Fighting for Us Read online

  Pulling my wet hair up into a bun, I hear my cell phone ring from the counter. Glancing over at it, I see it’s my mom.

  “Hey, Mom, what’s going on?”

  “Sweetheart, hi. I was calling to see if you and Levi had any plans this weekend.”

  “Nope, as far as I know we don’t. I have to pull a night shift at the hospital Friday night, a girl needed her shift covered. But we’re free other than that.”

  “Oh good. Dad and I were hoping to have you all over for dinner.”

  “Yeah, sounds good to me. I’ll double-check with Levi, but we should be fine.”

  “Awesome.”

  Smiling, I tuck my phone against my shoulder, reaching into the fridge for a water.

  “Can I make a request?”

  Mom chuckles. “Shoot, baby.”

  “Make your chicken parm. Please. I’m dying for it.”

  “You got it, Em. I gotta run to yoga, but we’ll chat later, okay? Have fun with Lily tonight. Give her a kiss for me.”

  “Okay, Mom. Love you.”

  “Love you more.”

  Ending the call, I put my phone back down and head down the small hallway, needing to get some laundry done. Levi is bringing Lily by around eleven, so I want to be ready.

  This is going to be an amazing day.

  “Levi, don’t worry about it. She’s four, my house can handle it.”

  They got here about twenty minutes ago and in her excitement, Lily knocked a glass off the table and spilled milk all over the floor. Grabbing the paper towels, I get the mess cleaned up while Levi paces next to me.

  “Emmy...”

  “Seriously, Levi. Chill. We’re gonna be fine. I can handle this, you know.”

  “Babe, I know. That’s not what I mean. I just don’t want her overwhelming you.”

  Standing from the now-clean floor, I make my way to the trash can to throw the dirty paper towels away. We’re alone in the kitchen, Lily looking over her new toys.

  “Levi, I want to have this time with her. I’ve been looking forward to it. I know you’re worried, but I got this, okay? Now really. Go home, relax, have a beer.”

  “Okay. But seriously, Em, any problems, call me. I’m more than happy to come slumber with my girls.”

  Shaking my head, I reach up to hug him, arms tight around his neck.

  “You smell good, baby,” he mumbles into my neck, breathing in deep.

  “You’re a weirdo.”

  “But I’m your weirdo.”

  With a soft kiss, and a huge hug to Lily, Levi is out the door, leaving us girls alone.

  Lily is in the center of my couch, surrounded by Barbies and their tiny clothes, using her brush to fix their hair.

  “All right, sweetie pie, it’s just you and me. You excited for the most super-fun sleepover ever?”

  Shrieking, she starts bouncing up and down.

  “Yes, Miss Emmy, yes!”

  “All right. So, we’re going to go to my favorite restaurant ever for lunch. Then I was thinking we could go to the park and play for a little while. How’s that sound?”

  “Will you go on the swings wiff me?”

  “Absolutely!”

  “Yay!”

  Laughing, I move around the back of the couch and plop down next to her, grabbing one of her dolls.

  “Miss Emmy?” Her voice is quiet and I look down at her sweet face.

  “Yes, sweetheart? And you don’t have to call me Miss Emmy. You can just call me Emmy. Or Em. Whichever you like best.”

  “Okay. Emmy. Can I ask you a question?”

  “You can ask me anything, Lily.”

  “Are you and my daddy gonna get married?”

  Oh hell.

  “Why do you ask?” I question, fidgeting with the Barbie in my hands.

  “Well, ’cause you and Daddy see each other all the time. And he likes you. And well, I don’t have a mommy, didja know? Maybe one day I’ll have a mommy.”

  “Well, Lily, I don’t know. I really like your daddy. And I also really like you too. But we’ll see. Who knows what can happen, okay? Just know that no matter what, I’m your friend. And I love you like crazy, okay?”

  “Okay.” Lily gives me a bright smile and turns back to her toys.

