Page 7 of One More Chance
"Hey," I said, awkwardly. "Shower help?"
She nodded once. Her arms crossed, fingers digging into her own skin like she had to physically hold herself together. "Yeah. Thanks. Are you… staying long?"
There was ice under the words, and I deserved every shard of it.
"No. Came by to see you all."
Liam let out a sharp, bitter laugh. He flopped onto the couch and turned the TV on, volume low. He didn't look at me again.
Violet stayed close, still buzzing with excitement, but her smile faltered as she sensed the tension between her parents. She was learning to read the room too well for her age and I hated that.
Despite how fucking awkward it felt to be standing in the kitchen, my heart was beating with joy being near them.
Don't be creepy, big guy. Smile. You got this.
The smile stayed plastered on my face. Sloane didn't say anything as she stared at me like she was trying to see through the mirage. Eventually she broke the silence, "Next time, text before you visit," she said.
I nodded. "Of course. I was too excited to see you all." I leaned over and ruffled Rufus' ears. "Especially Rufus."
"Uh huh." The disbelief in Sloane's voice sliced through whatever progress I thought we'd made earlier, dragging us right back to square one.
I glanced at my phone, briefly noting the time. "I'll leave in a few. Just need to make a few calls. I'm looking at places to stay nearby."
It was like an alarm went off in my head as Sloane froze. Her whole body went still, like she couldn't breathe.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"What?" she whispered, her posture ready to fight or flight at this point.
"I mean… I need to find a place. I'm not going far. I…" I stopped and tried to course correct. "It's not about abandoning anyone or forcing my way back in. I want to be close, for the kids and you if you'd let me."
From the couch, Liam cut in, his voice soaked in venom. "What about your girlfriend?" The word sliced through the air like a whip and I couldn't help but grimace.
Not helping, buddy. Fuck me, this is going poorly.
I tried to fix the failing conversation. "I made a mistake," I said quickly. "A stupid mistake. One I'm going to fix." The statement hung in the room, addressing anyone willing to listen. "That means getting my own place."
Sloane's hands trembled as she covered her mouth. Her eyes were filled with pain again and fresh tears. I was really hitting a record at this point. How much lower could I go?
"Levi… what are you saying?" she said.
Before I could answer, Violet lit up again from the dining room table she had been sitting at, her arts splayed in front of her. "You're coming home? For real?"
Fuck. My throat tightened.
"Violet," I said gently, "I… your mom and I need to work on things. Grown-up things. She has every right to set up boundaries and tell me what is best for you two. But I'm trying. I'm going to show her that."
Liam scoffed. "He's saying he doesn't want to be with us, Violet. Welcome to real life."
"Liam!" Sloane snapped. "That is enough."
Her voice cracked on the last word as all of us flinched at her tone. I had done this, made my wife a wounded animal lashing out.
"Andyou," she said, staring at me, "We'll talk. Later. Alone."
"Of course." I nodded before looking away, and forced myself to speak again, every effort in trying to sound casual. "I want to deposit a little more money in the joint account. For groceries. Or maybe something fun for the kids."
Puppy dog demeanor. I am a cute puppy dog.
