by Toni Aleo
Moving his nose against hers playfully, he smiled. “Wow, are you feeling okay? Did you hear what you said? ’Cause I heard you actually like that I want to help and be there for you.”
Meeting his gaze with a dry look, she rolled her eyes as the buzzer sounded from the microwave. “Way to go, ruin the moment.”
When she tried to pull away, his hand came to the back of her head, holding her in place as he grinned widely at her. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to work, and since my boyfriend likes to tease me, I’m going back to my office. With my food.”
“You mean my food,” he corrected and she grinned as he kissed her nose. “And also, have I told you I really like when you say boyfriend? It gives me this little girlie feeling in my gut.”
Grinning as she pulled back, she nodded. “Well, you are the girl, so it makes sense.” As he glared, she shot him a wink before turning to go to the door. “See ya, hot stuff.”
“I’ll text you when I have Angie.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again,” she said, heading out the back door, but then she paused before shutting it. “And don’t worry about Rick. I can handle him.”
Looking back at her from the microwave, he shook his head. “It isn’t that I don’t think you can handle him, babe. It’s that you shouldn’t have to. That is what makes me mad and makes me want to tear him to pieces. You don’t deserve that shit.”
She smiled. “I know.”
He nodded slowly, taking a bite of his pie. “Go to work before I take you upstairs.”
She feigned shock before shaking her head. “Oh, no way, I’ll never leave!”
“That’s the point,” he called as she shut the glass-paneled door. Holding his gaze, she turned her lips up as she waved and he grinned back. She headed for her office, not even wanting to go. She’d much rather go upstairs with Benji, lie with him, but she had things to do and she was sure he did too. With a little pep in her step as she inhaled her potpie, she closed the distance between his house and her office and realized she was smiling. For no damn reason but that Benji just made her happy.
It was odd, having someone who cared about her enough not to want her to be disrespected by anyone. Of course, her family didn’t want that, but they were supposed to feel that way. She was their blood, but Benji had no ties to her. No reason other than he wanted to, and that just filled her with all kinds of feelings. To have someone want to be there. To offer to help and know they weren’t put out by it. That they genuinely wanted to provide assistance, to make things easier, was really nice. And man, he loved Angie. He was just…he was just perfect and, God, that scared her to the core.
Because nobody that good existed.
Or at least, they didn’t for Lucy.
It was sad, but she was just waiting. She knew it would happen, that moment when it would be too much—dealing with Rick, dealing with the fact that she had a kid and that Angie came first—and Benji would say to hell with it. A part of her wasn’t even sure she was worth it. She was snarky, she was bitchy, but then, with him, she wasn’t. Or at least, she wasn’t that bad, mostly. But she knew he would run the other way sooner rather than later. For that reason, she was sure, she was hiding her heart. That was the main reason she held back from moving in with him even when it made so much sense and felt right. No, she had to be careful. Because as much as she wanted this to be forever, she was pretty sure it was only temporary.
And that made her smile disappear.
Pushing aside her worries because she needed to work, she headed through her office that was completely set up and beautiful. Benji had done an excellent job, and as Rayne sat behind her desk, a grin on her face as she worked, Lucy felt complete. She always wanted somewhere for her office that would feel like home. The little guesthouse that was now her office was home. It felt right. Just as Benji did. But she couldn’t think of that right now.
No, she had work to do.
And she had to call Rick in an hour.
Deciding she really didn’t want to do that, she tried to text him one more time.
Lucy: Are you meeting me at the rink to get Angie? She’ll be done by six thirty.
To her surprise, he actually answered.
Rick: That’s fine.
That’s fine?
Nothing was ever fine with Rick.
As uneasiness filled her stomach, she considered texting him back. But what would that do? Nothing. It would be a waste of time, or worse, it would turn into a fight. Instead, she put her phone to the side, grabbed her scissors out of the wrong drawer, though it did make her smile, and got to work.
But the uneasiness never went away.