  Sitting on the couch next to her, I swallow down the lump in my throat. Such a sweet girl, and so young. No child should have to ask if they can have a parent. But this little girl was blessed with the most amazing father, who is more than enough for her. And one day, when she’s old enough to understand, she’ll know that. Lily may have been dealt a shitty hand when it came to her mother, but her father?

  Thank God for Levi is all I can say.

  “All right, Lily. You ready to swing, baby girl?”

  After grabbing some grilled cheeses for lunch at the diner, we’re heading across the street to the park. I promised Levi we’d call him after to fill him in on our day so far. He’s at the shop, working on a client’s outline, whatever that means.

  “Yes! Let’s go!”

  I hold tight to her hand as we cross the street, Lily laughing loudly the whole time. Once we safely reach the playground, she takes off running. I settle myself on a park bench, tucking my legs under me to get comfortable. There are only a couple other children playing, the weather cooler than I had planned for. I know she’s having fun and will hate having to leave in a bit, but I can just let slip that I have special ice cream in my freezer for us.

  Bribery. Always a good plan.

  Watching her play, blonde hair flowing everywhere, her sweet words run through my head. I need to talk to Levi. The past almost three months have been amazing, and I know if we work hard and continue down this road, we could have a beautiful future together. My earlier thoughts about waiting are gone, as there’s no reason to worry about Lily. She’s a tough kid, and I know Levi involving her in us wasn’t a decision he made lightly.

  Levi consumes me at every moment. We never go more than a few hours without talking, unless we’re asleep or at work. Or when I’m in class, but even then, I try and sneak a couple texts in here and there. Levi Jackson and his beautiful girl have completely thrown my world onto its side, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

  Hearing Lily yell to me, I get up from the bench and go over to the swing set, helping her climb onto one of the swings. When she’s comfy, I start pushing her gently, laughing at her excitement. When she has some momentum going, I step back and pull out my phone, taking a quick video of her that I can send to Levi in a little while.

  “Daddy is gonna love that video, Lily,” I tell her, shoving my phone into my back pocket.

  “I hope so.”

  “Oh, he will. I promise.”

  Sitting on the swing next to her, I swing back and forth gently. Only a few minutes pass and Lily grows bored, hopping from her swing and racing across the playground to the monkey bars.

  Standing up, I brush my jeans off. Ducking around the jungle gym, I come face-to-face with the worst nightmare of my life. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my heart is racing.

  Lily’s not there.

  I take a deep breath and tell myself to calm down, she just ran to another spot. But after doing a full circle of the playground, I don’t see her.

  “Lily! This isn’t funny, baby!”

  Running back to the monkey bars, I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Holy shit, she’s gone. What the fuck? Pulling my phone from my pocket, my fingers hover over the screen, hysterics setting in.

  “Emmy!”

  It’s the most earth-shattering scream, and I whip around, frantic eyes searching everywhere.

  Nothing. She’s nowhere.

  Where is she?

  Stumbling around the jungle gym, I look around in terror. And then I see her. Just on the edge of the playground is a man dressed in all black, baseball hat pulled down low. He has a grip on Lily’s arm, but she’s struggling against him, crying and yelling.

  “Lily!”

  Takin
g off at a dead sprint, my legs take me as fast as I can to them. This man could have a gun, he could be a danger to her life, and yet I don’t care. Nothing is stopping me from getting to her. When the man notices me, he tries harder to get control of Lily, but she fights him even more, screaming at the top of her lungs.

  “Let her go! Lily! Stop! Please, no!”

  One of the families takes notice, and the father rushes over to help. Mere feet from them, the man shoves Lily, taking off at a run when he realizes so many people have seen him. Tears start running down my face when I get to Lily, who immediately hurls herself into my arms, shaking like a leaf.

  “Oh, Lily! Oh my God, baby girl. Are you okay? Does anything hurt? I’m so sorry.” Holding her in front of me, I look her over, chest heaving up and down with my cries. “Let me see you. Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Oh, Lily.”

