knocking softly on her bedroom door before pushing it open. She’s curled up on her bed against a mound of pillows, her Kindle propped against a fuzzy, hot pink, daisy shaped, pillow. Her eyes are heavy, like she’s fighting sleep, and she’s pale with pain.
I hold up the green bottle. “Bougie water with pain pills.”
Her attempt at a smile is so weak and sad that it breaks my heart. If she’d trust me, lean on me, I’ll make everything right. But that’s the problem. She doesn’t know how to trust or lean.
I uncap the bottle before handing it to her and watch while she downs the pills.
“I have some things I have to do. Do you need anything first?”
She shakes her head.
I take the bottle and place it on the nightstand before pulling a bright yellow blanket printed with white daisies from the foot of the bed to cover her. “Sleep, Tess. You look exhausted.”
I fight the urge to crawl into bed next to her and instead tuck her in and leave her to her book and hopefully a nap.
I’ve commandeered her office space as my own and close the door behind me so she can’t heart me, even though the walls are thin.
I dial Pax.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, bud. Jack says you’re staying with him this weekend. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I had my last exam on Friday and wanted to get out of there.”
I carefully listen to his tone, but nothing seems off. He’s twenty but I still worry about him. After Cara’s death I was concerned about the impact not having a mother would have on him. A boy needs the soft, guiding influence of a mother, but I wasn’t about to bring just any woman into his life. No mother figure was better than the wrong mother figure.
He had Cara’s parents growing up. Even though they lived in Indiana, they were a constant in his life. It was the best I could do for him.
“Girl trouble?” I ask, as I lay back on the twin bed.
“Nah. I mean, Casey and I broke up, but it’s all good.”
“I thought you were with Courtney.” I don’t know why I even try to keep Pax’s girlfriends straight considering none of them last more than two weeks.
“Courtney was before Casey. Keep up, old man.”
I chuckle. “I can’t. It’s like a revolving door. You’re treating them right, aren’t you, Pax?” I won’t tolerate any woman being treated badly. He knows this. Jack and I raised him to respect women. Open doors for them. Walk between them and the road. Always, always, back off when they say no. And never,ever, lay your hands on a woman in anger.
“Of course I am.” He sounds offended and I breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m upfront with them,” he says. “I’m not ready for a serious relationship and I make sure they all know that. But they keep forgetting andtheykeep pressing me for more.” Now he sounds disgusted. I smile up at the stained ceiling. I’m proud of this kid for knowing what he wants and just as importantly, what he doesn’t want. I also worry that some of these women don’t see beyond the dollar signs to the warm, sweet man beneath. But that’s something Pax will have to figure out on his own. He’s well aware of gold diggers because Jack and I talk about them all the time.
“You’re going to get a reputation,” I say.
“Nah. It’s all good. Where are you this weekend?” he asks.
“Ohio. Cincinnati.” I pause. “I have something I need to talk to you about.”
Pax is my world. I’ve never once brought a woman home. Not to visit. Not to spend the night. Most definitely not to live with us. Bringing Tess home with me is a big deal and he needs to know about it. Even if the circumstances aren’t what they seem to be.
“Yeah?” he asks.
“I’m coming home tomorrow.” Something I still need to arrange. “And I’m bringing someone with me. She’s going to be staying at our apartment for a while.”I hold my breath, not knowing what reaction I’m going to get. He could care less. Or care very much and get upset.
“She? Like a girl?” He’s almost twenty-one but sounds like he’s nine when his voice rises like that.
“Like a girl. She has nowhere to go, and she needs some help right now. That’s all it is, just a friend helping a friend.” For now, but he doesn’t need to know that. And while Pax is pretty open about his relationships with me, I’m not willing to reciprocate.