Especially when he got to the rink twenty minutes before he was supposed to. Her day was going so well; she had gotten a lot of work done, and Benji had hung with Angie before practice while she finished up. She hadn’t even worried. She knew Angie was good, and watching Benji say good-bye, promising he would see her before he left on Monday, did things to Lucy’s heart. It was a good day with the promise of a great night with his game and then having a late dinner with Jayden and Baylor.
She was excited, but one glance at Rick’s face and she knew he was about to ruin her day.
He came toward her, and she held her breath as she tucked her hands into her pockets, her breath quickening as she tried to act unaffected. When he sat down, he leaned on his legs, looking out at the ice. Exhaling a breath while he shook his head, he didn’t look at her as he said, “This really is a dumb sport. She’s a girl—she needs to do girl shit.”
Biting her top lip, she clenched her fists as she watched Angie shoot, making the goal. Shea tapped her on the head and she beamed before going to the back of the line. “She loves it. Whatever makes her happy, makes me happy.”
“Whatever,” he said, leaning back, his eyes still on the ice. “My lawyer contacted your dad.”
“I know.”
“Your dad, ever so nicely, told him to fuck off.”
Nerves ate her alive as she nodded. “I know.”
His neck started to get red but she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to just agree to something she knew would jeopardize Angie. “I feel we should do the smart thing and settle things out of court,” he said.
“There is nothing to settle. Things are good the way they are.”
He finally looked at her, his brown eyes blazing as he glared. “I want more time with my daughter. Maybe then you won’t subject her to these men who do nothing but put thoughts in her head.”
She looked away, her face scrunching up. “You have two weekends a month to spend time with her. And who are these men?”
“Any man you bring around her. She’s starting to get mouthy, telling me to leave her alone, ignoring me and shit. That’s not right. I want more time with her so she knows who to respect. Why won’t you just give her to me?”
“Because I don’t believe you really want her. To make sure she knows who to respect? Rick, she is the most respectful, sweetest kid I know. Yeah, she’s wacky, but she’s very respectful.”
“She’s insane. Always bouncing around and being so damn loud.”
“Because she has ADHD. She can’t help it!”
He rolled his eyes. “There you go. With your shield of made-up diagnosis…ses,” he bit back and she glared.
“I’m not making up the diagnosis,” she corrected. “It’s the fucking truth. Maybe if you spent time with her, you’d realize what kind of kid she is. She tells me all she does is play with Nina when she’s at your house. That you don’t even really talk to her or deal with her, so I don’t believe you. And if she disrespects you, it’s because you don’t have the time for her that is needed to establish boundaries.”
“What?” he shouted. “You’re gonna believe a seven-year-old over an adult?”
Lucy shot him a guarded look. “Believe my child who doesn’t lie to me, who is a beautiful, God-loving child, over the man who cheated, lied, and smacked me around? Yeah, I think so.
”
He glared. “You are pathetic, you know that? You’re just trying to keep her from me because you know she loves me more.”
Lucy couldn’t help it, she laughed, shaking her head. This dude was delusional. Looking at him, she held his heated gaze and her eyes pleaded. “Do you know how much I wish that were true? How I wished she loved going to your house? Spending time with you? How much I wish she didn’t come home a different person because all you do is yell at her when she’s there? I want you to have a relationship with her. I’ve wanted that, no matter what, because I know what it did for me as a child to have my parents both love me. But you care about Heidi and Nina more than you do Angie.”
Her fairy-tale family ended when her dad cheated on her mom, but for a long time, Lucy loved the idea of love. Knew that she had two people behind her. Yeah, she was stubborn and did what she wanted. But she knew if she needed them, they were there. Both of them. All Angie had was Lucy…
And… Crap, was she really thinking this?
Benji.
Benji had been there more for Angie in the last three weeks than Rick had been in the last seven years.
She was going to hell for that thought.
Blistering with anger, he shook his head. “That’s not true at all! I don’t favor them.”
“Really? Why didn’t you say bye to Angie last weekend? She thought you weren’t here, and that hurt her.”
