“Do you see now what I’ve been telling you? You and your aunt need to move.”
She looked away. “We’ll be fine.”
“And what if I’m not around next time?” he asked.
She looked at him and shrugged.
He took a deep breath, looking down at his hands. “I want you and the kids to come back to California with me.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” He met her eyes.
“We can’t do that. Melissa won’t be able to leave the hospital for weeks.”
“When she’s ready to travel, then.”
“Her doctors are all here.”
“California has doctors, too. She’ll be okay.”
She shook her head. “There’s Natalie, and—”
“She comes, too.”
Angel looked at him blankly.
“Damn it, Angel! I cant’ keep you and my kids safe from seven hundred miles away.” His voice was raised.
She shook her head. “This is crazy. We’ll be fine.”
He leaned back and ran his hands through his hair. “Why do you have to be so Goddamn stubborn, woman?”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting? Why? Because I don’t want my kids growing up in this fucking neighborhood?” he practically yelled at her.
She tried to stand up, but he pushed her back in the chair. He stood over her, taking a deep breath to calm down. He hated to fight dirty, but she wasn’t giving him any choice. He was going to have to pull the only card he had, and he knew it wasn’t going to be fair to her. Not after everything she’d done for TJ and Melissa. All the sacrifices she’d made for them, and him having done very little.
She looked up at him.
He leaned down over her, resting his hands on the arms of her chair. “You’re going to listen to me whether you like it or not. These are my kids, too. And I’ve got some say about how and where they get raised.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me on raising these kids. I’ve done just fine without you.”
“Just fine? Did you really just say that? In the last few weeks we’ve been victims of attempted armed robbery and burglary. What’s it gonna take for you to wake the fuck up? Does someone have to get hurt?”
“I don’t have to listen to this.” She tried to get up.
He pushed her back down. “Yeah. You do.”
The back door opened, and Natalie stepped out. “You two are going to wake TJ, if not the entire neighborhood.”
Cole straightened and ran his hand through his hair. “Sorry. Just trying to talk some sense into this hardheaded niece of yours.”
“Hardheaded?” Angel scoffed. “So now I’m hardheaded just because I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing?”
“Nothing? I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” He turned to Natalie. “You agree with me, don’t you? You know this neighborhood’s not safe anymore.”
Angel cut in. “He wants us all to move to California. Can you believe it?”
Natalie looked from Angel to Cole, and then asked him quietly. “Did you tell her?”
Cole closed his eyes, cursing her silently.
“Tell me what?” Angel asked.
He opened his eyes and glared at Natalie.
If looks could kill, she thought. “It’s time, son. You tell her or I will.”
Angel looked at him. “What is it?”
Natalie went back inside.
He took a deep breath. “I love you. I wish we’d never been separated. I wish I’d been with you through my children’s births, through the bad times, all of it.”
She looked at him, knowing there had to be more. “Yes?”
“But things happened, and you were gone from my life. And I never thought I’d see you again.”
Angel nodded.
“About a year ago…” He stopped, knowing after he said these next words everything would change.
“Yes?”
“I met a girl. We got married. I’m married, Angel.”
She stared at him. “Married?” She felt like the air was just sucked out of her lungs.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you before, but Melissa was so sick and—”
“Tell me before? Before what, Cole? Before you slept with me?”
He hung his head. He knew what he’d done was unforgivable. “I’m going to get a divorce, I swear. I saw an attorney before I left California. You’re the one I want to be with.”
Angel started laughing. “Oh, right. If I only had a nickel for every woman who’s ever heard that line.”
“Angel, listen to me. It’s true. I swear.’
“Oh, you swear? Like you swore you’d love her till death do you part? You loved her enough to marry her.”
He nodded. “I did. I thought I did. But Angel, it’s not like this feeling I have for you. You and I, we were always meant to be together.”
“Oh, that’s rich.” She stood up.
Cole grabbed her upper arms. “Just listen to me.”
She pushed him away. “Don’t touch me.”
He let her go. “Angel, please.”
“Get your things and get out. I want you out of here.” She stormed into the house, slamming the door.
Cole picked up the glass ashtray off the table and slammed it against the side of the house. It shattered into a million pieces with a loud crash.
***