Father Figure
Forty-Four
I wrapped my sweater tighter around my shoulders as I exited the hospital. I waved to a few of the people I worked with as I made my way to my car. Two days back and I had gotten sick at work. It was beginning to irritate me.
I drove in silence to the boys' school. Just as I turned on the street, I noticed a familiar face walking down the sidewalk. I frowned, but pushed the worry aside. He wouldn't be headed to their school. It was too public and people would obviously see him...
I parked and waited for the students to all be released until I got out. My stomach was still churning from when I got sick earlier. At this rate, I'd need to go see a doctor soon. I wrapped my arms around myself to fight of the chill in the air while I meandered towards the front doors. But then I stopped.
He had to be joking. Not even twenty feet in front of me stood Joseph, stopped to talk to the boys. I frowned and sped up my pace. "Excuse me," I called out.
He turned to face me, his eyes going wide. "Uh..."
I looked down at the boys. "Go get in the car," I told them softly, handing my keys to Kris as he passed. I waited until they were a safe distance away before turning on Joseph. "You stay away from my sons. Got it?" I seethed.
He snorted, a smirk plastered on his face. "Yeah? Or what? I haven't been stalking them or anything. You can't prove I've said a word to them," he countered.
I glared up at him. "There are cameras everywhere you've just so 'happened' to run into them. You don't think someone would be willing to pull the tapes if they thought a grown man was harassing three young boys? Stay away from them," I snapped.
He let out a laugh. He was fucking laughing at me. "Mama Bear's coming out, huh? I'm so scared," he mocked.
"Stay away from them or I'll call the cops and report harassment. Got it?" I warned. I rested my hand over my stomach as it lurched suddenly. God, not now...
He let out another laugh. "Sure. Empty threats are nice," he mocked.
I closed my eyes as my stomach lurched again. "Just..." Before I could finish my sentence, my stomach heaved up its contents once more for the day, dumping it on Joseph's feet.
I gaped at the mess, as did Joseph. "Fucking a..." I muttered. I spit on the grass before hurrying off to the car. I could hear him yelling curse words behind me.
"You puked on his shoes!" Beau yelled out in excitement.
"Yeah, I know," I mumbled back.
I gritted my teeth as I tried to hurry to get to Sidney's house before anything else could happen. The boys buzzed with excitement at what had happened. Leave it to them to think it was cool I got sick all over someone.
I hadn't even fully parked the car before the boys were hurrying off to go tell their father what had happened. I groaned loudly. He'd be worried and make me go to the doctor for sure if he found out I was still sick.
I opened the door and was greeted by his worrying brown eyes. "You feel okay?" he asked quickly. I nodded my head and started towards the bathroom to brush my teeth. He followed me up the stairs. "Nathalie?"
"Hm?" I responded as I pulled out my own toothbrush from the little stand on his bathroom counter.
"Is everything okay?" he asked softly.
I didn't respond until I had completely brushed the taste out of my mouth and put the toothbrush back. "Yeah... I'm fine," I told him.
He didn't look convinced at all. He stepped forward and felt my forehead. "Maybe you should go see a doctor?" he suggested.
I stepped forward to hug him. "How about if I get sick after Saturday, I'll go see someone?" I bargained.
He chuckled. "Deal."
His arms wrapped around my shoulders and began rubbing my back. He was so warm, I never wanted to leave the embrace. It was like he oozed comfort.
"I told Joseph if I caught him talking to the boys again, I'd report harassment," I mumbled into his chest.
"Good." He stepped back to look at me. "Why don't you go take a nap on the couch? Or you can take my bed. Maybe it'll help you feel better," he suggested.
I nodded my head. "Wake me up when you leave for the game?" I asked.
He gave me a smile. "Obviously." I rolled my eyes and laughed at him.
I drove in silence to the boys' school. Just as I turned on the street, I noticed a familiar face walking down the sidewalk. I frowned, but pushed the worry aside. He wouldn't be headed to their school. It was too public and people would obviously see him...
I parked and waited for the students to all be released until I got out. My stomach was still churning from when I got sick earlier. At this rate, I'd need to go see a doctor soon. I wrapped my arms around myself to fight of the chill in the air while I meandered towards the front doors. But then I stopped.
He had to be joking. Not even twenty feet in front of me stood Joseph, stopped to talk to the boys. I frowned and sped up my pace. "Excuse me," I called out.
He turned to face me, his eyes going wide. "Uh..."
I looked down at the boys. "Go get in the car," I told them softly, handing my keys to Kris as he passed. I waited until they were a safe distance away before turning on Joseph. "You stay away from my sons. Got it?" I seethed.
He snorted, a smirk plastered on his face. "Yeah? Or what? I haven't been stalking them or anything. You can't prove I've said a word to them," he countered.
I glared up at him. "There are cameras everywhere you've just so 'happened' to run into them. You don't think someone would be willing to pull the tapes if they thought a grown man was harassing three young boys? Stay away from them," I snapped.
He let out a laugh. He was fucking laughing at me. "Mama Bear's coming out, huh? I'm so scared," he mocked.
"Stay away from them or I'll call the cops and report harassment. Got it?" I warned. I rested my hand over my stomach as it lurched suddenly. God, not now...
He let out another laugh. "Sure. Empty threats are nice," he mocked.
I closed my eyes as my stomach lurched again. "Just..." Before I could finish my sentence, my stomach heaved up its contents once more for the day, dumping it on Joseph's feet.
I gaped at the mess, as did Joseph. "Fucking a..." I muttered. I spit on the grass before hurrying off to the car. I could hear him yelling curse words behind me.
"You puked on his shoes!" Beau yelled out in excitement.
"Yeah, I know," I mumbled back.
I gritted my teeth as I tried to hurry to get to Sidney's house before anything else could happen. The boys buzzed with excitement at what had happened. Leave it to them to think it was cool I got sick all over someone.
I hadn't even fully parked the car before the boys were hurrying off to go tell their father what had happened. I groaned loudly. He'd be worried and make me go to the doctor for sure if he found out I was still sick.
I opened the door and was greeted by his worrying brown eyes. "You feel okay?" he asked quickly. I nodded my head and started towards the bathroom to brush my teeth. He followed me up the stairs. "Nathalie?"
"Hm?" I responded as I pulled out my own toothbrush from the little stand on his bathroom counter.
"Is everything okay?" he asked softly.
I didn't respond until I had completely brushed the taste out of my mouth and put the toothbrush back. "Yeah... I'm fine," I told him.
He didn't look convinced at all. He stepped forward and felt my forehead. "Maybe you should go see a doctor?" he suggested.
I stepped forward to hug him. "How about if I get sick after Saturday, I'll go see someone?" I bargained.
He chuckled. "Deal."
His arms wrapped around my shoulders and began rubbing my back. He was so warm, I never wanted to leave the embrace. It was like he oozed comfort.
"I told Joseph if I caught him talking to the boys again, I'd report harassment," I mumbled into his chest.
"Good." He stepped back to look at me. "Why don't you go take a nap on the couch? Or you can take my bed. Maybe it'll help you feel better," he suggested.
I nodded my head. "Wake me up when you leave for the game?" I asked.
He gave me a smile. "Obviously." I rolled my eyes and laughed at him.