Read Conflicted (The Existing Series Book 2) for Free Online Page A

family’s help, and she needed the consistency to help her small mind cope with the loss of her mom.
    I brought myself out of the memory and my chest physically ached. Nothing could’ve prepared me to deal with my daughter’s heartbreak. Did I want to hear from Mackenzie? Hell no. But that was for selfish reasons. Did I want my daughter to have her mom? Yes, I did. This wasn’t supposed to happen. People adjusted to broken homes all the time. Kids were resilient. We could’ve worked something out. But she wanted to cut all ties. And for once, I didn’t know how to deal with all of that. I finished the last drink of my coffee and rolled the mug back and forth between my hands. Trying to figure out the best way to handle the decision I made last night. My heart felt lighter once I finally decided what I’d hoped all along would be my final decision.
    “Daddy,” Grace screamed from the opposite side of the apartment.
    The second she wailed, I was out of the seat, the noise from it crashing to the floor barely registered as I ran to her.
    When I opened the door, she was sitting up in the bed, her thumb in her mouth and her favorite blanket up against her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her chest rapidly moved up and down.
    “Hey, pumpkin. Daddy’s right here,” I soothingly stated as I walked over to the bed. Each tear that fell made anger and sadness well up in my chest. Both emotions made me even more murderous than before. Only I couldn’t act on that feeling.
    She walked on her knees over to the edge of the bed and jumped into my arms. The blanket fell to the ground as her arms wrapped around my neck. She burrowed her face into my shoulder and wrapped her little legs around my rib cage. My arms instantly wrapped around her small frame as I hugged her into me and gently rubbed the same soothing circles on her back as I had the night before.
    Mackenzie better hope I’m never in a room alone with her again. She’d hear an earful, and I wouldn’t care about how small I’d make her feel.
    “Daddy’s right here, pumpkin. I’m not going anywhere,” I assured her even though she didn’t understand the intensity of the vow I just made. It made me feel better just knowing I’d said it.
    After changing her diaper, which was hard to do because she screamed the whole time because I sat her down, I made her some breakfast. She sat in my lap and nibbled on the eggs. Every time I moved she’d stop to make sure I wasn’t sitting her down or going anywhere. She’d developed this complex about me leaving her in such a short time that it made me realize just how much children see and feel.
    Two hours later she passed out on my chest as we watched cartoons. Something she rarely did was fall asleep willingly, but the stress she was feeling had exhausted her. Hell, it had exhausted me, too.
    I called my dad and asked if he could come and get her for the night. I needed some time to think and plan without her noticing what I was doing. I couldn’t get anything done with her clinging to me. She may not go for it, but I had to try. I wanted to be out of here within the month. I’d figure out the rest as it came. I just wanted her in a place where she didn’t have a constant reminder of her mom. Where she could feel safe and protected, but most of all loved.
    He let himself in an hour later, and I’d yet to move for fear I’d wake Grace. She needed the sleep just as much as I needed to hold her.
    My dad walked into the living room, the anguish he was feeling was apparent on his face.
    “How’s she doing?” he whispered as he leaned against the door frame.
    “She’s suffering, Dad. She knows Kenzie isn’t here, and she doesn’t understand why she’s not back yet. Her tears gut me every time she throws a tantrum. This morning she barely let me put her down to change her diaper. I’ve been holding her ever since. She fell asleep on me, and when I move she grips me as hard as she can. The separation anxiety is