Burn (Barlyle) (COMPLETE)

46

Barnum laid on his back in bed, tears welling in his eyes.

"Phillip is the soul of the circus," he'd spat. "Without him, there's nothing. I won't be able to afford the land, the equipment, the—"

Something flashed in Charity's eyes. Something - regret? She scowled at him and the words she hissed sounded nothing like Charity at all.

"You made do without him once. You can do so again. Unless - I have to explain to the girls why their father chose another man over us?"

She didn't know of the conversation he had with their girls. He ached to tell her, but he had a feeling that would only make things worse.

"You have until tomorrow to make up your mind," she snapped.

The ringmaster let out a sob and rolled onto his side. The other side of the bed in the guest bedroom was cold and empty.

No Phillip.

No Charity.

Nobody.

He wept silently into the pillow until he heard the door open with a slight click. Gasping, he sat up and squinted in the darkness.

A little face peered tearfully back at him, clutching a teddy bear.

Caroline pattered over to the bed in her bare feet and just managed to hop onto the bed herself. Soft whimpers escaped her lips as she crawled up by her father and rested her head by his shoulder.

Wiping the tears away from his own eyes, Barnum murmured, "it's all right, baby girl."

"Don't go, Daddy," she murmured sleepily.

Barnum tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled the blanket up to cover the girl's small, skinny shoulders. He laid his head back down with the girl's head on his arm and her soft breaths in his ear.

Caroline fell asleep within minutes. Barnum's arm began to tingle with her weight lying on top of it, but he didn't dare move. Instead, he closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.

He knew the answer he would give Charity in the morning.

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