I step further into the hallway, looking out the front doors and seeing nothing, I turn back and notice the door to the boys’ bathroom swinging closed.
Gotcha.
A few strides later, I’m pushing into the bathroom.
It’s small. Just two stalls, both doors open, two urinals and two sinks.
Adam has his back to me, hunched over the shorter-than-usual urinal, relieving himself.
There’s no lock on the door, but that’s okay. I only need a minute.
He hasn’t heard me enter, so I take a few quiet steps closer and wait for him to finish. I don’t want to startle a man while he’s still peeing and end up with piss on my shoes.
Finally done, he straightens back to his full height, which is still well below mine, and zips himself up.
I’m hardly surprised when the prick doesn’t press the lever to flush.
Adam turns around and lets out what can only be described as a shriek when he spots me. But the memory of him crawling into Elouise’s tent prevents me from feeling any humor.
His unwashed hands fly up to his chest, “Holy shit, man, you startled me! Didn’t hear you come in.”
Keeping my eyes on him, I take one step closer, so he has to tip his head back a little to hold eye contact.
“Your kid out there?” I ask, staring into his eyes.
My question clearly isn’t what he was expecting, and he takes a step back, “Y-yeah.” He takes another step back. “Why would you ask something like that?”
With one step, I close the distance between us again, “Because no kid should see someone beat the shit out of their dad.”
Adam’s eyes widen and he holds his hands up in a placating gesture, “Dude, chill.”
“Chill?” I let my aggression seep into my tone, “you should be fucking thanking me. Because this is your one warning.”
His voice goes up an octave, “What’d I do?”
At my expression, he takes another step back, bumping the back of his knees against the bowl of the urinal, throwing him off balance. His arms flail but he has nowhere to go. His knees bend as he tips back, pressing his ass against the vertical wall of the dirty urinal.
Moving forward for the last time, I don’t stop until the toes of my shoes are pressed against his. Pinning him in place.
“Stay away from Elouise Hall. Don’t talk to her. Don’t fucking look at her. Don’t so much as think about her.” I squeeze my fists tighter, fighting the urge to punch him. “You didn’t accidently crawl into her tent that night. And if you make me think too hard about what your intentions might’ve been, I’m going to rip your spine out through your mouth. So don’t push me.” His breathing has picked up, and his eyes are wide. “If I hear you’re harassing her, if I hear you so much as breathe on her, I will end you. And I will hear about it, because she’s mine. You hear me? Elouise is mine.”
His nod is frantic.
I lean in a little closer. “And if you try that shit with any other woman, I’ll find out and sink you to the bottom of Darling Lake. Because I’m back. And just like Elouise, this town is mine.”
Adam’s mouth flops open and closed, but no sound comes out.
“Glad we understand each other,” I show my teeth and dart my hand out. He flinches away from me, but I don’t hit him. I depress the lever to flush the urinal, causing the water to stream down across his back.
Satisfied, I head for the door. “And wash your fucking hands.”