Chapter Nine
One Month Later
As Roxie stood in the small house her sister had so lovingly decorated, had made into a real home, she had a difficult time not expecting Pamela to walk through those doors, her signature smile lighting her beautiful face.
It was so much easier for Roxie to picture her sister when she was young, when neither of them had known how harsh the real world could truly be. Those days, they hadn’t been worried, hadn’t been burdened by the bad choices they’d one day make. That was how she wanted to remember her sister.
Pamela had grown up and led a difficult life, and things had just begun to go a little bit better for her, only to be so prematurely snatched away in a moment that still didn’t have a resolution. Maybe that was why Roxie didn’t feel as if her sister was truly gone; maybe it was because she hadn’t been able to lay her memory to rest.
Returning home to the city of Edmonds, Washington, hadn’t been easy for Roxie, especially with her past and all the memories flooding back, and she didn’t even want to think about her first night back and her time with Kian. She shuddered as she thought about what she’d run away from four years earlier, and what she’d so easily fallen back into. But that had been one mistake out of many, and she refused to allow herself to dwell on the past, even if it had already bitten her once since her return.
She couldn’t focus on all she’d done wrong. She had her niece to take care of, and though she wanted to fall apart every second of every day, she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.
The trip home to move out of her apartment had been pathetically easy. Though she’d had to give up her job, it hadn’t been difficult, and, sadly, she hadn’t had anyone to say goodbye to. Even after living in the bustling city of Portland for four years, she’d never taken the time to make lasting friendships.
So, she was in Edmonds, in her sister’s place, a small two-bedroom house in a quaint neighborhood, with her few possessions still in boxes. What she should do was place those boxes back into her car and drive away, start somewhere fresh, somewhere away from the memories, away from Kian Forbes.
As soon as she had the thought, she dismissed it. It was no longer just herself she had to take care of. Now she had the responsibility of raising Lily, who was beautiful and kind, and who had asked about her mother often in those first couple of weeks. Sadly, her niece was already forgetting her mother, was already attached to Roxie, even though, much to Roxie’s shame, she hadn’t spent time with her niece since her birth. They’d practically been strangers to each other before now.
Kian was most definitely putting pressure on Roxie to communicate more, but he wasn’t being cruel. In reality, it was more likely that he was letting out the fishing line, and soon—much sooner than she was ready for—he’d begin reeling it back in. She was so afraid of what he was going to do next that she chose instead to live in denial and hide her head in the sand. She’d managed to avoid him and the attorney who’d been calling.
People said ignorance was bliss, and she believed them. If she pretended there wasn’t a problem, then there wasn’t, right? Well, obviously, that wasn’t the case, as her time was running out already.
At least she had a few positives going for her. Thankfully, the house she was living in was paid off. It was the only possession her sister truly owned, and that was only because it had been passed down to her from their father. Technically, the place was in Roxie’s name as well, but she hadn’t hesitated to let her sister have it. Once Roxie had made the decision to move away from Edmonds, she hadn’t looked back.
Now, she didn’t want to leave the place and head to the attorney’s office. This was it; this was where she’d find out if she had a battle ahead of her she had no chance of winning. She hung her head as she grabbed hold of Lily’s hand and walked from the safety of their home.
She couldn’t help but appreciate the town of Edmonds as she made her way through it. Though Edmonds was only about fifteen miles from the bustling chaos of Seattle, a person really wouldn’t know that when they stepped back in time to the historic town.
This was a place where people still helped their neighbors and still smiled and waved at strangers. It was a place you had true relationships with people and where you called the family attorney uncle instead of sir. It was a place she’d run from quickly, and if she wasn’t so guarded, she might admit she had regrets about doing that.
When Roxie arrived at the attorney’s office, she stopped at the front door and wiped away the sweat springing up on her palm as she clutched Lily’s hand with her other. Her young niece clung to her, as she often did these days, and she looked up at Roxie with a hesitant smile on her sweet pink lips.
Roxie had pored through her sister’s photo albums, and there wasn’t a single picture in them where Lily wasn’t smiling with pure mischief in her eyes, even when she was an infant. To see her so much more subdued than what those images revealed was another heartbreaking realization for Roxie. She was determined to see that same light shine again in her niece’s eyes, and to see it sooner rather than later.
As Roxie opened the door, Lily scooted a little closer to her. Soon only her short brown curls could be seen as she peeked out from behind the safety of Roxie’s body. This made Roxie’s eyes sting as she fought the need to cry again.
