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"Hey, language in front of the little ears!" he laughs
"Jace, I actually need to talk to you about Audrey," Quinn calls over
"Where is she, by the way? I haven’t seen her all day and I’o crazy" I lean in and kiss Chloe’s forehead and say, "I just needed to see you before I go to bed, little one"
"Audrey’s already asleep She went to that self-defense class today that you signed her up for"
"Shit, I forgot about that" I wrap Chloe in one arm and rub my temples with the other I haven’t been able to talk to Audrey ht up and sidetracked
"Jace, I’h love so bear with me for a second, okay?" she asks and I nodtooyou care about slips aithout you even noticing" Her words catch my immediate attention and fill me with dread
"What do youfrom? Did Audrey say she would leave o see her I need to stop whatever thoughts she
"Cal like that I just don’t want it to get to that point for you guys I mean, how much have you really seen Audrey lately? How many times have you come home at," she looks down at her watch and says, "ten-thirty at night or later and had to wake her up?"
"I’runt work to put in before I can pull back a bit," I try to rationalize "Audrey understands this"
She nods her head and continues, "You’re right, she does But Cole and I have been talking, and you don’t need to be there as ate You have Jax, Cole, and now Lane, in addition to all of your many employees Release the reins just a little, Jace"
"I can try, but y’all don’t understand how le day"
"Jace, you’reout on crucial parts of Audrey’s life and this job has only just begun," Quinn says
"I don’t understand what you’re saying" I trail off
"I went and picked up Audrey’s gown from alterations today and afterward, I took it upstairs while she was out to hang it in her closest How have you not noticed that she hasn’t even unpacked her clothes?"
"She what?" I begin to panic
"Jace, she’s been living here for months and all of her clothes are still in her suitcases She wears them, washes them, and puts the If she has to use anything, she immediately washes it or stashes it away as if she were never there," Quinn adds
"I really hope you’rethis shit up My heart is about to bust out of my chest," I say in alarone all the tio into town unless she absolutely has to, because she’s too afraid of what people will relad she finally found a job because she’s running low on funds" With that, she eyes me and continues, "Now, I only knohat Colelow on money?"
"What?!" I holler When Chloe squirms away froize and begin rocking her back and forth "Quinn, I swear to God we have a joint account"
"Does she actually spend money out of that account?" Before she can ask another question, I wiggleup our bank app on h every transaction Mine Mine Mine I sluled into " I say and then look at it further "Dry cleaner Shit, that was forour bank account? "She’s going to leaveto leave me," I say in a defeated tone
"No, she’s not That’s not why I’rew up You need to make her more comfortable This house was your plans, your ideas, and you want her to spend your , it’s hers I don’t want it without her"
She nods her head and softly says, "I’lad to hear that But you need to remember that she’s never known a relationship like that I’, but I figured you didn’t even notice"
"Because I’ve been at the office every single day," I grumble
"You need to at least have some rest days every week, Jace, or even you will burn out," Cole adds in "What happens when you have a kid? Are you going to be that dad that’s never around? I had that dad, and trust me, it sucked Your dad took time away, you can too"
He has a point My dad was ho the weekends I’ll never forget the ti the heavy bag withChloe and realize I can’t becouy I’m on track to become I want to hear about Audrey’s day over dinner, not a sleepy, half-awake conversation late at night I want to wake up next to her on Saturday and Sunday s and be able to share the day with her
"I’ll fix this," I inforo work for some random company She can work at the office with et a job"