by Eden Finley
He broke out into a smile—the one that used to make me weak at the knees. It had no effect on me anymore. It hadn’t for a long time. “I want to hug you so bad right now, but I know that’ll be inappropriate.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Ah, there’s the Reece I remember. The whole time we were married, I don’t think you ever admitted to being wrong. Not once.”
“When we were married, I never thought I was wrong. It was never going to work out between us, was it? Why did we think it would?”
“We were teenagers. And hey, it wasn’t all bad.” He pointed to his ute where Cody was watching us through the window. “He’s a pretty awesome kid.”
“He is. We did good. And this is where I’m going to ask you for a favour.”
“Asking me to take Cody more is a favour to me, not you.”
“I don’t know when or what days or anything, but I’m going to need to get a job, so I might need help with afterschool pickups or maybe soccer on weekends. I don’t know yet, but I thought I’d give you a heads-up.”
“I’ll do anything you need me to. I can organise with work to go in earlier and get off earlier so I can pick him up from school. Whatever it is, we’ll work something out.”
“Thank you, Cole.”
He went to walk off but turned at the last second. “I know it’s not my place or anything, but what are you going to do about Spence? He’s going crazy because you’ve been avoiding him.”
It was true, I had been avoiding him. I’d seen him once in the last three weeks, and it was at pub night. He tried to talk to me, and I told him I’d call him when I was ready. I still wasn’t ready.
“I can’t. I have to get my shit together before I can deal with him.”
“You know he’s most likely this baby’s father. Don’t shut him out like you have me these last few years. He’s not me.”
“I know. I need to work out a few things before we can talk. I need a place to live and a job and—”
“Let him help you out. He’s more than capable.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dad,” Cody called out, getting impatient.
“Talk to Spence, okay? And let me know what you need from me.”
After my nod, Cole went to his car, while I went back inside.
Paige jumped out of the entryway as I entered, trying to hide the fact she heard everything.
“Eavesdrop much?” I didn’t mean to sound snappy.
“Eavesdropping’s got nothing on you.”
“True,” I mumbled. I went to walk away when she stepped in my path.
“Thank you. For apologising. About me and Cole.” She couldn’t have sounded more robotic if she tried. “I know it probably meant a lot to him.”
“Okay.”
She grunted. “Look, I’m never going to forgive you for cheating on my dad and breaking his heart, but like it or not, I’m going to be in your son’s life. I don’t want us to fight in front of Cody. I can be civil if you can.”
My phone in my back pocket pinged with a message. I ignored it.
As much as I didn’t want to have this conversation with Paige, I had to swallow my pride with her too.
“I meant it when I said I was sorry. I’m sorry for everything. Taking out my problems on you two was wrong. I’d be lying if I said I was happy about you two together, but it’s not my business anymore. If you’re good to Cody, we won’t have any issues.”
“I promise.”
My phone dinged again.
“I’ll let you get that,” Paige said and went into the living room.
I pulled my phone out of my back pocket as I walked back to the guest room.
Pip:
Come to pub night tonight? I’m so sick of hanging out with the boys. You do know how immature they all are, right?
Pip:
PLEASE.
Reece:
Hunter’s new girlfriend should be there. She’s a girl.
Pip:
She’s also Paige’s best friend. That’s WEIRD. Even weirder than the fact that our manwhorey manwhore of a friend has a GIRLFRIEND. I swear the world might be ending.
Reece:
I dunno if I’m ready to face Spence.
Pip:
*insert pouty face of your BFF who you love to death*
Reece:
Now who’s the immature one? But fine. I’ll come pick you up seeing as I can’t drink. Feel free to get super drunk and have sex with your super-hot male BFF.
Pip:
Not going to happen. The sex with Gage part. The getting drunk part? Hells yeah!
It was probably a good idea to go out for the night. Living with an ex—not a pleasant experience. Shocking revelation there, Reece.
When it’d seem Paul and I would find some solace, some common ground, or civility, the baby liked to remind us of my infidelity by spouting a round of morning sickness; it was almost as if the baby was saying “He’s not my daddy.”
Living with Paige had been no picnic either, but at least she’d practically been at Cole’s every night. Which made the idea of pub night sound even more appealing seeing as I could hear her and Paul talking in the living room right now.
I dressed quickly and applied light makeup but chose to suffer my thin lashes and colourless eyelids. Last time I went to pub night—six days after the wedding—I ended up having a breakdown in the ladies’ bathroom.
Now I just needed to make it to the garage without being spotted, and I’d be set free for the night. Not that I was a prisoner or anything, but I felt awkward in my own house.
It’s not your house anymore, I reminded myself.
“Going out,” I called out as I reached the internal door to the garage.
I didn’t get a response, and I didn’t care to search for one.
***
Because I made a quick escape after Pip messaged me, I picked her up early, and we were the first ones to arrive at the pub.
“I needed to get out. Thanks for making me do it,” I said as we sat down in our regular booth.
