Page 28 of Exile
“Yeah, sweetie, she did. Take all the time you need; your job will be here waiting. Do you need anything from us?” Marge’s raspy voice comes through the line, offering reassurances that help ease some of the tension building in my shoulders.
“I just need some time to figure out how long Mrs. G is going to be in the hospital and line up someone else to stay with Mom. I don’t exactly have a long list of volunteers for free babysitting, so I might have to call around or hire someone.” Mentally I start tallying up how much hiring someone to stay with Mom will run me, and I wince. I make enough between my two jobs to cover the basic living expenses for us, but there usually isn’t a lot leftover.
“Okay, you just let me know when you’re ready to come back. We will be fine at the shop. And if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. You’re like a granddaughter to Eddie and me, and we are happy to help any way we can.”
“Thanks, Marge. I’ll call you once I have things sorted.”
When I enter the house, Dom and Kai are standing in the foyer locked in silent standoff. Kai’s face is closed off and angry, his chin tipped up in defiance. He is bristling like an angry porcupine. Dom’s stance is wide, arms crossed, and he’s looking down his nose at Kai with his cop look. It’s the same expression I saw when he dealt with the frat douches at Maverick’s weeks ago.
“Hey, Kitten, I was just telling your little friend, Malakai, he can go. We’ve got it under control now.” Dom doesn’t turn to look at me when he speaks—his eyes are locked on Kai. His words are neutral, but the tone behind them is anything but. Kai doesn’t break eye contact with Dom when he speaks, either.
“And I was just telling your boyfriend that I’m happy to stay with Laura as long as you need me to.” Shit, I need to diffuse this before two of the most important people in my life come to blows.
“Kai, thank you so much for staying with Mom and checking in while I was gone.” I turn to Dom and give him a gentle nudge toward the kitchen. “Will you give us a minute, babe? Please?”
Dom doesn’t budge at first. He just continues to stare Kai down. Kai breaks the tension first by looking at me. Whatever he sees on my face melts away the anger from him. He moves away from his standoff with Dom and wraps me up in a hug.
Speaking low in my ear he says, “ReRe, I’ll be around to help any way I can. My parents will be back in town this week, and I’m sure they will be more than willing to give you backup so you can get to work and class.”
With one last squeeze, he lets me go and heads to the front door. When my eyes travel back to Dominick, there is a storm of emotion swirling in his steel gray eyes as he watches Kai leave. A pit opens up in my stomach as I realize there is no way I am going to be able to keep both of these men in my life. At some point I am going to have to choose, and I don’t know how I will.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KAI
Serena hasn’t been able to make it to class or to the coffee shop this week. I’ve been stopping by every day to drop off notes for our shared classes, despite Dominick’s warning to stay away from her. Fuck if I am going to abandon my best friend when she needs me most. My parents will be getting back in town today from their epic cross-country trip to the Southwest. I already filled them in on the situation, and they’re both more than willing to hang out with Ms. Laura so Serena can get back to her life. Serena hates asking for help and relying on others—the guilt eats at her, I know—but I am not about to let her shoulder this on her own.
Bounding up the front steps of the Malcolm home, I give a light knock on the door before letting myself in. Serena is used to my afternoon visits, so she should be expecting me. When I enter the house, I hear the low murmur of voices in the living room. One is deep and male. Shit, Dominick isn’t usually here when I come by. He better not start up with his posturing bullshit again. As I approach the living room, I realize Dominick is talking to Laura, and Serena isn’t around
“I know it feels like a big change, Laura, but I think this would be best for Serena, don’t you? I know you hate the fact that she has to work so much to support you both, and I want to help. Serena deserves to be able to live her life and know you are safe and taken care of.”
“I don’t know, Dom…it’s too much.” I pause in the hallway, just outside the door, listening, unease building in my gut. Why is Dom here talking to Ms. Laura without Serena? What is he trying to talk her into?
“Nothing is too much when it comes to Serena. I promised her I was going to take care of her and you, and I intend on keeping that promise. I am going to propose to her, so we will be family soon. Let me do this, Laura. It’s a really nice independent living facility. You’ll have your own apartment, around-the-clock care available, and they have a neurologist on staff that is an expert in memory loss.”
My heart drops when I hear the word propose come out of his mouth at the same time Laura lets out a surprised gasp.
“You’re going to propose?” Laura’s voice is excited. I hold my breath waiting for Dominick’s response.
“I have the ring already. Look, Laura, Serena won’t decide to do this on her own. I know how hard she’s fighting to keep you at home. You’re the one who is going to have to suggest this to her. If she believes this is what you want, she will go with it. Once she accepts my proposal, she will move in with me. We can sell this house to help cover the costs, and she won’t have to spend every free moment working. Don’t you want what’s best for your daughter?”
Dominick’s words slide over me like an oil slick, leaving a disgusting residue behind. I can tell Serena’s mom is buying into his bullshit. I’m about to speak up and interrupt when the front door opens behind me, and Serena walks in, carrying groceries.
“Oh hey, Kai!” Her face breaks out into the briefest of smiles before falling away when she sees my expression. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
I must be doing a shit job of hiding my feelings about the conversation I overheard, but before I can say anything, Dominick appears in the hallway, eying me with suspicion.
“What are you doing here, Malakai? I didn’t hear you knock.” His tone is accusatory, and I bristle at the underlying accusation.
“I was stopping by with notes for Serena from class today.” I look at Serena when I answer, ignoring him. That doesn’t change the fact that I can feel him staring a hole into the back of my head. Fucking prick. I can’t let Serena marry this asshole. She deserves better. I would be better. A little voice in my head speaks, and I shake it off, knowing now is not the right time to let my mind venture down that road.
Serena eyes Dominick and me warily, sensing the tension between us. Instead of feeding into Dominick’s attitude, I move to grab some of the grocery bags hanging off Serena’s arm. She follows me into the kitchen with Dom right on her heels, like he’s afraid to leave me alone with her for even a second.
“I’ve got this, Malakai. You can go now.” Dominick pushes in front of me, separating me from the bags I just dropped on the counter. The move also places him between me and Serena, with her behind him, unable to see the daggers he is glaring at me. He looks pointedly behind me, towards the front door.
“Right. Well, here are the notes from today, ReRe. If you need any help with the assignment, just call.” I pull the notebook from my backpack, dropping it on the counter. “Mom and Dad will be in town tonight. Mom already said she’s happy to stay and hang out with your mom tomorrow so you can get to work and class.”
Dominick crosses his arms over his chest, trying to intimidate me when he speaks again. Joke is on him though, this chucklefuck doesn’t intimidate me. Not where Serena is concerned.