"I shouldn't be out too late," I told her as I scooped up my keys.
Her face zipped up as horror lit her eyes. "You're going out?"
Jigging my keys in my hands, I opened the door, letting her know that hell yes, I was going out. And nothing she said would stop me. "I'm helping a friend with a car."
"But . . . " She glanced helplessly at Fighter who was happily gnawing on a toy I'd given him. I'd already fed him, bathed him, and changed his diaper; he'd be fine for a while.
When Tristy looked back to me as if I was abandoning her to a tribe of cannibals that were about to burn her at the stake with a nice hickory-flavored barbecue sauce, I shifted my weight uneasily from one foot to the other. I would not let her do this to me. I would not let her make me feel guilty for leaving the house for a few hours. Mason was relying on me to help him with his girlfriend's car.
Shit, that was a lie. I wasn't doing this for Mason. I had to see Eva again, a selfish truth that made my guilt skyrocket.
I ran my hand over my hair, sighing. "It'll only be for a few hours. Damn, Tris. This is the first time I'm actually leaving the apartment since the kid was born."
"What the fuck ever. You leave every damn day."
"For work," I bit out. "I have to work. This apartment isn't going to pay for itself. And we need food, and utilities, and car insurance."
"Just cut it out already," she snapped with a glare. "Do I look like an idiot? I know you're going to meet a girl and get laid."
I clenched my jaw, hoping she didn't see anything in my eyes. Spreading my arms open, I asked, "Does it look like I'm going to meet a girl? In this?" I shook my head, confused. "Why would it matter to you anyway?"
She sniffed and lifted her chin. "It wouldn't. Not at all. I had sex just last weekend."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" I couldn't picture her in that way—at all, especially since she'd given birth. She'd never been a great beauty, but she'd really let herself go downhill these past few months. And with the past we shared—no. She felt too sisterly to me to even imagine that part of her life.
When she merely stared at me with a challenging sneer, I shrugged. "Well, good for you. I'll see you later." As I tried to step from the apartment, she cried out my name.
"Damn it, if you're just going to a friend's house to work on a car, can't you at least take him with you?"
I glanced at Fighter. Drool covered his chin and slimed the toy he was steadily gumming. A smile lit my face. I'd love to take Julian, get him out of this place for a while, and maybe let Eva meet him all the while relieving Tristy for a couple hours. But I really did plan on working on Reese's car.
"I can't take him to a grease-filled garage. I'm probably going to be under a car most of the night. That's not exactly a safe place for a baby."
Tristy sniffed and turned away, dismissing me. I was tempted to invite her along so she wouldn't feel left out. But the last thing I wanted to do was let her and Eva mingle. Resigned, I repeated, "I'll see you later."
After blowing a kiss toward the baby, I was free and jogging down the stairs toward the front exit of the building. When my phone rang as soon as I started my engine, I groaned. Someone sure wanted to delay me from seeing my Tinker Bell, didn't they? When I saw it was Ten, I answered with a growl, "What?"
"Man, we need your help. Big time."
Fuck. "No," I said instantly. "I'm not working your shift for you tonight."
"Then swing by my place and check on Gamble, will you? Hamilton and I are worried shitless about him. This thing he's going through with his girl really has him messed up, and both Hamilton and I have to bartend tonight, otherwise we'd stay with him."
I didn't answer immediately. My conscience warred with itself. I wanted to see Tinker Bell so bad my pulse wouldn't slow down. But the very fact that Ten had called me with his concern said a lot. Worried about Gamble, I cursed under my breath.
"Just how bad off is he? Like . . . homicidal? Suicidal? Or just ready to kill you?"
"Hardy, har, har." Ten sniffed. "I'd say he's definitely something, though. He wouldn't think twice about participating in an extreme act of crazy right now."
"Shit," I ground my teeth in frustration.
"Hey, if you're that busy, I can call Lowe and ask him."
"No," I muttered. "It was Lowe's place I was headed to."
"Really? So you're all close and shit with Lowe but you never hang out with me after hours? Dude, how insulting."
"He wanted me to look at his girlfriend's engine."
Immature Ten snickered. "I would've checked out his woman's engine, no problem."
"Her car engine, you moron."
"Well, whatever," he muttered back. "Take Gam with you. That way both you and Lowe can keep an eye on him."
I couldn't think up a reason why that would be a bad idea, so I agreed and using Ten's half-assed instructions of how to get there, I started toward his and Gamble's place.