Lily’s life would never be the same again, and even if it did make Roxie a bit uncomfortable being back home, her niece had been through enough, and Roxie could bite the bullet and make a sacrifice for the sake of this precious child.
“We’re just fine, Lily Bear, I promise,” Roxie said as she bent down. “We’re just visiting with Uncle Sal.”
Lily nodded bravely, but she didn’t say anything as Roxie stood up and moved into the brightly lit hometown office. Before she managed to shut the door, a surprised gasp emerged from in front of the two of them, causing Lily to cling desperately to Roxie’s legs as they both gazed ahead.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” a woman cried, her lips turned up in a beaming smile, her eyes practically sparkling.
If Roxie thought she’d be able to do this meeting without any fanfare and then slip back to her small place and think some more about running away, that thought had just been brutally pushed from her mind.
Standing in front of her wearing a surprised-but-delighted smile was her former best friend, Eden Skultz. They’d been through thick and thin together all through their school years, and Eden had been one of the people Roxie had left behind. Guilt instantly filled her as she gazed at the woman who had been by her side for all the important events in her life.
“Hi, Eden,” Roxie said with a fake smile in place. “It’s great to see you. I’d forgotten you worked here,” she added far too lamely.
“Well, you’ve been gone a long time, so I can see the memory lapse,” Eden said with only the smallest hint of betrayal in her voice. She paused for only a moment before she rounded the desk she’d stood up from and came over to throw her arms around Roxie in a crushing embrace.
“Yeah, it’s been a few years,” Roxie said. She was perfectly aware of exactly how long it had been since she’d run away from this town, run away from Kian Forbes, but she didn’t need to say that out loud.
Finally, Eden let her go, but took her arm and walked with her to the sitting area, where coffee and snacks were laid out.
“I’m here for a meeting, but I don’t want to interrupt you,” Roxie said with a slight smile. She really just didn’t want the two of them to get into a discussion about the good old days, because she feared that would hurt too much.
“You know it’s always been relaxed here, and the two of us can definitely visit before you see the old man,” Eden countered as she took a seat and invited Roxie to do the same. Roxie didn’t have much of a choice without seeming rude. It was odd to have such thoughts around someone she’d once been so comfortable with.
“You’re looking great,” Roxie said, noting that her friend hadn’t changed at all in the years they’d been apart.
Eden laughed. “I’m a single woman. I have to at least try to maintain some semblance of my youth,” she said as she picked up an orange and began to peel it. “But you’re the one who’s been gone. I want to hear all about you since you’ve left our small town to travel the world.”
Roxie cringed. This was the type of question she’d expected from her small-town friends, but it wasn’t something she’d been looking forward to. It wasn’t as if she could tell them she’d gone out and conquered the world. For one thing, she’d been running away, not running toward something. For another, she’d accomplished a big fat zero. That wasn’t something someone wanted to admit to.
Before Roxie was able to say anything, Eden zeroed in on Lily, who was clinging to her leg. The child was so quiet, she would be easy to overlook at this point.
“Well, looks like at least one thing has changed in your life,” Eden said, making an assumption about Lily. This would be the hardest part that Roxie had to play in her new role in life, especially since she wasn’t sure what she could say.
Lily looked bored, and though Roxie had been playing the parent role for only about a month, she already knew that look meant trouble. She quickly dug into her oversize purse for the small figurines and handed them to her niece, who gratefully took them, instantly absorbed. Roxie let out a relieved breath.
“I have to admit, I’m a little jealous of how amazing you look,” Eden said with another warm smile, contradicting her words. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“I . . . um . . .” Roxie trailed off.
“And now you’re a mom,” Eden said, sadness in her eyes, though the words should be spoken in joy.
“Not really. I’m just trying to not screw things up,” Roxie admitted.
“You won’t,” Eden assured her. “I’m really sorry about the loss of your sister.”
The words nearly ripped Roxie’s heart from her chest. Of course, everyone would know about her sister, and know Roxie had Lily. Roxie wondered if they also knew about Kian’s role as her father. To even think about that gave Roxie an instant headache.
“Thank you,” Roxie finally said, not knowing what else she could add.
“We won’t dwell on that,” Eden assured her. “Tell me instead about your life. Are you married?”
So much had changed in the past few years that though it might appear on the outside that Roxie hadn’t grown much, she knew very well that she was a new person. She wasn’t as naive as she’d once been—that was for sure. Her looks might have matured the slightest bit since she was now a respectable twenty-six years old, but she had aged what felt like ten years on the inside.
