Pieces Of Us - Until I Find You Again // Book Two

Chapter 10

I pulled Noah out of his car seat and rounded my truck. Julian's car was parked in the driveway which meant he was home. Usually Lucy would have been halfway up the steps to the front door by now, but once again, my oldest child was much smarter than I gave her credit for. She waited on the sidewalk until I met her there.

She reached up to take my hand,

"Daddy." She said nervously.

I shook my head,

"It's ok, Diz. We're just gonna get some stuff and get outta here. No big deal right?" She gave an apprehensive nod of her head. I pulled Em's keys out and slid them into the door, realizing I didn't really need to, the door was unlocked. What an asshole.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The house was silent save for the clinking of silverware against a plate in the kitchen. I looked down at Lucy,

"Go get your stuff." She looked up at me, a touch of fear in her face. I nodded, "Me too. Let's not stick around here any longer than we have to ok? Hurry."

She nodded and went plodding off towards her room. The sound of her shoes against the hardwoods must have alerted him to someone being in the house. He appeared in the doorway of the kitchen just after she ran by.

He watched her disappear into her room and then focused on me. He shook his head,

"I should've guessed she'd go to you."

"We're just here to get some things." I informed him.

Julian gestured to the bedroom,

"Have at it."

I rolled my eyes and walked into the bedroom. I set Noah down on the bed and handed him a stuffed animal that was close,

"Play with this, Buddy. I gotta get some stuff."

Thankfully my son seemed to also get the gravity of the situation. He quietly played on the bed without making a sound. I walked into Em's closet and grabbed as many clothes as I could. I found a bag and shoved everything into it, not even bothering to fold it. I emerged from the closet to see Julian still standing there with his arms folded.

I let out a deep sigh,

"You don't have to watch me. I'm not going to steal anything that's not yours." I looked over at her toiletry bag on the dresser, "We both know if I wanted anything of yours I could pay for it my damn self." I muttered.

He guffawed. I mean, literally guffawed. I'd never seen someone do that before,

"You are a fool. Always have been. Always will be."

I turned to look at him, glaring for a few moments before turning and walking into the bathroom,

"You forget, I don't care what you think of me."

"She hates you." He said, his voice raising. He was trying to get a rise out of me but it wouldn't work. I grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and walked out of the bathroom, not even glancing in his direction. That didn't deter him though, unfortunately, "She used to lay awake in bed at night, in my arms after we'd made love all night and she cried my name out and told me all the ways she hated you. All the ways you were a complete and total fuck up." When I looked at him, he smiled, "Yeah, that's right. She's a hypocrite. And you're a fool. And you deserve each other."

I threw the toothbrush and toothpaste into the bag and closed it before swinging it up onto my shoulder. I grabbed Noah, careful to take the teddy bear I'd given him. I turned to face Julian,