  “Ma’am, my wife called the police. Are you both okay?” The father who came to our aid is crouched next to me, concern all over his face.

  Nodding, I swipe at the tears and stand up, carrying Lily over to a bench, trying to calm her down. She’s hysterical, and my shirt is soaked from her tears.

  In minutes, the area is filled with the sound of wailing sirens, and I try to gain control of myself before dealing with cops. My stomach turns when I realize I need to call Levi. He’s going to be so angry at me. Screw maybe being in love with me, he’s not going to want anything to do with me after today. I have completely fucked up.

  Holding Lily tight, I pull out my phone, hands shaking. Shushing Lily, I hold the phone to my ear and brace myself, tears burning.

  “Hey, baby,” Levi answers, his voice loud and cheerful.

  “Levi.” I can’t bring myself to say the words.

  “Em, you okay?”

  “No,” I whisper, a soft sob breaking from my chest.

  “What is it, baby? You’re scaring me.”

  “We need you, Levi. Please.”

  “I’m coming now, Em. Where are you? Is Lily okay? Fuck, baby, what happened?”

  “We’re at the park downtown. Levi, I...”

  “I’m coming, baby. Just hold on, okay?”

  The call ends and I cry, the screen going dark again.

  “I love you,” I whisper, knowing this is the end of us.

  It has to be.

  CHAPTER 11

  Levi

  “CADE!” I SHOUT, RIPPING my latex gloves off. Muttering a half-assed apology to my client, I shove my cell into my pocket and rush out to the main room. Grabbing my keys, I’m pulling on my sweatshirt when he comes flying out of his own room, holding an unopened package with a fresh needle in it.

  “What? Everything okay, man?”

  “No. No, everything is not okay. Emmy called and something happened.”

  Cade’s eyes widen in shock and he pulls off his glasses.

  “Lily?”

  Shaking my head, I rein in my anxiety and pinch the bridge of my nose.

  “I don’t know. Emmy called me crying, said they needed me. I don’t know, they’re at the park downtown. Can you have Syd reschedule the guy when she gets back from lunch? I’ll call you.”

  Without waiting for an answer, I run out to my truck, turning the key and flooring it out of there. Our shop is only about five miles from where they are, but I hit every red light. Every stop sign has a wait. When I get about a mile from the park, I watch cruisers go racing past me, sirens blaring. My stomach begins to roll, nausea threatening to erupt.

  Please let my girls be okay.

  Not bothering to give a shit, I drive straight through the red light in front of me. As I close in on the park, I pull my truck to the side of the road, trying to see through the madness. One ambulance is parked at the opening, and there are police officers everywhere. Stumbling from my vehicle, I race toward the crowd.

  “Emmy!”

  An officer steps in front of me, placing a hand to my chest.

  “Sir, we aren’t letting people through. You need to step back.”

  “No, my girlfriend called, said they were here and needed me. Please, what happened?”

  Looking down at a small notepad, he looks me over and sighs.

  “Are you Levi Jackson?”

  Holy fuck.

  “Yeah, that’s me.”

  “Follow me.”

  Walking behind him, my heart starts racing. I have no idea why they’re being so secretive, unless something really awful has happened. He takes me around the back of a cruiser and then I hear it.

  “Daddy!”

  I almost pass out when I turn around and Lily is flying into my arms, her face red, hair wet and matted from her tears. Scooping her into my arms, I bury my face in her tangled hair and take a deep breath, thanking God and whoever else can hear my thoughts.

  “Oh, baby, what happened? Are you okay?”

  She shakes her head against me and I gently shush her, squeezing her as tight as I can without hurting her. Looking at the officer, I see Emmy sitting on the step of the ambulance, clutching a handful of tissues to her chest.

  Fuck. They’re both okay.

  I try to get her to come over but she ignores me. Now I’m really freaking out. What the hell is going on?

  “What happened? I need answers, Officer. Why is my daughter so terrified?”

