28. Rebel

I wonderedwhen Evie would decide on the date for our wedding. I kept asking her, but she always said she hadn't picked a day yet. It made me nervous, wondering if she was changing her mind about us. We were still passionate about each other and made love for hours, almost every night. We were as connected as when we first got together.

Hannah ran into the living room while I watched a game I wasn't interested in. I picked her up and threw her in the air. I've been home for a month since I was shot and had to return to work. This was my business, too, so I had to pitch in and couldn't take any more time off. Evie sat next to me and kissed me. "What do we want for dinner?" I asked.

"Let's go out for pizza," she said, smiling. "Kylie called me; she wants her animals back. She says she's back to her old self and feels guilty for giving her animals away. She can't take Alpo back because her condo HOA doesn't allow pigs. I thought the three of us could take the RV and return Cinder and Tater to her."

"I have a job guarding an actress in New York in two days. It'll have to wait until I return."

"That's okay. If you can't come with us, Hannah and I will go and stay for a few days."

"No, you can't take Hannah on a road trip. It's way too dangerous; you, of all people, should know how dangerous it is out there," I said, shaking my head and holding tight to Hannah. I've always had this thing about road trips since both our parents and Ghost's parents, and our grandma died in a vehicle accident coming home from a concert when we were little. I've been crazy scared of road trips. I know it's stupid, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something would happen. My grandpa tried telling me how stupid that was.

"So you don't want me taking Hannah with me?" Evie asked, looking hurt.

"I don't want either of you going on a road trip. There are too many things that can happen," I tried explaining.

"Hold on a minute," she said, holding her hand up. "Does Benni ask Spartan if she can take their children with her when he's away on a job? Does Bailey ask Viper, or does Charlie ask Steel? Do I have to ask you whenever I take Hannah with me?"

"You're making it sound like I don't trust you with Hannah. That's not what I'm saying," I repeated, trying to explain how road trips scared me.

"So when we have more children, would you be okay with me taking them to visit my family?"

"You're making it sound different than what it is."

"Do you trust me to keep Hannah safe?"

"Not if you want to take her on a road trip. Hannah stays here," I said.

"You said she was my daughter, but you only mean she's my daughter if I stay here in the house with her."

"No, I don't mean that at all."

"Rebel, when I was walking with her to Jaz's, you stopped me and brought her back into the house. You took her back in the house when I was going to run to Walmart with her. I can name at least seven times you've done this since you've been shot. I can only be her mother when I'm in the house; otherwise, I have no say in anything that happens with Hannah."

"You're making more out of this than there is," I said when she stood up. "Please, can't we just talk about this so I can make you understand how I feel?"

She stopped and looked at me. "Can I take Hannah with me to visit my family?"

"No." She nodded and walked away.

I ran my hands through my hair, scared that I messed up big time. What else could I do? I didn't want my daughter killed in an accident. I couldn't stop Evie from visiting her family, but I would not let Hannah go with her.

When I turned around and started walking back to the bedroom, Allison and Reaper were watching me.

"You are such a dick. Why would you hurt Evie like that?" Reaper hissed.

"You know how I feel about trips if I'm not there to ensure everything is safe."

"I thought you would have outgrown that by now. You might as well have told Evie you don't trust her to watch your daughter because that is what you just said. So now you know why no wedding date has been set. She has stayed this long to see if you could ever trust her with Hannah, and you said a big NO."

I handed Hannah to him and walked to the bedroom, where Evie was packing. "Evie, I know it sounded like I don't trust you to care for Hannah, but that's not it at all. I want both of you to stay here until I get back, and then the three of us will go to Florida," I said, standing beside her.

She raised her eyes to mine, and I saw the shimmer of tears. "I love you so much, Dash, more than you will ever know; you gave me a daughter and then took her away."

"No, I didn't," I said. "If you take a moment and listen to what I'm saying, you will understand how I feel."

She kissed me, and I knew I blew it. There was nothing I could say to make her understand because she would have had to be me when I was little, and my parents died on a road trip. "Please don't go."

"I'm taking the animals to Kylie."

"Why don't you wait until I return?"

"I'm not a child; I can drive myself," she replied.

"Leave Snookum here so he won't get in the way of you driving."

"Snookum and the others will stay in their carriers; don't worry about them," she said.

"Will you please call me every two hours?"

"If I need anything, I'll call you. I will not call you every two hours."

When she held Hannah to her and tears fell from her eyes, I knew she wouldn't be back.

"Do something," Allison hissed. "You let her go once and regretted it, so don't do it again."

"If she loves me, then she has to put up with this stupid thing I have about road trips," I replied.

"Maybe it's time you outgrew this hangup before you lose the best thing that has happened to you and Hannah, and she slips through your fingers," Allison replied.

"I have tried."

"It's not like Jaz's home is far away. What was the problem then?"

"A storm was coming."