She’d certainly matured in other ways—emotionally and physically. But maybe those were things that were so much more obvious to her than to an outsider. She cringed a little when thinking of Eden as an outsider. This was her best friend—or at least she’d once been her best friend, and now Roxie didn’t know her at all. She didn’t know anyone from her past anymore.
She really thought of her life in two parts. Her time in Edmonds, which was most of her life, and her time away, which was about four years. Though the time away was far shorter than her time growing up, the past four years were truly what had shaped her. She’d been little more than a girl when she’d left. She had no doubt she was now a woman, though she still didn’t know exactly who she was.
Was it sad that she had come back around in a seemingly endless circle? She was back where she’d begun, but she’d made no true progress in life. And now she was jobless, low on money, and responsible for her niece, whose life could forever be changed by any decisions Roxie made. That was a responsibility she didn’t want to take credit for.
Finally, Roxie thought about Eden’s comment about a husband. Though Roxie wasn’t wearing a ring, that didn’t seem to matter nowadays. She could see how people would assume she was in a happy little unit—husband, check, child, check, white-picket-fence home, check. If only life could be wrapped up so neatly with a pretty red bow on top.
But Roxie hadn’t managed to sustain a relationship, not since leaving Kian four years earlier. It truly wasn’t fair to the opposite sex when a woman dated a man like him first. No one seemed to compare. She’d make it on first dates, but then never could go back for a second, even when she berated herself, trying to make herself go. She always found an excuse and got out of it. That was her life now, it seemed.
Lily shifted in her seat and looked up at Roxie as if she was drawing from her uncertainty and nervousness. The child was bound to grow up neurotic having Roxie as her main caregiver. Roxie had the sudden urge to beg for forgiveness as she clung tightly to her niece. She somehow managed not to do just that. Eden was waiting patiently as Roxie wrestled with all these thoughts. It felt like hours, but only seconds had passed.
“I’m not married,” Roxie said with a fake smile.
“Looks like neither of us has changed much,” Eden said with a somewhat false laugh.
“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad,” Roxie said. She laughed, but even to herself, the sound came out hollow. “But I do know that Lily and I are now facing the world together, so that’s one thing that’s different.”
Sympathy instantly flashed across Eden’s face, and Roxie cringed. She didn’t want sympathy. She just wanted to go back to some semblance of normalcy in her life, whether that was possible or not.
“You always were stronger than you thought,” Eden said.
“I’m glad someone thinks that,” Roxie said, this time with a real smile. “I did fail my sister, though, and that doesn’t show any strength at all. I just have to live with the guilt of that knowledge, and I have to try to be a better aunt than I was a sister, for not being there for her while she was falling apart. Maybe if I had been there, this situation never would have happened.”
She finished off with her smile fading away. She somehow felt bad when she did feel a moment of joy. Was it okay to feel good when her sister never could experience life again? She didn’t think so.
“You can’t blame yourself for someone else’s actions,” Eden quickly assured her. It wasn’t taking Roxie long to remember why she had loved this person for so many years. “And it’s certainly not selfish to strive for your own dreams. It wasn’t as if you were doing it at someone else’s expense.” There was more passion in Eden’s voice as she finished her words.
“You were always that friend that made me feel better about myself at the end of a conversation,” Roxie said. “I can’t believe I ever forgot that.”
“Things got rough for you in your last months here. I understand,” Eden said. The warmth in the woman’s eyes made Roxie glad she was sitting. She didn’t understand how forgiving Eden was acting toward her, considering how easily Roxie had walked away.
“I’m sorry I left the way I did,” Roxie said.
“You had to do what you had to do. But you’re home now. Is it permanent?” With those words, Roxie could see Eden had a little bit of her own guard up. She was still being more open than Roxie had the right to expect, though.
“I don’t know yet,” Roxie admitted.
“Well, you’re here for now, and you have your beautiful niece with you, and you know the people of this town will embrace you both.”
“Yeah, sometimes it’s a little overwhelming to have so many people watching every action you make,” Roxie said.
“Tell me about it,” Eden said with a sigh that had Roxie wondering if there was a story there to be told.
“Is there any special man in your life?” Roxie asked.
“Ah, you didn’t pay attention when I said I was a single woman,” Eden pointed out as she held up an orange. “I would be eating chocolate if I were in a relationship,” she added with a laugh.
“You’ve always looked amazing. I don’t think you need to abstain from anything,” Roxie said.