“Still no luck on the housing front?”
“Nada.”
“Job?”
“I had an interview last week. Totally blew it. They asked what I’d been doing since my last job five years ago. Apparently stay-at-home mum wasn’t an ideal answer for them. Especially when I said Cody was eight and in school for the past three years. They asked what type of retail experience I had, how I’d approach a customer, what I’d do to make sales, blah, blah, blah. I had to bite my tongue from saying ‘You’re a freaking newsagency. You sell newspapers, lotto tickets, and cigarettes. It’s not exactly a sales environment, is it?’ I bullshitted my way through it, but my answers were stiff. Who knew you needed X amount of experience to stand at a friggin’ counter and sell lottery tickets?”
“Ooh, you know what I saw the other day? People sell positive pregnancy tests on eBay. Twenty bucks a pop. Just pee on a heap of sticks and mail them out to desperate women trying to keep hold of their boyfriends. You could make a shit load.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at that. I don’t think I want to play with karma more than I already have. I’d like to say having nowhere to live, no job, and no money was karma kicking my ass for cheating on Paul, but who knows. It might only be the beginning.”
“You need a drink, and because you can’t have one, I’m gonna have to take one for the team.” She stood to go to the bar. “Want anything? Coke? A water?”
“Bottled water. Thanks.”
When she came back, she threw an empty shot glass down in front of me.
“What’s that for?”
She cracked open my bottle of water and filled the small glass. “Placebo therapy. Pretend it’s vodka. Or tequila.”
“That won’t work. You know that, right?”
“Humour me.”
Relenting, I threw the glass back and slammed the shot of water. “Hit me again,�
� I said with a laugh, holding the shot glass out.
She refilled it.
This time when I slammed it back, all laughter was gone when the glass was knocked out of my hand.
It smashed on the floor, breaking into a million tiny pieces. Much like my sanity of late.
“What the fuck, Reece?” Spencer growled from beside the booth. His face was red and his breathing erratic.
Pip reached across the table and pushed him away from me. “Calm down, caveman. It’s water. We were joking around.”
“Placebo therapy,” I muttered, realising it sounded even stupider when I said it.
A small smile played on his lips. “Was it working?”
“Not even close.” Although, for a brief second it made me forget about everything else, so maybe it wasn’t a complete loss.
Spencer sat in the booth next to me. “Are you ready to talk yet?”
I shook my head at the same time Pip said “Yes, she is.”
“Thanks for stating my feelings.”
“Okay, fine. You might not be ready, but you need to. I’m going to head to the bar. See if these puppies can get a free drink.” She grabbed at her boobs as she got up and left the booth.
“You’ve been avoiding me” was the first thing he said.
“Little bit,” I muttered.
“At least you’re honest. Cole told me you’re still staying at Paul’s.”
“For now. Just until I can find a place. Paul’s given me until the paternity results come in.”
“Paternity results? Doesn’t the baby have to be here for that?”
“In-vitro testing. He’s scheduled it for next week.”
His brows scrunched together. “That’s not risky for the baby?”
“I read up on it. It’s higher risk of miscarriage, but not so much to be concerned about it. It’s no different than if the baby needed testing for chromosomal issues.”
“But there’s still a risk. What if I say no?”
“I’m staying with Paul on the condition I do this. And I’ve looked. There’s nowhere for me to rent, and now I’m going to be homeless within the week unless by some miracle the baby is his.”
“Move in with me,” he blurted out.
“What?”
“Let’s say the baby is mine, which we both know is most likely. I want to be there for my kid. You need a place to live. I have a five-bedroom house. There’d be enough room for Cody and for the baby. And then my child will be under my roof even if we aren’t together. I mean, we’re still friends, right? I know ruining your wedding was a dick move, but I couldn’t sit by and let someone else be the father of my child.”
I let out a sigh. “I never actually thanked you for that.”
“Thanked me for being a dick?” He laughed. “That’s not what I was expecting.”
“I didn’t want to marry Paul. I tried to call it off so many times. Even to the point where I told him a few days beforehand that I couldn’t go through with it.”
He grimaced. “What happened?”
“He convinced me everything was going to be okay, and it’s what I needed to hear at the time.”
He winced as if that was a dig at him.
“I don’t mean you—”
“I get it. I didn’t exactly handle our situation well.”
“I don’t think either of us did,” I said quietly.
“So move in with me. Do you have another option?”
“I need to do this on my own. My parents were right. They said I’ve been reliant on someone else my entire life. I need to learn to stand on my own two feet, and I need to get a job and be a grownup. And yes, I totally realise I’m about nine years too late to start acting like an adult, but better late than never, right?”
He pursed his lips. “I get that. But it’s not like I’m offering you a free ride. I’d expect rent, split the utilities fifty-fifty—”
“That’s generous. Do you know how much water eight-year-old boys go through while showering? I swear Cody takes half an hour sometimes. I don’t want to know what it’ll be like when he becomes a teenager and starts … you know.” I shuddered.
