I stepped forward with a nod. “Okay. But I promise to call you.” I stroked her cheek. “Will you wait for me?”
Her smile was full, but I could still spot her guilt. Her silence was deafening, her mouth opening and then clamping shut as if he couldn’t find the right words to say. “I feel like this is all my fault,” she finally murmured.
I frowned. “No. If anything, it’s mine. I’m the one that didn’t have my phone around.”
“Yeah, but I was totally distracting you.” Her smile faltered.
I shook my head then kissed her cheek. “Don’t blame yourself. Like you told me once before, it’s life. Things happen that are out of our control.”
Her eyes shot up. “Wow. I can’t believe you remember that.”
I flashed a smile. “I remember everything when it comes to you, Chloe.”
After placing one last kiss on her lips for reassurance, I let her go, watching her cross the street and walk through her front door. On her way across, she looked back once, a faint trace of a smile present. I returned the same expression, waving once.
When she made it safely inside her home, I blew out a heavy breath, picking up my phone and calling the insurance company. My status with Chloe was puzzling, but when it came to my daughter, I had to see she was safe.
I felt terrible as hell for not answering sooner. I could have lost her too. Fortunately, a higher power had their eyes on her.
Not sure what the fuck I would have done if I’d lost my Izzy Bear too.
I wouldn’t blame Chloe for a damn thing, but I would blame myself over and over again, going through the same struggle as once before, and that would jeopardize everything she and I ever stood for.
Sixteen
His garage gate was closed when I awoke, no cars or bikes in the driveway. He’d gone to Nois for Izzy. He called me right before leaving that morning.
"I'll be back as soon as everything is handled."
"Okay," I murmured, but I felt somewhat disappointed—not with him, but with myself. He was going to see Izzy. I could have tagged along, but I didn't quite trust myself with Theo around. I would have been self-conscious of every little thing, like if she noticed me staring or if she saw how he looked at me, or maybe even caught him standing too close. I missed the hell out of her, but I was going to have to wait to see her... alone. No hot daddy around to distract me.
Anything could have gone wrong, so I kept my distance. "Tell her that I'm glad she's okay. I mean I called her last night to check in, and she said she was fine and all, but I'm sure she'd love to hear it in person."
"I will." Theo was quiet for a moment. At first I thought he was thinking negatively— reconsidering all we'd done only hours ago on his boat. But that thought quickly vanished as he sighed. "When I get back, it's you and me. I'm packing everything up. Think you can drop by and help?"
I laughed, crossing my legs on top of my comforter. "Duh. You know I will. Just make sure you keep the chair aside. I'm really taking it."
"Of course." I heard the smile in his voice. "Gonna miss you, Chloe." His voice was gentle, maybe the softest I'd ever heard it.
"I'll miss you too, Theo."
"Mmm," he groaned.
Giggling, I asked, "What?"
"I love it when you call me by my first name."
"Theodore," I said, rolling his name off my tongue. "Theodore Benjamin Black."
He chuckled. "You know way too much about me, Knight."
I smirked on my end. "Not my fault you're a blabbermouth around me.
"Take it as a good thing, babe. Not many get to know me like you do."
I paused. "You say that like you're a bad person."
He was silent for a moment, allowing my words to sink in. Finally, he said, "You'd be surprised. There's shit about me that only Janet and my mom know about. Shit that... I can’t exactly take back. Sometimes I think my last name mocks me because of how dark my past was."
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"Long story, sweetheart." I heard his keys jingle. "But when I'm back, I'll be sure to fill you in. Pun intended."
I laughed out loud. "Whatever. I'll talk to you soon."
I heard a door shut on his end. He didn't respond, so I waited on the line, assuming he hadn't heard me. "Come to your window," he commanded lightly.
I stared ahead, listening to his car honk when unlocking. Gradually, I climbed off the bed, walking towards my window. I hesitated for a moment but quickly realized I had no reason to hold back. Pulling the curtain aside, I saw him standing right in the driveway, looking straight up at my window.
"There's my girl." He put on a beautiful smile, those light lines forming around his eyes. Those lines were the only things that gave his age away. Other than that, he was absolute perfection. With the phone glued to his ear, he lifted his left hand and waved, like he was just some regular, normal neighbor.
Blushing, I waved back, and then pressed my palm to the cool windowpane. "Get some rest, Little Knight."
"Have a safe drive, Mr. Black."
I saw him laugh silently, pulling his car door open. Then, I pulled the phone away from my ear, watching as he did the same, slipping into the driver's seat.
The car cranked, and he reversed his way out of the driveway, pulled onto the main road, and then drove away but not before looking up at me once more and winking.
I missed him already, and it'd only been four hours. I know, I sounded needy and desperate, but I seriously couldn’t wait until he got back. I had many questions I wanted to ask him. I knew there was a darker side to Theo; I'd just never truly witnessed it. Other than watching him almost destroy Ol' Charlie with a hammer after Mrs. Black died, I'd never seen him spiral deeper. The desire to destroy something he loved seemed logical, considering he'd just lost the love of his life.
But I wondered about him—wondered what he could do and how he did it. I wondered if I could trust his darker side, a side that I’m sure not even Izzy had witnessed. If she had, she would have told me all about it.
I blew a breath, pushing out of bed and going towards my window for the second time that day. I looked at his home, and when it occurred to me that he would no longer be living there after two weeks, I had the urge to cry. I couldn't imagine not having him there. I couldn’t picture another family in that home because, to me, that was the Blacks’ home.
The first real, genuine people I met. A family that accepted me—took me in with welcoming arms and put a smile on my face every single day. They were my friends. My life wouldn't have been as much fun without them.
I hated change.
No matter how awful I felt or how heavy my heart would get when I thought of Izzy, I missed her like crazy. I felt awful about the wreck. It was my fault Theo didn’t pick up the first few times. He was too busy trying to secure time with me, considering her phone call just another weekly conversation that could wait.