“Watch out!”
Adrenaline courses through my veins as I take off in a mad dash for the motionless girl. I can deal with the foreboding dread later because saving her is all that matters.
The driver of the Jeep slams on the brakes, a plume of smoke filling the air as her tires leave skid marks in their wake. I turn my back, prepared to shield this girl with my life as I wrap my arms around her middle and dive for the sidewalk.
My dismount is far from graceful, and I’m almost certain I’ve broken a rib when I slam into the concrete. But none of that matters. “Are you okay?” I breathlessly ask the little girl tangled in my arms.
It was an innate response to cocoon myself around her, and because of this, I think she is all right. But regardless, I have to be sure.
Disentangling myself, I sit upright, flinching when a shooting pain radiates all the way to my toes. But I ignore it.
“What’s your name?” I ask the timid little mouse sitting on my lap.
Brushing the long brown hair from her face, I examine her closely, ensuring she is unscathed. She continues to stare at me, not saying a word. She looks so familiar, right down to the small freckle under her left eye, but the murky depths prevent me from seeking the memory out.
A crowd has formed, and I vaguely hear the onlookers calling the police or gossiping about what they just saw, but all that fades into the background when a voice drowns them all out.
“Ellie!”
Peering up, I see Cayden pushing through the bystanders, a wave of terror rippling within. This is the first response I’ve seen from the little girl on my lap, who finally tears her gaze from me. When she is ripped from my arms, a longing kicks me low, and I instinctively wrap my arms around my middle.
I watch silently and almost in a trance-like state as Cayden drops to a crouch, checking who I’m assuming is Ellie from head to toe. “Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head, sniffing back her tears. I instantly admire her strength.
“Are you sure?” He examines her twice, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles on the flesh of her tiny upper arms.
“Y-yes,” she replies with a small nod. “I’m okay, Daddy.”
Daddy.
That single word changes the course of everything and wakes me from my stupor.
Groaning, I slowly come to a stand, clutching my side. I hope nothing is broken, and I’m just winded from the fall, but my movement alerts Cayden of my presence. He looks me over before a fierce rage overtakes him. I instantly seek shelter, but I’m not fast enough.
“What did you do?” he accuses.
I recoil, utterly offended by not only his tone but also the fact that he’s pointing fingers.
“Excuse me?” My tone is as fierce as his, which probably isn’t wise because he comes charging over, nostrils flared and all crazy-eyed.
“What did you say to her?” When I hesitate, attempting to process the absurdity of his question, he steps closer, encaging me in his fury. “Peyton, answer me.”
“I didn’t say anything!” I finally manage to reply. “And I didn’t do anything, thank you very much. So I’d appreciate it if you backed the hell off!” Instead of retreating, I advance and level him with a wrath of my own.
I understand he’s just walked into every parent’s worst nightmare, but I won’t stand here and allow him to accuse me of being the bad guy.
“Buddy…she saved your kid’s life.” I have no idea whose voice this is because we’re caught in a stalemate, and I’ll be damned if I back down.
Cayden is the first one to look away. “What?”
The Good Samaritan continues. “Yeah. Your kid was standing in the middle of the road. That lady”—he points his finger my way—“she ran out in front of a car to drag her to safety. Pretty heroic, if you ask me,” he adds, but instantly loses his bravery when Cayden clenches his jaw.
The small crowd looks back and forth, anxiously waiting for what happens next. But I’m done being a sideshow freak. No more. I came here to uncover who I was, but so far, all I’ve unearthed is a migraine.
Pushing past Cayden, I curse the internal butterflies which take flight the moment we touch and make a beeline for Ellie. Dropping to a squat, I keep my distance because she still appears terrified of me. “Maybe Daddy can buy you another ice cream for being so brave.” Memories of the melted pink goo intermingle with visions of a watery immensity that have me shooting upright because I know what happens next. “Bye, little mouse.”
Her mouth parts, and I see a flicker of recognition, but it vanishes a second later.
“Peyton.” Cayden’s tone has calmed, but it’s too late. He attempts to reach out for me, but I almost wind myself a second time as I jump backward. He raises his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know. I just thought…”
His pause fills in the blanks. “You just thought the worst of me? Is that it?” He lowers his eyes, clearly ashamed. “You know what, it doesn’t even matter. Goodbye, Cayden.” A pain slashes across his face, and I don’t understand why. I don’t understand any of it.
Pushing past the spectators, I steady my breathing because I’m on the cusp of passing the point of no return. I round the corner and press my back to the cool brick wall. I need a minute. I can’t keep up with the thoughts racing through my head, but at the forefront is why the nickname I used for Ellie rolled off my tongue with ease.
Just as I had no reservations about running out into the road to save her. It was almost…maternal.
Ellie is Cayden’s daughter. But who is her mother?
Quashing down the darkness, I focus on finding out the truth because I don’t know if this opportunity will ever present itself again. Taking three deep breaths, I peer around the wall, ensuring I remain out of sight. Cayden is comforting Ellie, and now that the show is over, the crowd has dispersed, giving me a clear view.
The air has calmed. That is, until a woman comes sauntering out of a clothes store, hands filled with shopping bags. She stops dead in her tracks when she locks eyes with Cayden. I know without a doubt this is Ellie’s mother. Cayden’s wife?
However, when Cayden appears as if he’s just caught wind of something rotten, I retract my original thought. There is clearly no love here.
“Ellie? What are you doing out here? I thought I told you to wait for me in Patt’s. I gave you enough money to stuff yourself full of ice cream.” She is beyond pretty, and I would even go out on a limb and say she’s the prettiest woman I have ever seen. But her exterior most certainly does not match her interior because her tone and the way she looks at Ellie like she is nothing but a nuisance is unsightly. I instantly dislike her.
“Great parenting, Hazel. I shouldn’t be surprised,” Cayden spits, half shielding Ellie with his intimidating frame. She looks even smaller when dwarfed by his malice.
“Oh, get over yourself, Cayden. You’re hardly father of the year. Or have you forgotten?” The smug smirk tugging at her red-painted pout incites the white noise. But I push it down, refusing to lie victim once more.
Her words may as well have slapped Cayden’s cheeks. His chest heaves, but he refuses to buckle. “I’m taking Ellie to the doctor. She almost got hit by a car. Not that you care. Yet another shopping spree is obviously far more important than your daughter’s well-being.”
The first sign of concern mars Hazel’s perfect complexion. She pales. “What? Honey, is that true?” She looks at Ellie, who finally nods. The bags she’s holding rustle, and I realize that’s because she’s trembling. It appears she’s human, after all. “Ellie, I am so sorry. Are you okay?”