He smiled. “Well, I’d feel like an asshole asking an eight-year-old to pay a third of the water bill. Fifty-fifty’s fine. Unless you’re still there when he’s a teenager. If he’s anything like I was, we may need to renegotiate.”
“Charming.” I laughed. “But I dunno …”
“How much can you afford for rent and bills?”
“Personal question much?” I asked.
“Uh, we’ve fucked, therefore there’s no such thing as personal questions anymore.”
“True. I guess.” When I told him my budget, he winced.
“That’s not a lot.”
“I know. I have no job.”
“Well, the way I see it, that’s only going to get you a one bedroom in this area or a run-down two bedroom in a dangerous neighbourhood.”
“Are you a real estate agent now?”
He ignored my snark. “So you’re going to have to go into share accommodation anyway, right? And who’s going to want to live with a single mother and her two kids? Sorry.”
“Don’t need to apologise. It’s the truth.”
“Seems like a simple answer here. I can help with Cody when you get a job. If you need me to pick him up from school or whatever. My work schedule is flexible.”
A twinge similar to swarming butterflies filled my stomach. “Thanks. But I’ve already spoken to Cole, and he said he could help with Cody more.”
He smiled wide. “That’s good. I know he wants more responsibility.”
“Yup. Look at me trying to be mature and get over my trust issues.”
“Is that why you needed the fake vodka?”
“Adulting is hard.”
“Ain’t that the truth. So, moving in?”
“I don’t want a handout. Paul’s already accused me of using him.”
“This isn’t a handout. I have a financial guy at work, and if you give me your income deets, he can work out a fair rate for rent and all that.”
God, this was a bad idea. A really bad idea. I wasn’t avoiding him because of everything that happened at the wedding. I’d been avoiding him because ever since we slept together, I hadn’t been able to think straight when it came to him. Forcing myself to not think about him was a good avoidance tactic, but that didn’t stop the stupid lady-boner dreams I kept having. They no longer consisted of reliving our night but depicted different scenarios where he’d do me over the hood of his car or on the table in front of everyone at pub night.
The table right in front of me.
And now I can’t stop staring at it.
Pregnancy equals weird sexy dreams, I reminded myself.
In terms of living arrangements, there wasn’t any other option that worked. “If the baby’s yours, I’ll move in.”
9
SPENCER
“Got a sec?” Vic, my financial guy, said as he knocked on my open office door.
“Sit.” I gestured to the seat in front of my desk.
“Your girl’s budget? Totally screwed.”
“She’s not my girl … but it’s that bad?”
He put a manila folder on my desk. It had a single sheet inside it. “Most of her expenses are necessities. There’s a few things she could get rid of—especially if she sells off all the stuff in her storage unit, but I’m also assuming that’s her furniture which she’d need in the future. I’m guessing the kid’s extracurricular activities are untouchables? He does soccer, music, and swimming. Surely one of them could go? They don’t cost a lot, but ditching one would pay for the storage unit.”
I shook my head. “Not touching Cody’s lessons. All I need to know is what would be fair to charge her to rent two bedrooms in my house.”
“Fair? Fair would be to give her the rooms. She’ll never get on her feet the way she’s going. And isn’t that the point of her moving in with you?”
“S
he won’t let me give her a free ride. She was adamant about that.”
“If you charge her rent, she’ll be living with you forever.”
I didn’t tell him I wasn’t opposed to that idea. The whole situation wasn’t explained to Vic—not the baby part, at least. I told him I was helping out a friend.
The truth was I was kicking myself for offering it to her. I wanted to live with my kid, there was no doubt about that, but live with Reece? We were going to share a kid and now living space. The girl I’d had a thing for since high school.
I’m so fucked.
It was too late now though. We’d made a deal. All we were waiting on was the test results of the in-vitro testing.
“So what do you suggest?” I asked.
“Well, my thought was if you want to help this girl, you could hire her to work here.”
“But we don’t need any staff right now.”
“There’s enough room in the budget for another part-timer. Put her in tech support. She’d only need to learn the basics of the program, and then pass on the bigger issues to the software guys. That’s what the others do when they don’t know something.”
“So you’re saying I should basically give her a free pass but disguise it as a job. She’ll hate me if she ever found that out.”
“You’re doing her a favour. If she hates you for it, that’s on her.”
I groaned. “I dunno if I could live and work with her. It’s like asking for a disaster.”
“Give her three of the late shifts from four ’til ten during the week and a Saturday morning shift. That way you’ll hardly see her at work or at home. Win-win. Working part-time instead of full-time will also mean she’ll still get most of her single parent payment, so she’ll have a full-time income.”
“There’s no other way?”
“If throwing money at her isn’t an option, and she’s a stubborn woman who wants to do it on her own, it’s the only way.”
“Thanks, Vic.”
“No problem, boss.”
“Ah, shit. Trevor got to you, didn’t he?”
Vic laughed. “He told me he’d give me ten bucks if I called you boss.”