by E. L. Todd
“Good. “A smile stretched his lips. “Maybe he’ll be a soccer player or a runner.”
“Maybe he’ll be both.”
He chuckled.
We left the elevator then approached my car on the street. It was cold outside as the fall weather deepened. He got to the driver door then opened it for me. “Do you need anything?”
“No.” I eyed the car and felt my heart ache a little less. He was taking care of me.
Surprise moved into his eyes, like he expected me to beg him to take me back. “Any doctor appointments?”
“Not right now.”
“Do you need help with baby stuff?”
“Not really,” I said. “I’m just waiting for him to arrive. And my mom is throwing me a shower.”
“That’ll be nice,” he whispered.
“Yeah.” I got into the seat then waited for him to shut the door.
Cayson stood there for a long time like he wanted to say something else. “Well, good night.”
“Good night, Cayson.” It pained me to keep all my thoughts back. When I looked at him I wanted to tell him how much I loved him. I wanted to beg him to come home with me tonight.
But I somehow managed not to.
Chapter Seven
Cayson
Getting a drink. Want to come? It was Slade.
Sure. I needed an excuse to get out of the house. The place was pretty lonely. I watched a lot of TV because I didn’t have anything else to do. Slade was busy with Trinity most of the time, and Conrad was only interested in picking up women—which I wasn’t.
We’re at Roger’s.
I’ll be there soon.
After I changed and did my hair, I headed to the bar a few blocks away. It was weird living in the city again. I’d become accustomed to the quiet peacefulness of Connecticut. I missed waking up to the sound of birds in the morning.
I missed waking up to Skye.
I entered the bar and saw them sitting in a booth. It wasn’t the usual gang like I expected. It was just Slade and Rhett, the guy that seemed to appear out of nowhere and was stuck to us like glue. I didn’t have a problem with him. He was perfectly nice. I just…I don’t know. He paid a lot of attention to Skye and that rubbed me the wrong way. It seemed like he was only being friendly but even then…my feathers were ruffled.
I slid into the seat next to Slade. “What’s up?”
“We’re on our third round,” Slade said. “You’re a slow walker.”
“Maybe you’re just a fast drinker.”
Slade shrugged. “Maybe.”
“How’d the anniversary go?” Rhett asked.
“Awesome,” Slade said. “She bought me a sweet guitar. Her name is written on the neck.”
“Very cool,” Rhett said. “She put a lot of thought into it. Those are the best kinds of gifts.”
“And we had a great time in the middle of nowhere,” Slade said. “Lots of sex.”
“Sex with the wife is never a bad thing.” Rhett took a long drink.
“Hey.” Slade turned to me like he just realized something. “You owe me a hundred bucks.”
“I do?” I hadn’t paid attention to the game because the only thing I was focusing on was how close Rhett was sitting to Skye. I listened to every word of their conversation, including the parts where he said he was divorced and super rich.
“Yeah, Packers lost,” Slade said. “You weren’t paying attention or what?”
“I was.” I opened my wallet and handed the cash over.
Slade waved the bill around. “I’m gonna buy my wife some slutty panties.”
“Good call,” Rhett said with a chuckle. He turned to me. “Cayson, what do you do?”
“I’m the director of the CDC,” I said in a bored voice.
“The what?” he asked.
“Science…” Slade rolled his eyes. “It has something to do with science.”
“It’s the Center for Disease Control,” I explained. “We take care of outbreaks and health risks.”
“Oh,” Rhett said with a nod. “Very cool. Slade mentioned you were a smart guy.”
“No, I said he was genius,” Slade corrected.
“I stand corrected,” Rhett said. “Cayson, you and I should go out sometime. You like laser tag?”
“I love laser tag,” Slade said. “I want to come!”
“Yeah sure,” I answered. He was a hard guy to dislike. He was friendly and nice, and he had a natural charisma that sucked everyone in. It was like he had super powers or something.
“Cool,” Rhett said. “How about we bring Skye along? She seems like someone fun to have around.”
My eyes immediately went to his face and my fingers tightened on my glass.
“Nah,” Slade said. “She’s pregnant. She can’t move.”
“She’s not handicapped,” Rhett said with a laugh. “For being seven months along you can hardly notice.”
My heart was beating fast. Perhaps I was just being paranoid but it seemed like Rhett was into her. But then again, why would any guy be into a pregnant woman? It just didn’t make sense. I was probably thinking about it too hard. I may think Skye was the most beautiful woman in the world but that didn’t mean everyone else did.
“But she can be moody, man.” Slade held up his hand. “Trust me on this one.”
“She seems pretty cool,” Rhett said. “What’s her story?”
Now my blood was pounding in my ears.
“Her story?” Slade asked in confusion.
“Yeah, is she dating?” Rhett asked. “I know she’s divorced—”
“She’s not divorced.” I gave him a death threat with just my eyes. I was secondS away from breaking my glass then stabbing the shards into his neck. The tension at the table escalated noticeably.
Slade looked uncomfortable.