“We’re getting old,” Eden said with seriousness, her eyes wide as if this were a fate worse than death.
This did make Roxie laugh, a real laugh, something she’d needed to do for a while now and something she couldn’t remember doing in so long, the sound was odd to hear.
“How sad for us that we think being in our midtwenties is old,” Roxie said when the laughter faded away.
“When the average marriage age of our group is about twenty-two, I feel old,” Eden told her.
“What about . . . ?” She trailed off. She probably shouldn’t say that name and was glad she stopped herself when sadness entered Eden’s eyes.
“We haven’t been together in a while. He left,” she said, a sparkle in her eyes. “And it was for the best.”
“Then we won’t speak of it,” Roxie assured her. She could see questions in Eden’s eyes, but she was grateful her friend hadn’t brought up Kian. Since the two of them had dated brothers, they were very aware of each other’s circumstances.
“I think that’s enough talk about men or husbands or any of that,” Eden said. “It’s better to focus on the fact that you’re a mother now.”
“I’m not a mom; I’m an aunt,” she said as she reached over and ran her fingers through Lily’s hair. The amount of love she felt for this child was unbelievable. Lily was oblivious to the conversation they were having as she played make-believe with her small horse figures.
“You are a mom now,” Eden insisted. “Your niece can’t be more than three,” she pointed out.
“Almost four,” Roxie said. Her heart was racing.
“She’s going to think of you as her mom. You will be, in every sense of the word,” Eden said gently.
“I . . . I don’t . . .” Roxie couldn’t even form a thought to that statement, let alone say actual words.
“I’m not trying to stress you,” Eden quickly said. “Maybe I should keep my opinions to myself. A few people have told me that.”
Those words pulled Roxie from her panic attack as she focused on Eden. “Your advice always had a way of grounding me,” she admitted. “But that’s just something that hasn’t crossed my mind. I don’t know why not. I guess I’ve never really thought of myself as being capable of being a mother.”
“Because this is all happening so quickly,” Eden said. “But why don’t we push it out of your mind for now and take a stroll? It’s my lunch hour, and Sal isn’t here right now. He got stuck over at Ms. Martha’s house and probably won’t be here for another hour.”
This made Roxie grin again. “Is it an official meeting?” she asked with a sly smile.
“He thinks we all actually believe that,” Eden said with a chuckle.
Martha and Sal had been secretly seeing each other for more than ten years under the pretense of client and attorney, but everyone knew the truth. Why the two of them wouldn’t admit they were in love was a mystery. Maybe the clandestine meetings added excitement. Roxie wasn’t even offended he was late to see her.
“I would love to take a walk,” Roxie said.
“Perfect.” Within a minute, Eden set the phones and had the place locked up. They stepped outside, and Roxie took in a breath of fresh air as Lily once again clung to her hand and looked around.
“We have this great new park that an anonymous donor contributed to, but we all know it was the Forbes family. They just don’t like to be in the limelight for some reason. There’s a great new volunteer program in town, too, that is helping higher-risk kids do things in the community and giving them a chance to earn scholarships for college and put résumé-building skills on their applications. I’ll take you over to the park, where we will probably see some of the kids doing cleanup work and repairs,” Eden said with excitement.
“Sounds like a lot of things have changed around here since I’ve been gone,” Roxie said.
“I know. I remember we used to take part in community projects, but it was so difficult to get someone to head things, and now there are more than enough people willing to jump in and lead the kids. I give as much time as I can, and I love every minute of it,” Eden said.
“Who heads the volunteer program?” Roxie asked.
“Martha’s in charge of it, so she’s coming into the office all the time and asking for me to do something or other. I think I get caught in the middle in her excuse to visit with Sal,” she said with a wink.
“Martha is perfect for the task since it was always impossible to say no to that woman,” Roxie said with a chuckle.
“Tell me about it. I’ve even done trash cleanup,” Eden said. “But let me tell you, after doing that, if I see so much as someone throwing a gum wrapper on the ground, I won’t hesitate to yell at them until they pick it up.”
“I’m glad to be warned,” Roxie said before turning to Lily. “Better be careful, little girl, or Eden will be putting you to work.”
Lily clung a little tighter to Roxie’s hand as she glanced at Eden with a shy smile.
“I wouldn’t make you do anything that wasn’t fun,” Eden promised with a wink at Lily. “And sometimes, treasures can be found when you’re going through garbage.”
