Page 147 of Shattered Souls
His head whips toward mine. “Already?”
How are they not grasping this concept?!
“Yes. I thought you had class at nine?”
He waves a dismissive hand. “I can grab the notes from someone.”
“Or you could just go to the class.” I stalk toward him. “I assure you, you cannot hang out here all day.”
He gapes at me in outrage as though how dare I suggest he can’t do that. “Says who?”
“The teacher, for one, if we don’t leave soon. Probably the other parents when they find some weirdo is playing with their kids all day. Your teachers and Coach when you inevitably don’t show up for class or practice.” Affronted, he grunts at me.
Rolling my eyes, I give him a playful nudge. “She’ll be okay. She needs to make her own friends.” He makes a noise of disagreement. And in some miraculous feat, I manage to wrangle them all out the door.
“Hey!” At the sound of Aurora’s voice, we all whirl.
“What is it, Pumpkin?” Logan’s voice is filled with concern as he crouches, and she immediately runs into his arms.
“You didn’t say bye!”
“I’m sorry, boo.”
Burying her face in his shoulder, she wraps her tiny arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. After a moment, she stretches out an arm, making grabby hands. “Gayson. Ro.”
Despite the nonsense that has been this entire ordeal, it is an incredibly sweet moment, the three of them blocking the entire hallway as they crowd in for a hug. Aurora mastered the art of wrapping them around her finger in less than a week. The girl deserves an award. They are absolute suckers for her.
Eventually, she wiggles to get down, before skipping away. “Bye, Gayson. Bye, Lo. Bye, Ro.” Reaching the door to her classroom, she waves, and just before she disappears, she tacks on, “Bye, Mommy.”
Well, better an afterthought than completely forgotten, right?
“Can we please go now?” I grouse.
“Awww.” Logan fake pouts at me as he drapes his arm over my shoulder, and we walk out of the daycare. “Someone’s just salty because they were nearly forgotten.”
“I am not.”
He gives me a knowing look, and Iaccidentallyjam my elbow in his ribs.
Outside, I take a deep breath, feeling the weight lift from my shoulders. “She’s going to be just fine,” I say, more to myself than anyone else.
Grayson moves to my other side, Royce at my back. “She’s got this,” he assures. “Besides, if anyone gives her any hassle, we’ll soon sort them out.”
That’s not the ringing endorsement he thinks it is.
43
RILEY
“Oh my god!” I clap a hand over my mouth to hide the hysterical laugh threatening to burst free as I close the front door behind me after spending the afternoon studying in the library. “What did you let her do to you?”
“We’re playing dress up, Mommy.” My daughter stares at me with the sweetest smile, wearing a princess dress Logan undoubtedly bought for her. She looks cute, but that’s not what has me frozen in the doorway to the living room.
It’s the six-foot-three dark-haired behemoth with cherry red lips, matching rosy cheeks, and bright blue glittery eyeshadow that sweeps from his lashes all the way to his eyebrows. On the plus side, at least the color matches his eyes. However, he also looks completely and utterly ridiculous.
Perhaps it’s the tattoos.
The best part is the scowl on his lips and his crossed arms. Sitting in a child-sized chair for my daughter, Royce was voluntarily allowing her to brutalize his face even though he clearly hated every second of it.