“That’s a lie. She saw me.”
“Apparently not. She asked me if you were here. I had to tell her you were because you didn’t go see her.”
He glared, his face flushing red as he spat out, “Because I was pissed at you.”
“And because you are pissed at me, you hurt her? How does that make sense? Our issues are our issues. Don’t let it bleed over to our child.”
“Well, if you weren’t such a bitch all the time, we wouldn’t have that problem.”
“Do you hear yourself? I shouldn’t matter—”
“Well, when you’re a shit mom and have your shit boyfriend try to cover for your crap, then, yeah, I’m gonna be mad.”
“That’s enough,” she roared, her body breaking into a heat rash from the anger bubbling in her soul. “You will not talk to me like that. I am a good mother. I love our daughter, and she’ll tell you that backward, sideways, and upside down. She loves me.”
“Oh, yeah, mother of the year,” he muttered, and she swore it was taking everything out of her not to beat his face.
But as she stared at the side of his head, she said, “Also, Benji has nothing to do with this. His concern is for our safety, the same way you wouldn’t let anyone talk to Heidi the way you talk to me.”
He scoffed. “Whatever, he’s a wannabe daddy. Trying to steal my daughter.”
“Are you serious? Benji would never. But, man, are you jealous, Rick? That I’m moving on? That Angie has a man to look up to?”
He scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t give two shits about you or him. And my daughter has someone. Me.”
That was a lie and they both knew it. He wanted to control Lucy, he wanted her to be submissive to him, and he hated that she never was. Never would be. He was so far from a father figure for Angie, it was sad. In some fucked-up part of her, Lucy had thought maybe he could change. But the more nonsense that fell out of his mouth, the more she knew her baby daddy was a big, steamy pile of shit.
“See, I disagree. Because if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t worry so much about my personal life and would only worry about how our daughter feels.”
“I don’t, and I do only care about that.”
“Then fix the problem. Make her feel welcome, and maybe I’ll consider your request. Maybe we can make it a four-day weekend. But not until Angie is comfortable.” She was trying to smooth things over. Trying to hold off because a custody battle was not what she wanted to get into with him. She wanted Angie to be happy. But the more and more she thought about it, the more she knew a custody battle was in her future. Because Rick was a lot of things, but he wasn’t one to back down from a fight.
Glancing over at him, she found he was fuming, his fists clenched. For a second, she worried he was about to hit her. She could see it in his eyes, that hatred she had seen before. But he looked away, almost growling as he seethed. “She is comfortable. If she isn’t, it’s your fault.”
“How?” she asked. “How in the world is that my fault?”
“’Cause you and your dumb family have turned her against me.”
“You are delusional.”
“It’s cool. I’m documenting it, and I will get my daughter back.”
“You never had her,” she said simply. Really, she knew she should just let it go, but like him, she wouldn’t back down either. Which was probably a big part of the problem. “This parenting plan has been in place since we split. Even in the beginning, when you told me you couldn’t keep Angie the whole weekend ’cause it was too much on you and Heidi with having Nina, I let it go. I didn’t demand my child support, I didn’t push her on you guys, I raised our child. When you decided you wanted to keep her the whole weekend, I allowed it, because it was the parenting plan. I didn’t ever complain; I let it be, especially when it took you two years to catch up on all the child support. I have been very understanding when I didn’t have to be, when I should have had your ass thrown in jail.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “Why are you bringing up the past? It’s over, and you weren’t as easy as you said. You constantly reminded me that you always had her, that you needed your money and shit. Don’t lie.”
“Are you serious? I never reminded you. I was good. I worked, I went to school, and I took care of Angie and me. I didn’t need you then, and I don’t need you now. I just want Angie to be happy, and for some reason, I think having you in her life will do that.”
She was starting to rethink that, though.
“You’re wrong. Angie needs me. Mom and me both say Angie would be better off with me and Heidi.”
