The Harder They Fall

Chapter 14: Courage

Cole

''Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!'' shouted Gracie, as she jumped on my back. I had done everything in my power to try to get at least five more minutes of sleep.

''What?'' I groaned and pushed her off me gently, making her roll on to my bed.

''Where's Jasmine?'' She asked, sitting up and playing with my hair as I closed my eyes again.

It's been a week since I fired Jasmine and every day, all day, Gracie has been asking me where she was. I guess the bullshit I gave her the first time didn't work. I had tried going with the 'She's off' excuse, and she believed it for a day.

''I told you, she's on vacation.''

''You said that last time. Does Jasmine not want to be my nanny anymore?''

I wish that was the case. Would have made this a lot easier.

Opening my eyes and rubbing the sleep from them, I sat up and faced Gracie. I knew if I kept the excuses going, it would just make things worse. Plus, she was way too smart. Sometimes annoyingly too smart.

I sighed. ''She's gone.'' I said bluntly and her eyes went wide.

''Jasmine's dead?'' she asked, scared and looked at me, about to cry.

My eyebrows rose in shock at her assumption and I quickly answered, ''No! Of course not.''

''Then what happened?''

''I fired her. '' I murmured and didn't look her in the eye. It was surprising how scared I was of my six-year-old daughter.

''You what?'' She shouted and jumped off the bed. She continued to run down the hall as I got up and followed her.

''Gracie, look it's not that bad! Come on, sweetheart!'' I shouted, chasing after her.

''I hate you, daddy! I hate you, I hate you! You're the worst daddy ever!'' she shouted, and I heard her slam her door.

Ah, great, Cole. Look at what you did. Now you got the two most important girls in your life mad at you. Just fucking awesome.

Jasmine

''One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi. Four M-"

''Five, Six, Seven, can we go now?" I asked, irritated, pushing the shopping cart.

''You know just because your heartbroken doesn't mean you have to be a bitch, Jazz.'' Tatum snapped back and walked ahead of me.

After staying in my house for 6 days straight, watching the same shows and listening to the same sad songs, she had dragged me out of the house to go shopping for her boyfriend's birthday tomorrow. I made the mistake of going with her because she was so damn happy. Singing in the car, skipping while we shopped, and since I was the one who had just been fired and debating whether I was in love with my former boss, I was very jealous.

''Whatever. Let's just go, alright?''

''Fine. I think I've shopped enough anyway,'' she replied as we got in line.

I waited behind her as the cashier scanned her items and she paid for them. When they finally finished, I helped her with the bags, and soon we were on our way to my apartment.

''We need to talk,'' she said suddenly as she drove.

''I've heard that statement too many times.''

''I'm serious. It's a thing I have been avoiding asking you about out of generosity and sympathy for what you've been going through. ''

''Oh, geez. What is it now?'' I asked, paranoid. Tatum could read everyone. She could see right through you. Whatever emotion you were trying to hide, she would call you out very quickly. Sometimes it was a good thing to have, other times it was a nightmare.