Rhett turned my way but he didn’t seem scared at all. “She’s not divorced? Then she’s separated?”
“No, she’s not divorced or separated,” I snapped. “She’s off limits and don’t you fucking go near her.”
Rhett still didn’t react.
Slade cringed like he was embarrassed by my outburst. “Rhett, can you give us a second?”
“Sure.” Rhett slid out of the booth and headed to the bathroom.
The second he was gone I rounded on Slade. “Who the fuck is this guy?”
“What do you mean?” Slade asked innocently.
“Why is he going after my wife? Who the fuck does he think he is?”
“Uh…last time I checked Skye wasn’t your wife. You got a divorce, remember?”
“I signed the papers but that doesn’t mean we’re divorced.”
“Well, Skye just told me the papers were filed so…you probably are divorced by now.”
Sean filed them? It was done?
“Dude, what’s going on? You said you didn’t want to be with Skye anymore so what does it matter if Rhett is into her? He’s a good guy. Like, one of the best. He owns an investment company and he’s a one-woman type of guy…he’s a catch. He’s just as good as you.”
That didn’t make me feel better. “Skye and I are still together.”
Both of his eyebrows rose. “You literally just told me there was no hope for you guys like two weeks ago. You said it was done and I needed to drop it. If you don’t want to be with her but you don’t want her to be with anyone else that’d be a really dick kind of move.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you saying?” he asked. “Rhett isn’t doing anything wrong. Skye is single. If he wants to ask her out, he can. I know they are working on investments together.”
“Wait, what?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”
“Skye invited him to work on the pension program at the company. It’s a new thing they are doing.”
She never told me that.
“My point is, what does it matter? I doubt Skye would go out with him anyway.”
That was true.
“But you need to lay off. If Rhett is into her, he’s not doing anything wrong. You have no right to give him shit for it.”
Everything was upside down. Slade and Skye used to fight for me but now they’d both given up. “What’s up with you two?”
“Two?” he asked. “I’m one so who’s two?”
“Skye. She didn’t talk about our relationship once last night.”
Slade avoided my look like he was trying to hide something.
“Slade, what did she say?”
“Nothing,” he lied.
“Tell me.” I leaned over the table and glared at him.
“It’s between she and I, man. She’s my cousin and Trinity’s best friend. That doesn’t mean I’m a lesser friend to you.”
“Tell me. Now.”
He sighed like he didn’t want to. “Fine…she’s over it.”
“Over what?”
“Over your relationship. She finally realized that it was really dead and she needed to move on. She’s not over you but she’s moving forward. She understands she’s just kicking a dead horse. Now she’s trying to focus on having a friendship with you, something that will last forever as you raise the baby together.” He watched my expression. “I thought this was a good thing?”
“I just…” I didn’t know what to say.
“You wanted this, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Then you should be happy right now. All the fighting is over and now you guys can hang out like you used to.” Slade watched me as he waited for a response. “This couldn’t have ended on better terms. Do you know how unheard of that is? You guys managed to pull through this divorce as friends.” He turned away when he saw Rhett returned from the bathroom. “Sorry about that earlier. Yes, Skye is single. You can go for her but I doubt you’ll get anywhere.”
“Whoa, hold on,” I said.
“Why not?” Rhett asked like he hadn’t heard me.
“She just got divorced,” Slade said. “I doubt she’s looking to date.”
“That’s true,” Rhett said.
“And why would you want to date a pregnant woman anyway?” Slade asked.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Rhett said. “She looks cute.”
What the fuck did he just say? “Go anywhere near her and I’ll kill you.”
Rhett turned my way. Like every other time he wasn’t afraid of me. “I think I figured it out…you’re the ex-husband?”
Slade shrugged. “I guess I should have told you before...”
“Stay away from her,” I threatened. “I mean it.”
“She told me what happened between you guys,” Rhett said. “You made it clear the relationship was over. So, I’m not doing anything wrong by asking her out. If you have a problem with it, I don’t really care.” He tossed his money on the table and walked out.
I watched him go, unsure what to do. My hands were balled into fists and I was shaking with anger.
Slade looked at anything but me.
“Why the hell did you bring him around?”
“What?” he asked defensively. “I didn’t know he was going to be into her. Why would he? She’s hideous.”
I gripped my skull in irritation. He was extremely attractive, tall, charming, and he was wealthy. He was every girl’s dream guy.
“And who cares if he’s into her? She’s single and can do whatever she wants.” His eyes narrowed on my face. “You can’t have it both ways, Cayson. You can’t leave but expect her to be off limits. That’s not cool.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Everything was happening so fast. She was already being picked up on by other guys. She still wore her wedding ring but they didn’t seem to care.
“I can’t see her going out with him,” Slade said.
“Yeah?” Hope was in my heart.
“It’s too soon. She’ll wait a while before she starts dating again.”
Would she wait long enough for me to accept it? Or would I never accept it?
***
I couldn’t stop thinking about Rhett.
