Page 83 of Broken Saint
“What have you done?” I ask, pushing myself up so I’m resting against the headboard.
“Me?” she asks innocently as Kyan starts babbling adorably in her arms. “I haven’t done anything. But we are picking Peyton up in an hour, so unless you want to go wearing Colt’s jersey and nothing else, I suggest you get dressed.”
With a wink, she gets up and walks to the door.
“Did you speak to everyone you needed to?”
“My mom, yeah,” I confess. And my head is still spinning from that conversation. My stomach knots, knowing that I still need to call my boss back.
Assuming she is still my boss and she hasn’t fired my ass. It wouldn’t be a bad thing. I pretty much despise my job. Even more so since turning up here and getting a glimpse of the old me who never would have allowed anyone to convince her to take a job that involved hiding in the house and hardly ever talking to anyone.
It’s just another reminder of what a weak, pathetic woman Chad turned me into.
Letty gives me a sympathetic look before she closes the door.
With a sigh, I grab my cell. There are another two missed calls from my boss. I guess I’d better get this over with.
Hitting the screen to redial, I lift my cell to my ear and take a deep breath.
What’s the worst that could happen?
“Do you still have a job?” Letty asks the second I emerge.
“Uh...”
I narrow my eyes at her in accusation. She just shrugs and gathers everything she needs into her arms.
“Grab Ky for me,” she demands as if she didn’t just silently confess to listening to my conversation earlier.
“Just about,” I mutter, tucking my hands under his little arms and swinging him from the floor. My body aches as I do so, taunting me with the events from the night before.
Do I hope that Letty was right earlier about me getting more action? Hell yes. Do I think my body can cope? No, probably not.
“Do you really care? You hate your job.”
“I need the money.”
“El,” she sighs.
“Don’t,” I snap. “Just…don’t. I’m not some charity case who needs support just because my fiancé was a douchecanoe of epic proportions. I’ll figure this out. Somehow,” I add, the confidence in my voice waning.
She takes off, leaving me little choice but to follow her out to the car.
“One, you’re not a charity case. You’re my best friend, El. Nothing I ever do for you is charity. It’s because I love you and want the best for you. Two, yes, he was, and you’re better off without him. And three, yes, you will figure it out. But you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here for you. All of us. Whatever you need.”
Tears burn my eyes as she takes Kyan from my arms and begins strapping him into his car seat.
I take off, needing to hide my reaction from her. But I don’t make a second step before Letty’s hand wraps around my upper arm, twisting me back to face her.
“We’ve got you, Ella,” she repeats, her eyes glistening just like mine. “Family, remember?”
I nod, desperately trying to keep my sob in.
“Family,” I choke out, wrapping my arms around her when she pulls me in for a hug.
“Come on, before Peyton thinks we’ve gone without her.”
“Gone where exactly?”