Page 75 of The Sacrifice
Did she even care? Or were we a substitute for what she couldn’t have? I rub my chest. Mia isn’t like that. She cares. Right? Fuck. I don’t know anymore. It’s eating me up. Andrew hasn’t even been over to see us. To lose them both at the same time…. I’m not in a good place.
I click on my mom’s image and wait for her to answer. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, mom. Everything is going fine here. How’s Hadley?”
“She’s fine.” The wistful sound of my mom’s voice fills me with warmth. “She’s such a good baby. And the house is clean.”
“Yes?”
“With Mia gone, I expected you to need help, so I brought detergent, dish soap and bleach with me.”
“I can clean dishes.” I’m not touching the laundry room. Not until she’s back where she belongs.
“I know, dear. It’s just….” She pauses for a second. “You’re doing a great job with Hadley. She’s happy. Well-fed. Everything is clean. It’s…. I’m proud of you.” She sniffs. My parents have never said they were proud of me. At least about my personal life.
“Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry.” Anxiety crawls up my spine like fork tines scraping across a plate. I can’t hold it together if she breaks down.
“I won’t. But your dad and I are so proud of you. If you want us to talk to Mia, we’d be happy to.”
“It’s fine. Everything will work out how it’s supposed to.” No self-respecting guy wants their mom to go to their ex-girlfriend’s house and beg her to stay. I press my lips together. Hey, I’m not a self-respecting guy.
“Jackson, they’re ready.”
“Look, mom, I’ve got to go.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’re putting a load of clothes into the washing machine.”
My brain short circuits. I don’t want to think about the washing machine. Or Mia’s O’ face as she came. Or her arms wrapped around my neck. Or the scent of her perfume.
“I’ve got to go.” I hang up and nod. “Tell him I’ll pay him twice as much if he can get it done in under fifteen minutes.”
“Cade says that he’s on it.”
Chapter Forty-One
Las Vegas
Cade
“Babe, how do I look?” He fastens the diamond cuff links as she adjusts the tie at the base of his neck.
“Like a rich, macho pig who likes to watch naked women pole dance.”
“Thank you.” He puffs out his chest in appreciation of her compliment. Even if she didn’t mean it as a compliment. “I feel like I have the look down.”
She tilts her head. “Yes, you do. Is there something from your past that you failed to share with me?”
“Nope.” He grabs her chin. “There’s nothing you don’t know about me. I only like to watch my wife strip, but duty calls.”
“Well, in that case.” She arches into him like a cat and laces her arms around his neck. “When you’re done tonight, I’ll be wearing only a G string and pasties.”
“Thank God.” He glances at the ceiling of the elevator.
It wasn’t hard to figure out where Roxanne was working in Vegas. With a few clicks of the mouse, and they had her work schedule at their fingertips. Lola rarely went into the field with him, but she was ovulating, and they weren’t passing up an opportunity for baby number two.
“You’ll be thanking God repeatedly in a few minutes.” She winks and steps back.
“Hey.” He glares at her and tries to pull her back against him.