She Is My Baby, I Love Her So, But It's Too Late Now, I've Let Her Go, chapter 24
"Hi, Dad." I swallowed, twisting the phone cord around my fingers. I heard Billie's sharp gasp on the other line.
"Hello, Bailey. How... how are you? And how's Steffi? Is Tre there?"
"Um, fine. So's Steffi, she's starting to sit up by herself, and she's got some teeth coming through. Yeah, Tre's here. Well, not actually here, he's gone to get some dinner." Shuttup brain. "He arrived yesterday."
"And he stayed over last night?" Uh-oh.
"Yes." Screw you, Dad.
"Right." Billie Joe took a deep breath. "So are you and he... Did he ask you?"
"Yeah. And I said yes." Oh, for God's sake girl, talk properly! Full sentences were invented for a reason! Bailey One yelled in my head. Stop being so bloody icy! Screw you, Bailey Two snapped back.
"That's great! Congratulations, Jadey!" A lump rose in my throat. Only Billie Joe called me Jadey. He continued. "So, are you coming home?"
"Um, actually, I dunno... " Billie Joe cut me off by yelping loudly in pain.
"Sorry, Jadey. The boys really want to talk to you."
"Bailey? Please come home, we miss you!" Joey and Jakob said.
"I miss you guys too." I mumbled in a low voice. Tears were itching my eyes.
"Please, Bailey?" Joey asked.
"I dunno, Joe."
"Pleath, Bailey?" Jakob lisped. "For me? I lobe you." God, for an eight-year-old, he is good at guilt trips.
Tre buzzed on the intercom. The prat made a big fuss of having a key then left it on the table. I hit the entry button, then turned back to the phone.
"Ok. I'll come home."
AT THE ARMSTRONG HOUSE
NORMAL POV
"Ok. I'll come home." Bailey's voice came over the speakerphone. Then she hung up.
Billie Joe held out his hands. His sons slapped a hand each, and ran down the hall, yelling 'Ice cream, ice cream!' waving their crisp, twenty dollar bills in the air.
"Good boys!" Billie Joe laughed.
"Hello, Bailey. How... how are you? And how's Steffi? Is Tre there?"
"Um, fine. So's Steffi, she's starting to sit up by herself, and she's got some teeth coming through. Yeah, Tre's here. Well, not actually here, he's gone to get some dinner." Shuttup brain. "He arrived yesterday."
"And he stayed over last night?" Uh-oh.
"Yes." Screw you, Dad.
"Right." Billie Joe took a deep breath. "So are you and he... Did he ask you?"
"Yeah. And I said yes." Oh, for God's sake girl, talk properly! Full sentences were invented for a reason! Bailey One yelled in my head. Stop being so bloody icy! Screw you, Bailey Two snapped back.
"That's great! Congratulations, Jadey!" A lump rose in my throat. Only Billie Joe called me Jadey. He continued. "So, are you coming home?"
"Um, actually, I dunno... " Billie Joe cut me off by yelping loudly in pain.
"Sorry, Jadey. The boys really want to talk to you."
"Bailey? Please come home, we miss you!" Joey and Jakob said.
"I miss you guys too." I mumbled in a low voice. Tears were itching my eyes.
"Please, Bailey?" Joey asked.
"I dunno, Joe."
"Pleath, Bailey?" Jakob lisped. "For me? I lobe you." God, for an eight-year-old, he is good at guilt trips.
Tre buzzed on the intercom. The prat made a big fuss of having a key then left it on the table. I hit the entry button, then turned back to the phone.
"Ok. I'll come home."
AT THE ARMSTRONG HOUSE
NORMAL POV
"Ok. I'll come home." Bailey's voice came over the speakerphone. Then she hung up.
Billie Joe held out his hands. His sons slapped a hand each, and ran down the hall, yelling 'Ice cream, ice cream!' waving their crisp, twenty dollar bills in the air.
"Good boys!" Billie Joe laughed.
