Chapter 39

        “What are you doing?”

        “What does it look like I’m doing?”

        “Aaron, it’s barely nine o’clock in the morning, isn’t it a little early to start drinking?”

        “I need it.”

        “You do not need it. You want it. Aaron, you have a problem. You need help.”

        “Onyx, you are not my mother and I’m sick of you acting like you are. I’m a grown man. I can do want I want.”

        “What about the children? Have you thought about the example you’re setting for them?”

        Aaron narrowed his eyes at the man standing next to him. “Do you really think I care what your bastards think of me?”

        Onyx took a deep breath. Aaron’s drinking had increased steadily over the past five years. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Aaron sober. “Aaron, please, I was talking about your daughters: Barbara and Bella. Barbara is getting into fights constantly when she’s at school. She skips school at least once a week. Bella is obsessed with her looks. She’s only ten. That’s way too early to worry about such things. Your daughters need help. You need help.”

        “Screw you, Onyx. I didn’t ask you to interfere in my life.”

        “Yes, you did. You invited me to stay with you after Snow died. Ice would have kicked me out in a heartbeat, but you didn’t let him. I thought we were friends. Friends care about each other. They help each other. Please, let me help.”

        Aaron turned and pressed his body against Onyx. “You know what you can do to help? Go buy some more nectar. That’s the only help I need.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen.

        Onyx cursed under his breath. Until Aaron was willing to get better, there was very little he could do. His lawyer had explained to him since the two of them weren’t married and Onyx wasn’t the girls’ father, he had no legal standing to petition the courts for full custody. He slammed a hand down on the counter.

        “Doesn’t that hurt?”

        “Barbara, aren’t you supposed to be in school?” Onyx asked.

        “Teacher’s workshop,” she replied.

        Onyx snorted. “Nice try, but if that were true all of you would be home.”

        “Is Papa going to be alright?”

        He sighed. “I don’t know. I hope he comes to his senses sooner rather than later.”

        “I wish Daddy were here.”

        “Me, too, munchkin. Now let’s get you to school.”

        Onyx drove Barbara to school and waited for her to enter the building before going home. He knew there was nothing preventing her from sneaking right back out, but he couldn’t watch her twenty-four hours a day.