Breaking

Chapter 32.

My phone is ringing in the other room. Normally, I leave it but it's Arabella's ringtone. Patrick is still cracking up at something that happened in the movie, I forgot how much of a lightweight he is, so I get up without telling him and leave the living room. I grab my phone off the kitchen counter and answer it.

"Dad!" Arabella exclaims, piercing my ear. She always does that when she's about to pour out a waterfall of words. "Coach is here at the park where Alex is practicing and, well, he's almost done and Coach doesn't mind waiting. Can she take us home?"

"Wait." I always need a quick moment after her outbursts. "Brenda is there-"

"Mmhmm!"

"What is she doing there?"

"Jogging."

"Did you ask her if she could take you and Alex home or did she offer?"

"I asked her if she was doing anything today, and she said no, so I told her you weren't working today and she should stop by. Then she said if I felt comfortable enough she would like to talk to me about last night. I said I was fine but if she really wanted to talk about then I was fine with that too. So she asked if she could take us home. Can she, papa?"

"Put her on the phone."

"Papa-"

"Now, Arabella."

I hear her sigh through the phone, then the small transaction of her handing the phone over.

"Hello?"

"You're stalking me now?" I joke, then I instantly regret it. I've been talking to her as an actual person and not as a coach and parent, and it hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet.

But then she laughs. "Yep, and I'm using your kid to get to you, hope you don't mind."

I chuckle, a heavyweight disappearing from my chest. "If you don't mind taking them back to my place and waiting for a bit, then I'll appreciate it. But can you not talk about last night to Arabella? I'm sure you want to make things right but there's no wrong to right."

"Okay," she says. "She's your kid, you know her better than me, so I'm sorry."

"No, you don't have to apologize." I run my hand through my hair and lean down, planting my elbows on the counter.

"Can I take them back to your place?"

"If you want, yeah-just don't leave them alone," I quickly add, which causes her to laugh.

"Sure thing, Tobias. I'll see you in a few."

"Yeah. And, if you want or need to, you're welcome to take a shower at my place. Arabella knows where the extra towels and clothes are."

She laughs. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I pull the phone away from my ear and end the call.

"Someone's picking up Arabella?" Patrick asks, moving to my side.

I push off the counter and face him. "Not just someone; Brenda, Arabella's coach."

"And your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"She will be soon and you want her to be so shut up. I'll walk you to your car."

"You're my little brother, must I remind you."

"How does that stop me from being right?"

"Shut up." I playfully hit the back of his head and he winces as if I punched his throat. "And I thought Rosalee was the dramatic one." He laughs, giving me the finger.