Not only was he charming and good-looking but he wasn’t a pussy. When I told him to back off, he didn’t run in fear. He stood up to me without blinking. Skye obviously told him everything that happened between us, so he probably thought I was an asshole that didn’t want her to be happy.
Was I an asshole?
I didn’t want him anywhere near Skye, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I said I didn’t want us to be together so I really had no control over what she did and who she spent time with.
But I knew she would never be with him no matter how hard he pressed. It was too soon and still loved me. Despite what happened between us, I knew how she felt about me.
But that didn’t make me feel any better.
***
I used to go to lunch with Skye all the time but now I went alone. Sometimes I went with Slade but he was usually with Trinity. Now I got food and sat alone, thinking about all the things I had to do before I went back to the office.
That day I walked into Mega Shake, secretly hoping I would see Skye having lunch there with Conrad or her father. When I walked inside, my heart skipped a beat when I saw her.
She was sitting in a booth but she wasn’t alone. Rhett was there.
This guy literally came out of nowhere but now he wouldn’t just go away.
Neither one of them noticed me so I watched them together.
Skye bust up laughing over something he said. Water came out of her nose and she quickly wiped it away with a napkin.
Rhett laughed at her reaction and didn’t try to hide it. “I make you laugh so easily.”
“I’m easily amused.” She wiped herself up before she scrunched the napkins into balls.
I stared at them and couldn’t move. Skye looked happy. I hadn’t seen her laugh like that for a long time. It was like nothing happened between us at all. She shed her tears then finally moved on.
I felt like a ghost.
“You want to go to the movies tonight?” Rhett asked.
“Uh…I should probably stay in tonight.”
“Being pregnant must be exhausting.”
“You have no idea…”
She turned him down, which made me feel better. But I knew she wouldn’t always turn him down. Without thinking, I walked to their table. I had no idea why I did it because I had no idea what I would say when I got there.
They both looked at me silently, like neither one of them knew what to say.
Skye stared at me then averted her gaze like she was uncomfortable being seen with Rhett.
Rhett rested one arm over the back of the booth. “What’s up, Cayson? Skye and I were just getting some lunch after working all day.”
“Working?” I asked.
“Rhett is helping me with an investment program,” Skye explained. “We thought we would get lunch afterwards.” She had a guilty look on her face like she didn’t want me to think their lunch date was anything but friendly.
“Oh…” I didn’t know what else to say.
“You want to join us?” Skye asked.
Rhett eyed his watch. “We should probably get back. We have a lot of stuff to do.”
“I guess so,” Skye admitted.
They both got out of the booths, Skye’s stomach bulging and swollen.
“Well, I’ll see you later.” Skye didn’t make a move to touch me or embrace me. She walked out with Rhett beside her.
I watched them walk past the windows. The second I couldn’t hear their conversation they started talking again. Skye laughed at something Rhett said, and he smiled like he was having the time of his life.
It was like I didn’t exist.
***
I lay on the couch and stared at the ceiling. All the lights were off in my apartment and I absorbed the night like I was nocturnal. Life went on around me. People went out and did fun things. Some people went out to the bars or hit the clubs. Some people went on dates.
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I just stayed in my apartment.
The anger I felt for Skye had faded. Actually, it disappeared entirely. The second I saw her talking to Rhett it seemed to go away. Ever since it never came back. All I felt was jealousy, pain…and fear.
What if they continued to hit it off? What if Skye started dating him? What if she fell in love with him? What if they had kids and moved into my old house in Connecticut?
We’d been separated for two months, and that didn’t seem like a long time to me. But maybe it was a long time for her. Since I pushed her away maybe she would take comfort in someone else. What if she slept with him to get over me, but in the process fell in love with him?
What if they got married?
The idea made my heart pound. Fear gripped me by the throat and never loosened its hold. What would I do? Spend the rest of my life alone while I watched the love of my life move on with a pretty boy? Sean would like him. He probably already met him. What if he liked Rhett more than me?
Doubt filled my mind as I sat in the darkness of my apartment. Did I make the right decision? Did I do the right thing? Or did I make the biggest mistake of my life?
Chapter Eight
Slade
After I got off work I entered my penthouse. The place was sterile like it usually was because Trinity kept the place sparkling clean. I could eat off the floor because she did such a good job. She cleaned our old apartment, but now it was on a new level. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey.” Instead of cooking in the kitchen she was sitting at the table with magazines spread out everywhere.
“Want to eat out tonight?”
“Maybe,” she said. “We have a doctors appointment today.”
“We do?” I didn’t remember that. I finally stopped thinking about my infertility. We had a great weekend together and now the nightmare had returned.
“Yeah, we’re going to decide which option we should take.” She organized her stuff before she left the table. “It’ll be okay, Slade. This is the exciting part. Now we’re actually taking a step toward having a child.”
“I guess…” It was a positive way of thinking.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a slow kiss. “Don’t you think Ward Jr. is cute?”
“He’s damn cute.”
“And pretty soon we’ll have that for ourselves. This is a happy moment, not a sad one.”