I could just tell her – I can pay for everything. I could get everything fixed. It’s not even a big deal. It would be like a gift. A really, really big gift. What the hell else do I have to do with the money?
“There’s no way I can avoid it, Killian. I don’t know if I can – everything I have is in the store. I –" She sighs heavily. “I’ll figure it out. I’m going to have my parents pick up Chloe a little early, since she was suspended anyway.”
I grimace at the reminder that I fucked up with that. I’m sorry Chloe got suspended, and I think I’m supposed to feel sorry that she punched that kid. Except I don’t feel sorry for that part at all.
“I can help –" I start, but she puts her hand up, shaking her head.
"It's nice of you to offer, really, it is. But this is my problem, not yours, Killian."
"This is our problem," I correct her.
“This isn’t our problem, Killian,” she says, an unmistakable edge in her voice. “This is my problem.”
Irritation rushes through me. Her problem? “I want to help. Do you think I’ve really been hanging around you and Chloe this whole time so I can ditch you two just because some shit happens?”
“It’s not your responsibility,” she insists, her words clipped. "This is my restaurant. It's none of your business." Her brow is furrowed and she looks at me with fire in her eyes, and what I really want to do is pull her against me and kiss the hell out of her. I want to make this okay.
It's not my business? Why is she being so damn stubborn?
“You can’t just not take my help with the store because you’re still mad at me for Chloe getting suspended."
Lily’s nostrils flare. “You think I don’t want your help because I’m mad about Chloe?”
“I know you’re pissed off she got suspended but honestly, that Alex kid deserved it.”
Her hands go to her hips. “Are you kidding?” she says, her voice loud. A woman passes on the sidewalk, staring as she circumvents us by walking into the street. Lily glares at her as she passes. “What are you looking at??”
“No, I’m not kidding," I say, bringing Lily's attention back to me. "And, you know what, I’m actually not really all that sorry I taught her to defend herself against some asshole kids with asshole parents who taught them to be little shits to other kids. Would you stop being so damn stubborn all the time, woman? It’s a damn cleaning crew. It’s not like I got you a ring! Just take the help already.”
“You think I need rescuing. You think Chloe and I need rescuing!” she yells.
“I don’t think you need rescuing, damn it!”
“First, you come into my store and rescue me from the guys bothering me –“
“Anyone would have done that. Like I’m going to stand there and watch some guys harass you?”
But she keeps plowing ahead. “Then, you change the rules in the bakery because you think you have a better idea than I do about how to run my business. And now you’re sending in a repair crew, telling me to let you take care of things because I can’t handle them on my own, like I’m some kind of helpless little woman who needs to be pat on the head and told not to worry about anything because her big strong man will take care of it!”
Now I’m getting really upset. “That’s not what I’m doing at all! You’re making me out to be some controlling pig who bosses you around and –"
“I said, this is my problem. I have to deal with it. Just like with Chloe.”
“What was I supposed to do? She told me about the bullying, not you!”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back.
Lily doesn’t move. She just looks at me, her jaw clenched, and her eyes start to water.
“Lily, I didn’t mean –"
She puts up her hand. “Don’t, Killian. Just don’t. Chloe is my kid, not yours. Regardless of whether or not you think I'm a good mom."
"That is not at all what I mean. I meant that she didn't want to worry –"
"Enough," she says. "You've said enough."
"She hasn't talked to you?" Luke asks.
I grimace, looking into my whiskey glass. "It didn't –" I shrug, like it's not a big deal, except it's a big fucking deal. I royally fucked up. I really hurt her when I said that Chloe told me about the bullying and not her. "It didn't go well when I saw her."
"Well, I guess you should go fix it, asshole."
"Yeah, thanks for your brilliant advice. If I knew how to fix it, that's what I would go do."
Instead, I've been holed up at the cabin because really, I have no business being in a relationship. What the hell was I thinking, dating a woman with a kid? I'm in over my head here.
And she wanted to be left alone. She didn't want me to step in and fix stuff for her.
God, that even sounds like a lame rationalization in my head.
"Oh, please. You know how to fix it. Go apologize for whatever dumb shit you said or did."
"I didn't just say something stupid, Luke. I fucked things up, first with the bakery, and then with Chloe getting suspended from school because of what I taught her."
"Her kid was suspended? She's like, six, years old."