Page 8 of The Enemy Plot
“Your daughter let me in. And don’t change the subject. The only one being unneighborly is you.”
“How come no one else on this street complains, then?” I say, pumped by the adrenaline from my workout. “You’re the one with a problem. If you have such sensitive ears, maybe you should invest in better headphones.”
She takes a step closer, jabbing her finger at me. “Becauseyou and I share a wall!” She taps the wall next to me.
Glancing up, I notice Lola lingering in the doorframe of her room, laughing as she takes in the exchange. That smile on her face makes my heart jolt. So what if it’s at my expense? It’s asmile. Besides, ever since Alice stepped into the room, not a single dark thought has filtered through. Just like that, I’m no longer a prisoner of my own mind. The only thing I’m worrying about now is conjuring up the perfect retort to push the buttons of this feisty Frenchie.
“Now, stop being such an inconsiderate jackass!” she adds, her full lips trembling before she spins on her heel and marches out of the room, exiting my apartment.
Lola’s giggles grow louder, and I snap my head to her. “Stop laughing, young lady. You and I are going to have a serious talk about letting strangers into the apartment.”
I may be scolding her in my serious parent voice, but I’ve never felt more relaxed than I do now. Alice Beaumont is a foolproof solution.
“So,” Dr. S. begins, crossing his legs. “Now that we’ve done five individual sessions, I wanted to do this joint one to review the situation between you two.”
Lola and I are both seated on the couch across from him. He fixes his eyes on us, expecting us to talk, but what is there to say?
“Lola, let’s start with you. Is there anything you want to tell your uncle? Or ask him? Something he can do that would help you or your relationship.”
She releases a loud breath and starts twirling her hair. “I want to go to my friend’s party tonight.”
My body tenses. “Absolutely not.”
The doc looks at me. “Deacon . . .”
“It’s not appropriate for a thirteen-year-old,” I say, crossing my arms and leveling Dr. Stewart with a stare. Surely, he can’t think it’s a good idea.
“Okay,” he says. “Lola, how about another request? Let’s start with baby steps.”
She turns her glare to me. “I don’t need the safety lecture every time you drop me off at school. I know it by heart already. And it’s embarrassing.”
I keep my arms firmly folded. “Fine.” I guess lecturing her every single day for weeks should have been enough to get the message across.
“And I want to go places by myself.”
I blow out a breath. This kid is going to kill me. “No way!”
“What about the bookstore next door?” Dr. Stewart says. “Lola, you’ve been telling me about this place since our first session, and you haven’t gone yet, right?”
Really, Dr. S.? Whose side are you on!
“Yes,” she exclaims. “But he doesn’t want me to go by myself, and he never has time to take me. That’s what I’m saying. He treats me like a kid. I can’t go to parties. I can’t go to school by myself. I can’t have a social media account, and I can’t even go to the freaking bookstore by myself?Next door? I’m not a child!”
Of course she’s a child. And I won’t let her out of my sight if I can help it. I’ve never been able to protect the people around me. Everyone else died. And I won’t let that happen to my sister’s daughter. As her last living relative, I’ve been granted custody, and I’ll make sure she lives a long life, even if that means she hates me in the process.
“That’s not such an unreasonable request,” Dr. Stewart says. “Deacon, what do you think about that?”
I want to smash my hand into a wall, that’s what I think about it. So what if it’s next door? I won’t be there to look after her. Besides, there are a lot of weirdos out there. “I’m just not comfortable letting her go by herself, that’s all.” I fold my arms tighter and lean against the headrest.
“How about this,” Dr. S. says, resting his hands on his knees. “You take some time to go with Lola to the bookstore, and after that, you can decide if she’s allowed to go by herself.”
Lola glances up at me, and I notice a glint of hope in her eyes.
“Fine. We’ll go together first.”
What have I just gotten myself into?
“Now, Deacon, is there anything you want to ask Lola that might improve your relationship?”