  “Mr. Jackson, there was an incident a little while ago. Your daughter was the victim of an attempted kidnapping. Ms. Reese scared the perp off, and we’ve now opened a full investigation.” Tucking the small notebook into his breast pocket, he excuses himself for a moment.

  Looking down at Lily, I hate the tears burning in my eyes, but Jesus Christ. Who would try to take my child? And Emmy saved her? Holy shit.

  “Oh, Lily. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here, baby. Are you hurt?”

  Lifting her head from my neck, she nods, pointing to her arm. Fury rises in me when I see the giant purple bruise in the shape of a hand. I gently run my finger over it, placing a soft kiss to the sore skin.

  “Daddy’s got you, okay? You’re safe now, Lily bug.”

  “Emmy got me, Daddy. Emmy ran after me and saved me from the mean man.”

  “I know. Emmy is so brave and strong. Let’s go tell her, okay?”

  Lily nods and I shift her around so she’s settled on my hip, making it easier to walk with her. Carefully I walk us over to the ambulance where Emmy is sitting. Coming to stand in front of her, I can see how hard she’s shaking, and her eyes are red and swollen. I reach a hand out to her but she flinches, avoiding eye contact with me.

  “Em, come here.”

  Shaking her head, she hiccups through her tears, and I exhale loudly. Keeping Lily tight against me, I reach out and grab her shaking hand. When I have a tight enough grip, I pull on her and she gives up the fight, standing up and falling into my chest.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispers, fisting my shirt in her free hand.

  “Stop it, baby. It wasn’t your fault. Shh, it’s okay. I got you.”

  Wrapping my arm securely around her shoulders, I lock her and Lily tight in my embrace, keeping my girls safe in my arms.

  “It wasn’t your fault, Em. I’m not angry with you. I don’t blame you.”

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her how much I love her. If at any moment before today I wasn’t confident about my feelings, I am now. She’s completely devastated and torn up over something that happened to my child, and she protected her.

  I love her.

  God, how can she even think for a second that I’d be angry with her?

  “Mr. Jackson, we understand the frustration. This investigation is not closed, but as we have zero leads to go on and very few pieces of evidence, there is nothing more to be done at the moment.”

  I can tell the detective in front of us feels bad, but I don’t care. I want to know who the fuck tried to come after Lily, and I want to know right the hell now. Emmy is upstairs with Lily giving her a bath, keeping her distracted from the events of today.
>
  Once Emmy calmed down enough, she was able to give a more detailed account of what happened. Now we’re home, trying to figure out the next step. It’s only been seven hours since the attempt, but I know what this guy is telling me.

  No evidence.

  Nothing they can do.

  Basically it’s over.

  Well, fuck that.

  After talking a few minutes more, I walk him to the front door. Closing it behind me, I lock the deadbolt and turn to head upstairs, finding Emmy standing behind me.

  “Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay. How are you doing?”

  Shrugging, I walk past her to the kitchen, opening a cabinet to grab the can of coffee. After setting a pot to brew, I turn to lean back against the counter. Emmy is just looking at me, arms crossed over her chest.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Someone tried to kidnap my daughter. They left bruises on her tiny arm. Yes, Emmy, I’m perfectly fucking fine.”

  When she doesn’t answer, I turn away from her, ashamed at how I just snapped. But in seconds, her arms are circling my waist from behind and her head drops to my back.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper, gripping her hands in mine.

  “Don’t be.”

  “Where’s Lily?”

  “Asleep. She asked me to read her a story after her bath and she fell asleep before the end. She’s safe in her bed.”

  “Thanks to you, Em.”

  Turning around, I circle her waist with my arms, pulling her flush to my body. Tucking a loose strand of her soft hair behind an ear, I give her a small smile.

  “Of course, Levi.”

  Her voice is quiet and I can tell the events from today still have her shaken up, so I bend down and grab her just under the ass, lifting her so I can carry her over to the couch. When I sit us down, Emmy stays on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and rests her head on my shoulder.