It was a warm day, and many people were milling about town, some sitting outside eating lunch, while others stood by buildings, visiting. It looked exactly the same, and yet subtle changes were showing throughout, such as planter boxes with bright flowers lining the streets, and new businesses that had customers walking in and out with bags. The town seemed to be thriving. It was a beautiful sight.
“Mr. Cortnick opened up a bakery over there,” Eden pointed out. “It’s absolutely sinful, and I know I’m going to gain ten pounds because I do good all day eating healthy and then get off work and swing by there. As soon as the door opens, I’m slammed in the face by mouthwatering smells and then buy half the case. I drop most of it off at the volunteer center, but not before consuming at least one pastry. I don’t know what that man does, but I’ve never tasted such good food,” Eden grumbled.
Roxie laughed. “We’ll definitely have to stop in there on the tour,” she said.
“Do you like chocolate doughnuts?” Eden asked Lily, who looked up and smiled.
“Yeah,” she said.
“Then for your sake, we’ll have to go there,” Eden said with too much enthusiasm.
“I remember our old bake sales―he would come in with the best treats. I’m glad to see he’s made a business of it now,” Roxie told her.
“I’m not,” Eden said. “He’s making me fat.”
“You know you haven’t changed one little bit,” Roxie said. She was amazed at how easy it was to slip back into her old routine with her friend. It was making her homecoming a lot better.
“Have you noticed my hips? I’ve gone up a pants size,” Eden said.
“I’m sure half the men in town have noticed your hips. They’re stunning,” Roxie said.
Eden laughed. “You don’t understand.” She lowered her voice and looked around before she spoke more quietly. “I was feeding Scooter, and I bent down and heard a horrible ripping sound. I was afraid to reach back, but I felt the breeze, so I already knew what had happened. My favorite jeans split down the middle. My ass has gotten so huge that I ripped out my jeans.” Her final words were spoken as a horrified gasp.
Roxie tried desperately to keep the laughter in, but between the horrified look on her friend’s face and the urgently whispered words, Roxie couldn’t keep it in. She bit her lip and still couldn’t stop herself. Laugher rolled out of her in waves, and soon she found herself bending over as she clasped her stomach as more and more laughter escaped. The longer the laughter continued, the more her stomach hurt. It took several moments for her to gain control over herself.
When she was finally able to stand upright again, she looked at her friend, who was wearing a bemused expression as she tried to look offended. She wasn’t pulling it off very well.
“I don’t know what to tell you, because you look great,” Roxie finally said.
“You can be horrified with me,” Eden suggested.
“Are you working out?” Roxie asked.
“Every day!” Eden said, her voice rising.
“Then maybe you are building that booty in beautiful waves. Don’t men like a good butt?” Roxie asked.
“Or maybe I just need to avoid the bakery,” Eden pointed out. Then she looked at Lily. “But not today, ’cause I can’t disappoint Lily.”
“Of course you can’t,” Roxie assured her. Her friend truly was beautiful, with what didn’t look to be an ounce of fat on her. She’d always been so thin in school, and now she looked like a woman with curves Roxie was almost envious about.
“Now that you’re back, maybe you can come work out with me sometime. I’m almost obsessive about it. I had so much pent-up tension in my life after my breakup, and I discovered I’m a much happier person when I lift weights. If only I could stick to my diet, I’d probably be in the best shape of my life,” Eden assured her.
“You are in the best shape of your life,” Roxie said. “And if weight lifting can relieve tension, then maybe I’ll have to take you up on that offer.”
“Yeah. I always love to bring newbies with me,” Eden said.
They made it to the park, where several people were enjoying the warm, sunny day. They continued chatting about different people in the community, and Roxie found herself smiling and laughing easily, as if she hadn’t ever left. She’d needed this time with her friend more than she’d realized. For too long she’d been suppressing her feelings, and being with Eden for less than an hour had begun cracking the careful wall she’d built around herself.
Maybe she’d been protecting herself when she hadn’t really needed to. Why had she let her feelings for one man influence her in so many ways? She’d kicked women like that in the past for being weak, and yet she’d turned into that. Maybe she’d now have the power to stop such negativity.
“There’s a group of the kids from the volunteer place,” Eden pointed out.
Five kids, two boys and three girls, were over at the restroom area with paint and brushes. They were laughing as three of them painted, and two were carting materials in and out and performing cleanup. She instantly recognized two of the boys from the hospital and felt panic stir in her. Would Kian be there? She’d avoided him since she and Lily had returned to Pam’s house, but this was a small town, and she knew the more she got out of the house, the more likely she’d see him.
