Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
We needed to move.
Chapter 10
Titus
“You’re such an old man now,” Frankie complained, throwing a strawberry slice at my head. “I swear to God, if you don’t take at least a sip of that whiskey I’m throwing this bowl at your head.”
“Yeah, force feed the man booze,” Cian mused. “That seems like a good idea.”
“I just hung with you guys last night,” I reminded Frankie as I put my boots on. “Was I not entertaining enough?”
“Ignore her,” Myla ordered, glancing at me over the island. “I think it’s sweet that you go help with Ansel. I don’t know how they’re dealing with it. I’ve only held him a few times and the crying is intense.”
“He’s not always cryin’,” I argued. “He’s just not ever settled, either.”
“Have they figured out what’s wrong?” Lou asked sympathetically. “Something must be going on for him to be that fussy.”
“He’s been to the doctor a couple times. They said he’s healthy and strong. They can’t figure out what his deal is.”
“He was premature, right?”
“Only like a week.” I stood up and pulled my hoodie over my head. If I didn’t hurry up, I wasn’t going to make it to Otto’s before the girls’ bedtime. “They said he was fine.”
“Premature babies have an increased risk of colic,” Lou said with a grimace. I’d forgotten that she’d gotten her nursing degree. It didn’t really come up in conversation since she wasn’t using it. “Tell Esther that she should see if maybe he’s got an allergy to something in her diet. Sometimes that can give them a tummy ache when they’re breastfeeding.”
“You’re such a know it all,” Myla teased. She looked over at me seriously, worry in her eyes. “But maybe you should mention it.”
“I will. Thanks, Lou.”
“I’m not a doctor—”
“Yet!” Myla and Frankie both yelled at the same time.
“Just,” Lou paused. “Tell her I learned a little about it in some of my classes and it’s worth looking into.”
“I think they’re ready to try anything at this point,” I replied with a nod.
I slipped out the kitchen door just as Frankie realized that I hadn’t in fact touched the glass of whiskey she’d poured.
Bas was in the garage when I stepped inside.
“Goin’ over to Otto’s place?” he asked knowingly, sitting on the bench along the far wall.
“Yeah. What the hell are you doin’ out here.”
“Long day, man,” he said with a sigh, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankle. “Just wanted a little piece and quiet before I joined the circus inside.”
“It’s your house,” I reminded him. “You’re payin’ rent—the girls aren’t. Kick their asses out.”
“Nah, man, I don’t wanna ruin their fun.”
“So instead you’re hidin’ out in the cold-ass garage.” I scoffed as I headed for my bike. “Makes sense.”
“You know, she’s good for you,” he said quietly as I grabbed my helmet.
“What?”
“Noel,” he replied. “She’s good for you.”
“We’re not together. Probably won’t ever be, if I’m bein’ realistic.”
Bas waved his hand dismissively. “Interestin’, but that doesn’t seem to matter,” he said. “You’re calmer since she showed back up. You’ve been sleepin’. Haven’t heard you crashin’ around downstairs in the middle of the night for weeks now. Not drinkin’ as much. Not flyin’ off the handle at every little thing.”
“If you thought things were so bad why didn’t you say anythin’ before?” I asked, a little taken aback.
“I think,” he murmured slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully. “It all happened so gradually that none of noticed how bad it got. Hell, I didn’t really see it until I noticed the difference. You’re Titus. You’ve been gettin’ fucked up and fuckin’ people up for years. Just thought that was who you are.”
I shrugged. “Maybe it is.”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
I’d pulled on my helmet and started backing my bike up when he spoke again, raising his voice so I could hear him.
“I like this version better, T!”
As I rode over to Otto’s I thought about what Bas had said, realizing that he was right. I hadn’t consciously stopped drinking as hard, but we just hadn’t been going out as much. I was spending quite a bit at Otto’s helping out and on the nights I stayed home, I wanted to be home. It was a bit of a domino effect, because if we weren’t going out, there wasn’t anyone to fight with. I sure as hell wasn’t going to fight with my roommates.
When I pulled onto Otto’s driveway, I was surprised to see Noel and Diana sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch. They both looked fucking exhausted. Diana was curled up on what was left of Noel’s lap, her head resting on Noel’s chest, and Noel was rocking almost robotically, back and forth, back and forth.
Neither of them even looked at me as I parked and climbed off my bike.