The Bad Things (Book 5)

Chapter 5. Games

My chin trembled. "What if I can't?" I choked. Tears fell from my eyes.

"You will," he murmured. He ran a hand through my hair.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and supported most of my weight.

"Mom's on her way," Sean said as he stepped into the kitchen.

Hayden and I pulled apart. I gripped onto the edge of the counter. Hayden kept ahold of one of my arms.

A few raps on the front door pulled me out of my daze. I jumped slightly but immediately took off to answer it. The boys followed behind me.

The cop greeted me, and I held the door open for him. I explained in a rush the type of car Tracey drove and what she wore. I went over the same story that I gave to the dispatch. By the time I finished, I felt like I had a knife sticking out of my stomach. I wanted the nightmare to be over.

"I'll keep in touch," he said. The cop walked out the front door.

We went into the kitchen. I poured three cups of coffee. We sat down at the small kitchen table.

"It's going to be a long night," I murmured.

"Maybe you should go lay down, Abby," Sean said. "I'll wake you up if—"

"Sean, seriously?" I scoffed. "My daughter is missing. I'm not going to sleep until she is back in my arms."

Sean sighed.

"This is my fault—" I started.

"Abigail, stop. It's not," Hayden argued.

Mom stormed into the kitchen. "You are damn right it is!" Mom spat. "What the hell were you thinking, Abigail Lindsay? Tracey's past alone is a damn good reason not to let her take Stormy."

"Mom," Sean sneered. "Stop it."

Hayden ran a hand through his hair.

"Mom," I said. My eyes pleaded with hers. "What was I supposed to say? She showed up here. Stormy was so excited to see her. Tracey didn't appear drunk or anything like that. She finished AA classes."

"We are talking about the same woman that passed out on the couch drunk while your eighteen-month-old daughter nearly drowned in the bathtub, right?" Mom challenged. "Again, what were you thinking?"

"God, you had to fucking bring that up," I muttered. I buried my face in my hands. Guilt and regret flooded my stomach.

"I shouldn't have called you," Sean spat. "I told them it wasn't a good idea, but they insisted." Sean threw his chair across the kitchen, and it made Mom and I jump. "Leave it to you to make the situation worse." Sean jabbed a finger in Mom's direction.

"Just stop, please," I begged. "I fucked up, okay? I'm not denying that." I got to my feet and headed for the front door. I needed fresh air. It felt like I would pass out from the heat in the kitchen.

Hayden followed me out the door. We sat down on the front steps. Hayden grabbed my hand in both of his. His hands were so much bigger than mine that my hand disappeared in his. "I think that I should go soon. I'll go out and look around for a while again or something."

"I'll go with you," I said.

"No, Abby."

I gazed up at him, confused. "What?"