“Who’s supervising them today?” Roxie asked, hoping her voice sounded casual. She didn’t want to admit to Eden she was afraid Kian would be there.
“Not sure who’s with them today, but most of the volunteer coordinators don’t hover, wanting them to feel like they’re capable and appreciated, not needing their hand held,” Eden said.
“I’m definitely going to have to get involved if I stay here,” Roxie said, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized that might make her run into Kian as well. This was all just too damn complicated.
“A lot of these kids come from troubled homes, or they have emotional or mental issues they’re dealing with. But this center is really great about not putting any of them into a category. They want them to be just like their peers, and the more respect they are treated with, the more stable they feel,” Eden said.
“Yeah, I know there’s a really thin line some of these teens walk. They can go one direction or the other. I’m so glad to see a program like this in place,” Roxie said. She was looking about her, but became more relaxed when she didn’t spot Kian anywhere.
Eden filled her in on the different programs, and Roxie was impressed by how involved this group was. She was also impressed by the number of elite community members giving their time. The kids who got involved felt it was cool to do so since they were supervised by people they hero-worshiped.
Looking down at her watch, Roxie noticed that almost an hour had passed, and as much as she didn’t want this visit to end, she knew she had to get on with her business. She didn’t have time to play all day, as she still had to look for a job and make sure she would even have time to volunteer. Her number-one priority right now was providing for Lily. It wasn’t all about herself anymore, which was an odd concept to delve into.
The word mom flashed through her mind again. She wasn’t a mother, couldn’t even fathom being a mom, but as she glanced down at her niece, she knew that was all changing. She was this child’s sole caretaker for now, and Lily wasn’t even four years old yet. Roxie might want to push Kian away, but he would be her father whether Roxie was willing to think about that reality or not. And Roxie also decided she would keep the memory of Pamela alive in Lily’s mind and heart. She might be acting as Lily’s mom, but Roxie would be certain the child knew who she came from.
What if she failed, though? She’d screwed up so many times in her life. Would this be the ultimate catastrophe for her? Would she fail this precious child in ways that would lead her to needing a place like the volunteer center to save her? A shudder rushed through Roxie’s body at the thought.
Roxie had to push those types of thoughts from her mind, because if she dwelled on them for too long, she would sink deeper and deeper, and then she wouldn’t be doing herself or her niece any good. Her eyes stung as she blinked away the tears that wanted to come and spill over. She hated that she allowed herself to dwell on things she couldn’t control.
“We should probably get back,” Roxie said, hating to break up their pleasant time together.
“I know, but I don’t want to. I’ve missed you,” Eden said with a sad smile.
“I’m sorry I left that way, I truly am,” Roxie told her again.
“I don’t want you to apologize anymore. Just don’t leave now that you’re back,” Eden said. Her voice was serious. She didn’t even try to cover up her words with a joke or a forgiving smile.
“I . . .” Roxie stopped speaking as she noticed the man walking up to them.
There went her wish to not see Kian. Damn! Eden looked at Kian, then at Roxie, then back at Kian. It was obvious there was massive tension between the two of them, more than there should have been if they were just seeing each other for the first time in four years.
“Hi, Kian,” Eden said, breaking the silence.
“Eden,” he said with a nod, his gaze never leaving Roxie’s face. He addressed Roxie next. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
What in the world was she supposed to say to that? Eden looked as if she were searching for the popcorn while getting comfy to enjoy the show. Roxie couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t feel the same if she were on the other side of this situation.
“Yes, I have,” Roxie admitted. What would be the point in lying?
His lips twitched the slightest bit, as if he were fighting back a smile. But then his gaze focused on Lily, and Roxie felt her stomach tense. There was such possession in his gaze that she wanted to grab Lily and run. She knew he had more rights to the child than she did, but for some reason she couldn’t begin to fathom, she knew to the very roots of her soul, she couldn’t let Lily go.
“Can we go somewhere and talk privately?” he asked.
“I’ll just take a stroll and check in on the kids,” Eden said, disappointment oozing from her voice.
Roxie didn’t have to say anything as Eden disappeared. She felt betrayed because she didn’t want to be alone with Kian right now.
“This isn’t the time,” she told him.
“Too bad,” he said.
The determination in his voice made the color drain from Roxie’s cheeks. Something had changed within him, and she knew the battle was very much on between them. Was she going to be strong enough to fight?