Her eyes went wide when she realized that I was as angry as I was serious. Even as I was saying the words, a part of me knew how irrational, rude, and ungrateful I was being. But I was too panicked to care about that right now. I just wanted her gone. I knew it was my imagination, but I could feel Daphne’s eyes on the back of my head.
Kristen looked at me for a second longer, then she turned and ran to the room where she had put her stuff. A few seconds later, she emerged again with a bag thrown over one shoulder. She was at the door when she turned suddenly. Her hazel eyes were fixed on my face, and I tried to avoid them desperately.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong, please?” Kristen asked. “I don’t understand.”
“Nor will you,” I said, my tone was harsher than I had intended. “Just go.”
She shook her head at me in complete confusion, and then she was gone. I stood in the empty living room, wondering what on earth had come over me. It was past three in the morning; I shouldn’t have thrown her out at this time.
I had changed, too, I realized with a start. I had become…colder and harsher. Was it possible that I had become cruel, too?
“Daddy?”
I turned and found Noah standing by the sofa, half hiding behind it like he was scared to come out into the open.
“Hi, buddy,” I said, rushing to his side. I knelt down in front of him and gave him a hug that I hoped was comforting. “You should be asleep.”
“Where’s Krissy?” Noah asked.
I paused for a moment. “She had to go home,” I said.
“Why?” he asked in a wheedling voice.
“Come on,” I said, ignoring his question. “Let’s get to bed.”
“I want Krissie,” he said, dragging his feet as I led him back to his room.
“You’ll have to make do with me, kid,” I said, feeling a stab in my heart. “Come on, in you get.”
I sat down beside Noah on his bed. He was looking at me with those big blue eyes of his, and I could sense all the questions in them. The truly heartbreaking part was that I didn’t have any of the answers.
Chapter Eight
Kristen
“Thank God for wine coolers,” Melody said as she handed me one.
We weren’t even bothering with glasses. We were just sitting on the floor of Melody’s living room, drinking straight out of the bottle. I loved evenings like this, when there was nothing else to do but talk and drink and eat. It was especially perfect when there was something to bitch about.
“What do you think?” I asked. “Pizza or shall we order in some sushi?”
“How about both?” Melody suggested.
“Both?” I repeated. “Italian and Japanese…that sounds strange.”
“Fuck it,” Melody said. “I want pizza, and I want sushi, so I’m ordering both.”
I laughed. “Fine,” I said, jumping on board. “Pick any pizza you want; I’m game either way. And sushi… I’ll go for a California maki and a spicy tuna maki.”
“Done and done,” Melody nodded, as she dialed in the delivery number and started to order.
I glanced at my phone and saw that I had new emails from my work account. I sighed and turned my phone over. Work had been particularly awful the past week. Jake had been ignoring me completely, and he hadn’t even addressed what had happened at his place that night.
I had been confused at first, but confusion had quickly given way to anger. He hadn’t even thanked me before kicking me out. It was obvious he was going through something, but that didn’t excuse his behavior…did it?
“So,” Melody said, having finished ordering our dinner. “How are things going at work? Any improvements?”
I had been so upset by what had happened that night at Jake’s house that I’d confided in Melody. She had reacted with the appropriate outrage, and I had felt better for a few minutes.