Slowly We Trust (Fall and Rise #3)(56)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

“It does.”

24

Eddie was waiting for me when Trish dropped me off at the restaurant. It was a chain, with vintage movie posters on the wall, and servers who were decked out in all manner of pins and buttons.

“Hi, Eddie,” I said, sitting down. His eyes darted around the room, and the bags under them were evidence that he hadn’t slept at all last night.

His hands twitched on the table as I looked across at him.

“I want to see my daughter,” he said.

“I know, I know. How about we get something to eat and we can talk?” A waitress came over with a bright smile on her face. She probably thought we were on a date. I felt sorry for her. She was definitely going to get a big tip.

Eddie just shook his head as the waitress greeted us and handed over some menus.

“I’ll have a water, thanks,” I said.

“And for you?” She turned to Eddie.

“Water,” he grunted.

“Okay, I’ll just give you a few minutes,” she said, her smile faltering a tiny bit as she scurried off to get our drinks. I looked down at the menu instead of looking at Eddie. It was easier.

“You’re not hearing me. You’re just not hearing me.” He kept muttering under his breath. I should have had Trish come with me. She’d offered to stay, not even knowing what she she’d be getting herself into. But then I’d have to tell her everything and I wasn’t ready for that.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” I reached my hands across the table and tried to take his, but he flinched away from me.

“I just can’t believe that you’d do that to me.”

“I know. I know.” I felt like a very broken and battered record, saying the same things over and over.

“There’s nothing I can say to change what’s happened. I didn’t think you’d want to know, or want to be part of her life, that’s why I didn’t tell you. I never thought you’d want to be a part of this.” I honestly hadn’t.

“That wasn’t your decision to make,” he hissed at me.

“I know. I know.” The waitress came back with our waters and asked if we were ready to order. I told her to give us a few minutes. Maybe this wasn’t the best place to meet. I should have picked someplace more quiet.

“Eddie. I’m going to call my aunt, okay? Just hold on.” I got up from the table and found Maria’s number in my contacts. I just hoped she was able to answer.

“Audrey,” she said, picking up on the second ring. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I’m . . . I’m sorry,” I said, walking into the entryway of the restaurant so I could have at least the semblance of privacy.

“You should be sorry. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Why haven’t you called me back?”

“I don’t know.” I wanted to cry, but my eyes didn’t seem to want to. “I just didn’t know what was going on.”

Maria sighed.

“Well, you would have if you’d picked up your phone when I called. You know I wouldn’t contact you unless it was an emergency.”

“How is she?” I said, my voice quiet.

“She’s a trooper. You wouldn’t even know she was sick.” But she is. Maria didn’t have to say the words out loud for me to know we were both thinking them.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Audrey. These things happen. It’s nothing you did, or caused to happen. But it did happen and now we have to make the best of it, right?” I missed Maria. When she’d taken Emily from me, I’d lost contact with one of the only family members who I liked.

“I’m here with Eddie, the father. I told him. He wants to see her.” There was a long pause on Maria’s end of the phone. It sounded like she was driving.

“I didn’t anticipate that,” she said, groaning a little.

“Neither did I. I never told him because I didn’t think he’d want anything to do with her. And I was scared and young and you know that, right?”

“I know, sweetie, I know. You made the best decision for Emily. Do you think you’d be able to handle what is happening with her right now at your age?”

Not in a million years.

“I’m barely handling it and Leo is a wreck. We’re doing everything we can, but sometimes things are out of our control.”

“I hate to put this on you with everything else, but he’s freaking out and I don’t know what to do.”

She sighed again and the car engine noise stopped.

“Okay, put him on.”

“Hold on, I’ll go get him.” I walked back into the restaurant and found Eddie staring into his water glass, stirring the ice around with his straw.

“Maria’s on the phone. She wants to talk to you.” I handed the phone over and he put it up to his ear as if it was a bomb.

“Hello?”

Lottie and I fell asleep on the couch watching cartoons and I didn’t wake up until the late afternoon.

“Shit, I was going to be productive today,” I said, stretching my arms. “Guess that’s out of the question.”

“Great, now my body clock is going to be all out of whack,” Lottie said, also stretching.

“Have a nice nap, kids?” Zan said, leaning over the back of the couch and giving us a rare smirk.

“Shut up,” Lottie said, shooting a glare at him.

“Well, I think that is my cue to leave,” I said, getting up and leaning back to get the kinks out of my spine.

“Aud should be back from whatever she’s been doing with Trish.”

“They’ve been spending a lot of time together,” Lottie said, grabbing Zan’s shirt and almost dragging him over the back of the couch to sit next to her.

“Yeah, I know. It’s weird because they say they’re going shopping, and Trish hates shopping.”

Lottie laughed.

“I know. It’s like trying to make a cat take a bath. But it’s probably just a Valentine’s thing. You know, Trish is obsessed with those romantic books, so she probably has a lot of good ideas.”

She had a point.

“That’s probably it.” I said goodbye and headed back to my room. More and more of my stuff was migrating to Aud’s. Hey, she had the space, so why not? It was easier than going back and forth and her place was much cleaner. Or maybe I was cleaner when I went to her place.

Simon was on his bed, knee-deep in textbooks.