Page 84 of The Sacrifice
Chapter Forty-Four
The Next Morning
Mia
As I usher two three-year-old kids to the table, I yawn for the tenth time in ten minutes. Damn my brother anyway. And Jackson. They’re both assholes. Jackson never texted me back, and I was up until two, waiting for Andrew to come home.
Every step between the front door and the kitchen is memorized from pacing back and forth. I lied when I said I didn’t care if my brother stayed friends with Jackson. The last thing I want to do is see him and little Ms. Perfect with the killer fucking heels at Thanksgiving dinner. Or camped out on my brother’s sofa while they all watch moves. I’ve got to get my own place.
I yawn again. I know I need more than three hours of sleep.
“The rest of the students stated finger painting. Do you want to grab a paint container and join them?”
“Yes!” They say in unison and beam up at me. My heart pangs in my chest. I should get a different job. So what if I went to school for early education? I wouldn’t be the only person who wasn’t using their degree.
I rub my hand over the little girl’s silken hair. “What are you going to make?”
She dips her finger into the green paint. “Sun.”
“Okay.” A green sun. Perfect. “I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.” I turn and walk away from the table.
As the team member’s newest member, I’m in charge of greeting parents and getting the kids where they belong. I love it. Except for the part where it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest because I’ll never have my own children, and my life sucks.
The rest of it is great. The parents are nice. The kids are adorable and fun. And the other staff are friendly and welcoming.God, I hate it here.
The door swings open, and the too perky and perfect blonde from last night waltzes in, holding a toddler’s hand. Shit. I have to be nice to Jackson’s girlfriend. And her daughter is the sweetest kid. Damn it. I don’t want to like her.
“Hello.” The woman nods in my direction.Fuck my life.
The little girl toddles across the open space and smashes her face into my leg. “Hello, Ms. Mia.”
I rub her back. “Go play with the girls.” I point her toward the play kitchenette, and she disappears to join them.
My breath catches in my lungs when the blonde woman glances at the door as if she’s waiting for someone. She can’t be waiting for him. It’s not possible. Please, no. The children’s chatting fades into background along with the scents of glue and washable paints.
The door opens, and Jackson waltzes in like he has the world by the tail in a killer suit and winks at the woman. “Ash.”
“Jackson.” She smiles, and I want to rip her arm off and use her fingernails to jam both of their eyes out.
“Thank you for last night.”
“It was my pleasure.” She walks up to him and pats his chest.
As they whisper to each other, the urge to do bodily harm ramps up as if someone is turning the dial on one of those experiments from back in the day. Those ones where you thought someone was being shocked, but they weren’t. Only I want the electrical jolts to be real.
The door opens again and Dillon, the man who picked Malia and a baby up yesterday, breezes in clasping the handle of a covered baby carrier and another baby on his hip.
My baby.My hands itch to rip her from him and hold her tight.
“Could you two walk any faster?” Dillion asks. “I got caught talking to Coach Slater, and neither of you cared. I understand my wife enjoying my pain, but you?” He shoves Hadley at Jackson. “I expected better of you.”
“Sorry, man.” He holds her against his chest and meets my gaze for the first time since he walked into the room. “I had to stop by Spencer’s office to get some paperwork. Thanks for watching Hadley for a few minutes.”
The room fades at the edges as his eyes never leave mine. My heart clamors against my ribs. Dillon wraps his arm around Ashley’s waist and kisses her.
Oops.I swipe my hands on my leggings. Maybe I shouldn’t have wanted to rip her arm off and stab people in the eyes with her fingernails.
Jackson saunters over to me and grabs my chin between his thumb and fingers. “That’s for jumping to conclusions. And for thinking I could disrespect you by hooking up with someone else.” His thumb strokes along my jawline. “I’m not a kid anymore. Whether you want me to make a commitment to you or not. That’s the reality. I’m not going to stop loving you because you broke my heart.”