Page 103 of Finding Fate
He gets off the chair and comes running at me in his slacks and long sleeve sweater, holding his DS. I take his free hand in mine and lead him to the door. Another knock comes. I open it, slightly taken back when looking at the person on the other side. It’s amazing how people can change when they want to. She looks at me with similar features to the ones I was just looking at. No one could ever deny they were kin. “Hey, Maddox. How have you been? It’s been a while.”
I smile back. “Lil, you look good.”
She runs her hands down her black dress like she’s nervous. It looks like she’s put on a little weight, which makes a huge difference for some people. She’s been a bag of bones forever. She smells of perfume and is wearing makeup. Her blonde hair hangs just past her shoulders and has a shine to it I’m not sure I’ve ever seen. She looks . . . healthy.
She’s beautiful when she’s cleaned up. The only people that ever really cared about her were Riggan and Abby. Abby had a special place in her heart for helping her when she wouldn’t help herself. After Abby died and Riggan went downhill, there was no hope for her. She’s been dealing with daddy issues her entire life. Her mom didn’t want her because of what she was the result of. Since Riggan met her he’s had a soft spot for her. He’s always been protective of her since she’s younger. When he was strung out, he was almost always with her. He couldn’t keep her off the drugs, but he could keep her safe. He hates his aunt for what she’s done to her more than he hates their dad. “Thank you.” She looks at Madden. “Who is this handsome guy?”
“My son, Madden.” Her eyes lock with mine. I can see the questions. She’s known me as long as she’s known Riggan. “Madden, this is Uncle Riggan’s sister Lily.”
Despite the fact that she’s wearing heels, she squats to his height with her legs closed. “Hey, Madden. It’s nice to meet you. You look just like your dad did when he was younger.”
“Hey,” he says all cool like, as if he’s flirting, making me smile. Boy after my own heart. He’s just like me. Then he tilts his head. “You’re pretty. Will you be my girlfriend?”
Her face lights up as if she’s never been complimented. It’s sad. I place my hand on the top of his head and wiggle it side to side. “Boy, she’s too old for you.”
She laughs. “Thank you, but your dad is right. Besides, I bet you’ll forget all about me when you see the flower girl. She’s wearing a pretty dress and looks about your age.”
He smiles and looks at me. “Can we go find her, Daddy?”
I laugh. I can’t totally blame him. He’s around couples all the time now and men that like to grope their women before they remember little eyes are around. I didn’t know what the hell to do the other night when me and Gabby were going at it and he walked in the dark room right as I was finishing, saying he couldn’t sleep. Thank God we were under the blankets and Gabby thinks fast by telling him to go get his stuffed animal so he wasn’t lonely, which gave me time to get the fuck out of her and put my boxer briefs back on so that I could go distract him for her to put her pajamas back on. I’ve been trying to be more unpredictable in bed with sex to make her happy. I would have been mortified had I been pounding her or something on top of all the bedding. We’ve locked the door ever since, just in case.
As long as he only sees mild groping with a guy in the house and his wife I can deal. I’m not raising a playboy. I don’t want him to make the mistakes I made when Gabby was gone. “Come on, Casanova. We’ll go find her after we talk to Mommy.
“Lil,” Riggan says from behind me. Knowing Riggan he’s been standing there the whole time. “What are you doing here?”
She stands. I hug her. “Proud of you, girl. We’ve missed the sober Lily. Don’t be a stranger.”
When I pull away, she dabs the corner of her eye. I glance at Riggan. “I’ll be back for the wedding party photos.”
Madden follows me out just as the door to the room shuts, quickly coming by my side. I look down at him. “Where did you learn how to flirt, boy?”
“I don’t have friends at my new school Mommy registered me at. Uncle Konnor said when I start school in January to flirt with the pretty girls until I’m old enough to play football, and be nice, and I’ll have lots of friends. He said he used to flirt with Aunt Presley when they were little.”
I laugh as we walk through the venue, spotting the very person he’s referring to with a toddler in his arms. “I guess if Uncle Konnor said it, it must be true.”
“Did you flirt with Mommy?”
“I flirted with Mommy a lot. She was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. I didn’t want anyone else to flirt with her.”
He walks silently for a second. “Daddy?”
“What, buddy?”
“What do I do if another boy flirts with a girl I think is pretty?”
I think of what Gabby would say and immediately smile, remembering the girls she’s been a bitch to for looking the wrong way. “If he knew you liked her first, then you make sure he never flirts with the girl you like again. That and if someone is mean to you first are the only times it’s okay to be mean to someone.”
“So do what Mommy said? You beat ‘em up?”
I bust out laughing, drawing attention our way. “Are you sure Mommy said that?”
I know she did.
He nods. “I asked her too when she said to stop flirting with Aunt Sayler’s friend Morgan ‘cause she had a boyfriend at school.”
“Mommy is always right and never lies.”
He stops walking. I glance back at him standing with his mouth wide. “Mommy beat someone up?! I thought she was kidding!”