Page 4 of Tangled in Temptation

She followed me upstairs. I quickly found her a pair of my pajamas to change into while I called Timothy. He answered on the second ring.

“Catherine, I need to explain what happened a few days ago. It’s not what you think.”

I cut him off, not willing to revisit that painful moment. “Timothy, Paisley is at my house. She ran away from her mom. I understand you’re out of town. I can’t have her stay here, so I’m driving her back once her clothes are dry. If you can let your wife know, I would appreciate it.”

There was a heavy exhale on the other end of the line. “She’s not my wife.”

“I don’t care. Ex, whatever. I’ll make sure Paisely gets home. I do not care to get in the middle of your family drama.”

He let out another sigh. “I’m on my way back from the city. I’ll come get her. Just don’t go up to the house, okay?”

I understood why he didn’t want me at his house. Regina. A familiar hurt blossomed in my chest at the thought of Timothy and his complicated relationships. He didn’t want us meeting and talking. He was worried I would tell Regina about our night together. As if I wanted to admit that to anyone. But he was right. A confrontation with Regina wouldn’t do anyone any good.

“All right, I’ll wait for you to get here.”

Before he could say anything else, I hung up. “Do you want some hot chocolate?” I asked her.

“Sure.”

I dug out the box that had my limited groceries. I still needed to make a trip to the grocery store. I found the box of Swiss Miss and quickly made her a cup and then one for myself.

“I don’t have marshmallows,” I said.

“This is great, thank you.”

I went back to get my cup before returning to the living room.

“This is a really cool house,” she said. “Is this your house or are you just fixing it up for the owner?”

“I am the owner,” I said with a sense of pride.

“It’s pretty big for just you.”

“Gloriana Manor is pretty big for two or three people,” I replied.

She laughed. “It’s pretty big for ten people.”

“Is that the kind of house you’re used to living in?”

I shouldn’t have asked. It wasn’t my business. I guessed I was just curious about what their lives were like.

So much for me dismissing Timothy from my thoughts. Now I was interrogating his daughter to get information.

We sat in the living room sipping hot chocolate. While it looked all calm and normal, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. The rain continued to stream down the windows. This was the exact opposite of getting Timothy out of my life for good.

“I’m really sorry to show up here,” Paisley said quietly. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

I felt bad for her. “It’s okay. I just, well, I’m worried about getting in the middle of your family’s business. I don’t want to do that.”

“I just don’t understand,” she sighed.

“What happened?” I heard myself ask, even though I knew it was not a good idea. The girl needed someone to talk to.

“I feel so suffocated,” she said. “Nothing I say matters. It’s like I’m still a baby. She thinks I don’t know my own mind.”

I remembered being fifteen. It was a struggle. “You do know your mind,” I said, trying to offer some comfort. “But sometimes, as parents... or adults in general... we aren’t always good at recognizing that. Your mom probably sees you as her little girl.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never been her little girl. She doesn’t even know me. She hates that I paint or do anything that she hasn’t told me to. One of my friends told me I was an accessory.”