Chapter Nine
____________
Evan
Did I really just tell Rene to find another place to stay? Yes, for her own fucking good. So this crush she has on me will die and she will move on to someone who can give her a life without all the fucking baggage I come with. I have a fucking grown-ass son for goodness sakes.
I reach down to pick up the necklace she threw across the room. I wanted to be with her always. That's why I put my stupid picture in there for her. I wanted...things to be different than they were. I sink down into my chair and think about the bottle of whiskey I have hidden away in my bottom drawer. I hardly ever drink but now would be a good time to start.
I'm not sure how long I sat there staring at the necklace and thinking about getting shitfaced but I'm torn from my spiral of grief when my phone gives off a familiar ding. It's the tone I set for the program I use to track Rene's phone. I pick it up and am jerked out of my grief by a full-blown storm raging inside of me.
That can't be right. I am not seeing what I think I am seeing. My little girl did not just join a dating site full of grown men looking for women to be their...little girls. I spin my chair back around and type in the code for the shadow program I have running on her laptop. Yeah, I know it makes me a perv but right now I don't give a fuck.
Rene's picture is on the screen. She's in a fucking bathing suit with pigtails. I'm going to murder somebody. And I'm going to start with MotorDaddy175.
He's already sent her a message asking to get to know more about her. The son of a bitch is asking her if she needs someone to take away the pain from 'her recent breakup'. Fuck this! Clearly Rene is into older guys and left alone who knows what kind of creature she'll meet once they take a look at her picture. The only perv that is going to hit on my little girl is me!
I push away from my desk with the single-minded determination of a man who has kept himself locked down for too long. I tried setting her free but without me she's more likely to get hurt than live that stupid fairy tale life I wanted for her so the next best thing for me to do is give her that from me.
I knock first, trying to get a grip on the anger that is flaring up inside of me at thinking about someone else my own age being with Rene. She has Jane with her because I can hear both girls gasp at the knock and stuff being shuffled around. The little brat is trying to hide the fact she made a dating profile.
"Who is it?"
Rene's voice sounds thick and I can tell she's been crying. I did that. I made her cry by being an ass and trying to send her away so I wouldn't be tempted by her anymore. God damn I'm an idiot. I'm a fucking idiot for thinking I could ever live without my Pussycat. I have so much to apologize for.
"Rene, open the door." I can hear how tense and tight my voice sounds so I know the two girls can hear it.
"No. I might not live here anymore but it's only common decency that you allow me my privacy before I leave. I'm not bothering you so don't bother me." The thought of her leaving sets my teeth on edge. I did this. I put this idea of leaving in her head. Hell, I practically kicked her out. I check the knob but it's locked. Rene has never locked me out - not from day one.
"Little girl," I start issuing a threat that if she doesn't open this door immediately I'm going to spank her so hard she won't be able to sit for a week. I don't finish because fucking Jane is sitting right beside her but my Pussycat will be able to tell what I'm promising.
"I'm not your little girl. I'm not anything to you." The hurt comes through loud and clear. I've hurt my little kitten and now she's giving me nothing but hisses and claws. "If you want me to leave now just say it and I will."
"Where are you going to go, everyone's in quarantine?" It's more than just calling her bluff. I have a need to know where she thinks she is going to go if she ever tries to leave me. I'll have to put a tracker on her, maybe in a piece of her jewelry. I look down at the necklace I'm still clutching in my hand. That'll work.
"I'm an adult; I don't have to tell you. You'll never see me again and I don't have to say a god damn thing to you when I leave. I'll just walk out and you won't even realize I'm gone." The mention of her leaving without me ever knowing where to find her makes me lose what little control I have left.
I stand back and give the door a good kick. Both girls are sitting exactly where I knew they would be. Both of them jump when the door bangs against the other side of the wall. Rene still has her hair up in pigtails like in her profile picture. She quickly takes them down when she sees me looking at them.
"Jane, can you give us a minute?" I see the indecision written all over Jane's face. She's not leaving Rene alone to face whatever I have to say even if she is in my house. "Jane..." I start to tell her I understand and love her for being such a good friend to my kitten but Rene interrupts me.
"No, she doesn't have to leave. I have nothing to say to you anymore. I'm done with you just like you are done with me."
I close my eyes and the sense of calm I've been looking for all day comes over me. "Jane you're a good friend," I go straight for my Pussycat and pick her up over my shoulder from the bed. She lets out a squeal and tries to throw herself off my shoulder, "But right now the little brat needs her Daddy."
I turn and walk out of the room and head for our bedroom. I'll tie her to the fucking bed if I have to until she gets the idea of leaving out of her head. I give her ass a hard smack to calm her down before I get there. I have no more energy to give to trying to fight what's between us. If people in town don't like it we'll fucking move somewhere they only know Rene as my wife.
I lock the door behind me before I set her down. She puts as much space between us as she can. I notice the sheets on the bed have been changed. "Where are the sheets from last night?"
Her face goes pale and she won't meet my eyes. Finally, she squares her shoulders and gives me a disdainful look, "You took me from my room to ask me about your bedsheets?"
"Where are they?" I'm halfway to yelling and Rene loses some of that sass she's giving me.
"I took them off. I figured you wouldn't want a reminder of your mistake. I'm polite like that."
"Where did you put them? Did you wash them yet? Tell me?" She rolls her lips over her teeth and gives a head shake. I follow her eyes over to the laundry bin. I go to it and see the sheets and breathe a little easier.
"Are we done? The next time can you please just ask me where something is instead of touching me?" Her eyes are shiny and I can tell she's close to tears but she won't let a single one fall until she's somewhere safe where no one can see, where I won't be able to see.