Page 113 of Icebound Hearts
Miriam huffs a breath. “It used to be my house too.”
I can’t see Sawyer’s expression from where I’m standing, but I can see the way his shoulders tense as he shakes his head.
“Well, it’s not anymore,” he says, and I can tell he’s working to keep his tone even. “This is incredibly inappropriate, Miriam.”
Kelsey blanches a little, glancing between the two of them with a look of panic blossoming across her face.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Townsend,” she says quickly. “She told me she’s Jake’s mom, and that it was an emergency. She said she needed to talk to you and that she didn’t mind waiting, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I shouldn’t have?—”
“It’s not your fault,” Sawyer tells her. “You didn’t know.”
To his credit, he manages to gentle his voice a bit as he speaks to her, even though I can tell he’s angry at this situation. Stepping forward, he reaches into his back pocket for his wallet, then pulls out several bills and holds them out to Kelsey. She rises from the couch to take them, still looking chagrined.
“How was Jake tonight?” he asks quietly.
She swallows, looking just about as uncomfortable as I feel right now. “He was great. He’s a sweet kid, and we had fun. We played some games, then he went to bed around eight.”
“Thank you.”
“I really am sorry about?—”
Sawyer holds a hand up, stopping her. “It’s okay. Have a good night, Kelsey.”
He turns toward the door, and I step to one side so that he can usher her out. As soon as she’s gone, he turns back to face his ex, who rises from the couch with an almost challenging expression on her face, as if she’s spoiling for a fight.
“Jesus, you’re so dramatic,” she says, her lip curling slightly. “You don’t have to act like I’m some sort of threat.”
“Not a threat.” Sawyer’s voice is cool and distant. “Just unwelcome. If you truly needed to speak to me, there are ways to contact me. Showing up at my house late at night is not one of them.”
“Well, clearly you weren’t interested in answering the phone when I called, so what was I supposed to do?”
He makes a sound under his breath. “Were you calling to speak to Jake? To find out how your son is doing? To tell him you love him? Or were you calling because you want more money so that you can invest in another shady business or jet off with some random man?”
My stomach twists at his words. There’s a bone-deep exhaustion in his voice that makes it clear he already knows the answer to his question. She’s not interested in Jake. She seems to only be interested in herself.
Miriam scowls as if she doesn’t like being called out, opening her mouth to respond. Before she can say anything, I press away from the wall by the door, moving toward the stairs. I feel like a voyeur, watching this private drama play out, and I’m not sure this is a conversation I should be here for.
“I’ll just… give you two a moment to talk,” I murmur.
Sawyer’s gaze flicks to me, his expression full of so many things that I can’t even begin to name them.
“Come back down soon,” he says softly. “This won’t take long.”
He holds my gaze for long enough that my heart starts to beat harder, and I nod once, then turn and hurry up the stairs. I can make out the muffled sound of their voices as I pad quietly toward Jake’s room.
His door is cracked, so I poke my head inside and find that he’s thankfully out cold. He’s sleeping on his back, his hands sprawled out on either side of his head, and I breathe a sigh of relief. After what Sawyer has told me about the way Miriam disappeared from her son’s life, I’m glad he’s blissfully unaware that she’s currently downstairs attempting to shake down his father for money.
A feeling of protectiveness wells in my chest, and my eyes burn as I blink back tears.
I slip into the room and pull his covers up to his chin, pressing a soft kiss to Jake’s messy hair.
I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise him silently, swallowing past the lump in my throat. Then I straighten and leave, careful not to wake him as I shut the door fully on my way out.
Sawyer and Miriam are still talking downstairs, and I stand in the hallway for several long moments, wracked by indecision. Sawyer told me to come back down soon, but I’m not sure I should.
As attached as I am to Jake, he’s not mine. And Sawyer isn’t mine either, despite the fact that I sometimes allow myself to forget that. I don’t truly have any right or reason to be a part of whatever discussion is happening downstairs between Sawyer and his ex.
But on the other hand, maybe he’s waiting for me. Maybe I could give him a bit of support, some solidarity as he deals with Miriam.