When I entered my bedroom, I went straight toward the bedside table, opened the drawer, and pulled out a condom.
“Oh, hell no—” he started.
“Look,” I interrupted, “unless you want me to hunt you down to pay child support for the next eighteen years, then you will wear this. Got it?”
He didn’t even appear to think about it this time. Guess he knew how much child support costs.
“Damn woman, you’re even more of a pain in the ass than my ex.”
Yup, he definitely knew.
“Fine, I’ll wear it,” he conceded. “No more negotiations. I’m in charge here. I’ve got the gun and the swingin’ dick. So get undressed—now.”
***
I lay on the bed, shaking, allowing myself a few minutes to pull my shit together. I knew he had left because, after hearing the door slam shut, I dragged myself off the bed long enough to look outside the window and watch him drive away in a non-descript white van. I couldn’t see the license plate and my Jell-O legs wouldn’t have carried me down the stairs, even if I did care enough to go and try and make out the plate number. But I didn’t…there was only one thing on this earth that I cared about. Well, two really.
After a deep breath, I glanced at the clock. Time’s up. The less thinking I did, the better off I was anyway. I reached across the bed and picked the phone up from the nightstand. After two rings, my friend, Ana, picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey,” I said, trying to control the unsteadiness in my voice.
“Celeste, what’s wrong?” she asked immediately. Damn.
“Ana, I need a favor. You know I hate to ask—”
“Done,” she interrupted.
“You don’t even know what it is yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, consider it done. Now tell me what’s going on,” she demanded.
I loved Ana dearly and needed her more right now than I ever had and hopefully ever would, but I couldn’t get into it. Especially not over the phone.
“I promise I’ll explain everything later. In the meantime, I need you to pick up the twins. You are listed as my emergency contact, but I’ll call the school just in case, since they’ve never been picked up by anyone else before. After that, could you take them to your house and watch a movie or whatever until I can come and get them? Oh, and they might have homework, but then again, they’re in kindergarten so if they miss one night, it probably won’t destroy their academic records,” I rambled on. When she didn’t say anything, I added, “I don’t know how late I'll be.”
“Dios mio, now I know something is really wrong,” she said quietly.
“What makes you say that?”
“Besides the fact that you never ask for help from anyone? You’re not giving me the rundown about what they can and can’t watch, what snacks they’re allowed to have, and to watch my language around them… Just please tell me you’re alright, Celeste.”
“I-I- will be.” It was all I could say. I knew I would be. I just had to be.
“Okay," she said after a pause, "I’ll get the twins. Call me when you can.” She hung up and I sent up a quick ‘thank you’ that I had a friend I could count on, one who didn’t badger me with questions when she could tell that the time wasn't right. Someone who I trusted implicitly with Paisley and Parker, even if I did question her judgment about the men in her life. Still, I hated relying on her. I hated relying on anyone. But if there were ever a time I needed to, it was now.
After hanging up with Ana, I called the school. Once I knew that the kids would be taken care of, I made the one call that couldn't be put off any longer.
***
“So let me get this straight,” the detective said, doubt and incredulity clear in his voice. “You made a deal?”
The shock of what had happened was wearing off, my adrenaline plunging to ground zero. Irritation had begun to settle in and unfortunately, this guy was in the line of fire.
“Detective—?”
“Westlake.”
“Okay, Detective Westlake. Do you have children?” Based on appearances, I didn’t think so. But then again, most people assumed I didn’t have kids either.