Ah, his mom. The lovely Mrs. Hart. “Well, when your mom pushes Angie out of her twat, then she can have some say. But until then, we will follow the parenting plan.”
Shaking his head, he looked out at the ice once more and scoffed. “What, you get a boyfriend and you’re all high and mighty? All of a sudden you’re good?”
Don’t answer him. Ignore him, she begged herself but, yeah, it didn’t help. “I don’t need anyone. I’ve always been good on my own.”
“Whatever, you’re pathetic. You depend on your family for everything. Now you’ll do the same to him, and he’ll leave. No one can handle you.”
Motherfucker. Glaring, she sucked in a breath and stood up, her body shaking with rage. “I’ll get Angie.”
“Aw. Did I hurt your feelings? Oh, wait, you don’t have any.”
Ignoring him, she walked around the rink, waving at Angie to come on. Shea looked over at her and concern filled his face. Skating toward her, he opened the side door. “You okay?”
“Yeah, Angie’s dad is here. She’s gotta go. Every other Friday, it will be like this.”
He nodded slowly as Angie slipped past him. “See ya, Coach.”
“Bye, Hart, see ya tomorrow.”
She smiled as she nodded, heading toward the lobby to change. Looking back at Shea, Lucy smiled. “Bye, Shea.”
He looked from Lucy to Rick and shook his head. “Bye, see you tomorrow. Her game is at ten fifteen.”
He said it loud enough for Rick to hear it, but he was walking away, heading to the lobby. Nodding to Shea, she sent another wave and then followed Rick and Angie. When she entered the lobby, Angie was already almost done, putting all her stuff in her bag as Rick stood by, playing on his phone.
“Her game is at ten fifteen,” Lucy reminded him.
Without looking up, he said, “According to the parenting plan, I don’t have to bring her.”
Lucy’s brows rose as Angie’s eyes widened in protest, looking between her parents.
Holding her hand up to ward off Angie’s potential freak-out, she glared at Rick.
“Yes, but I would think you’d want to bring her since it’s something she enjoys.”
“We’ll see, but I have stuff planned tomorrow,” he snapped, looking up and glaring. “Let’s go, Angie.”
“But, Dad, I want—”
“I said, let’s go.” His voice was chilly, his body rigid as he looked away. Angie looked to Lucy, tears in her eyes, and Lucy’s heart started to jackhammer in her chest.
“Rick,” Lucy called when he started to walk away. “You guys will be here at nine thirty, right? If not, I’ll pick her up and bring her. She wants to come. This is important to her.”
“Whatever, Lucy. I said we’ll see. You’re the one who wants to follow the parenting plan.”
Fucking dick. “And I’m telling you she wants to come. This is important to her,” she stressed, but Rick just rolled his eyes.
“Let’s go, Angie.”
“But, Dad—”
“I won’t say it again, kid,” he reprimanded and Lucy snapped.
“Don’t take out your anger for me on her,” she yelled and Rick glared, shaking his head.
“Goodbye, Lucy. Let’s go, Angie.”
“Wait—”
“Wait?” he seethed. “For what? You trying to not let me take her? ’Cause we can call the cops.”
She scrunched up her face. “What the heck? I’m trying to talk to you!”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you. Now say bye to her so we can leave, Angie. Heidi and Nina are waiting.”
Angie looked to her mother, fear in her eyes, and Lucy’s heart dropped. This was such bullshit. “Hey, no worries, come here,” she said, bringing Angie into her arms. “I’ll see you in the morning. Call me if he can’t bring you. I’ll come get you. Okay?” Angie nodded, but she was on the verge of tears. “Hey, don’t worry. You’re good. Have fun, okay? Call me if you need anything.”
Rick let out a frustrated breath, and Lucy kissed Angie’s cheek hard. Lucy didn’t want to give Angie to him. She felt in her soul it was a bad idea, but she had no choice. She wanted him to honor the parenting plan, which meant she had to too. Kissing Angie once more, she hugged her and then let her go, even though Angie kept holding on to her.