The Right Way

by Katie Ashey

  The breath wheezed from my lungs like I’d been taken down on the field by a giant linebacker. Another man being Evie’s father? No. Fucking. Way. No one would ever be good enough for Evie . . . no one but me. I’m her blood. I brought her into the world.

  Although my initial focus was on Evie, the same could be said of Presley. No man would ever be good enough for her in my eyes. After everything she’d been through, she deserved the very best. In my own self-deprecation, I wasn’t entirely sure I was that person, but I knew I’d be hard pressed to find anyone else.

  Swallowing hard, I started back to the living room. When I got to the doorway, I hung back. For a moment, I just stood there, staring at Presley and Evie. No one else was talking to them at the moment—it was just the two of them in a perfect little mother/daughter moment.

  Warmth flooded my chest at the sight of Presley holding Evie up and letting her stand. I didn’t know what she was saying to her, but they were both giggling. From time to time, Presley would draw Evie close to her and smack a quick kiss on one of her cheeks.

  A year ago I would’ve thought a scene like this was impossible. Presley Patterson was a party girl who didn’t care for anyone other than herself. Well, except for Jake. Now she was a loving, caring mother who looked out not only for Evie, but for all of us. I never wanted her to be looking out for another guy and his family. Like a selfish bastard, I wanted her all to myself.

  The moment was broken with the dinging of my phone. After digging it out of my pocket, I saw a text from Cade. Come home asap 2 party. We’ll take ur mind off shit.

  Although he didn’t have a future at Hallmark writing sympathy cards, it did make me feel good that Cade was looking out for me. I didn’t realize while I was reading the text, Presley had crossed the room to me.

  As my thumbs started flying over the letters on the keyboard, Presley leaned in. “Hmm, who are we so desperately texting?”

  “Cade.” Cocking her head, her expression told me she wasn’t buying it. “Don’t tell me you think I’m texting some girl?”

  She shrugged. “What you do in your private life is your business.”

  “Between spring practice, classes, and you and Evie, I don’t have time for a girl.”

  “You could make time.” She waggled her brows. “For you know.”

  “Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but there’s no time for ‘you know’ either.”

  Her mouth made a perfect o of surprise. After a moment, she busied herself with adjusting the bow in Evie’s hair that appeared to be perfectly straight. “I just imagined you made time.”

  “No, I don’t.” To prove myself, I held my phone out to her. “See? It’s just Cade.”

  Once she saw his name, she went back to readjusting the bow in Evie’s hair. “What does he want?”

  “He was checking in on me since he knew today would be tough.”

  “That’s sweet of him.”

  “He has his moments.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it,” she said wryly. Their first meeting at the apartment a few weeks back hadn’t gone as I’d hoped. With several people over, Cade didn’t know who Presley was, and he’d hit on her. Neither Presley nor I were thrilled with that.

  “Trust me. He grows on you.”

  “I’m surprised he wasn’t texting to say he wanted to take you to a strip club to get your mind off things.”

  Chuckling, I replied, “Actually, he did want to take me out tonight.” With a pointed look, I added, “But not to a strip club.”

  “Like a regular club?” Presley countered.

  “Potentially.”

  She grinned. “I should’ve known.”

  “It doesn’t matter where we would’ve been going because I told him no.”

  “Because you don’t feel like getting wasted and grinding up against a strange girl?”

  “Um, no, that’s not it at all.”

  “Then why didn’t you go?”

  “Because I wanted to stay here with you,” I answered honestly. When I realized my flub, I quickly added, “I mean, I wanted to stay here with you and Evie and my parents. Today just isn’t the day to go out on the town.

  “You choosing not to get drunk and party would’ve made Jake so proud.”

  “You think so?”

  Presley nodded. “It’s very fitting you would decide against it today of all days.”

  “Well, I might be saying no tonight, but that doesn’t mean I might not do it another night.”

  She tsked. “I’m sure Jake would not be pleased at that development.”

  I laughed. “What can I say? I’m a work in progress.”

  “I think we’ve both made great progress this past year.”

  “You’re right. We have. And Jake would be proud.”

  The strumming of a guitar brought my attention away from Presley. Noah sat in the center of the room with his guitar on his lap. As the familiar strings of Free Bird echoed through my ears, I felt a punch to the gut. Noah had played the song at Jake’s funeral. It had been Jake’s favorite. He always requested it wherever we went. Mom must’ve asked him to sing the song again.

  “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me,” Noah sang.

  Transfixed by the music, Evie remained frozen in Presley’s arms as she stared at Noah. “We might have a future musician on our hands,” I mused to Presley.

  “That one will be a leap since no one in her DNA has any musical ability.”

  “Whoa now. I think you forget that her uncle played drums in a band.”

  Tilting her head at me, she countered, “A garage band in high school.”

  So, she did remember. “Fine. We didn’t do any real gigs.”

  “Or play that well,” she mused. At my outrage, she grinned. “Come on, Jonathan. Your talent lies on the football field.”

  I guess she had a point. “Whatever.”

  “Noah sure is talented.”

  “Yeah, he is.”

  Sighing, Presley leaned into me. Although she was so close, it wasn’t enough. I wanted her whole body against me. Without stopping to think, I slipped my arm around her waist. As I drew her in, Presley didn’t protest. Instead, she rested her head against my chest as we listened to Noah sing. It felt . . . right. Like she was meant to be in my arms. Like we’d stand like this at future family events.

  Like she’s already mine.

  ***

  Due the events surrounding Jake’s Celebration of Life, I scheduled an emergency session with Ziegler. Just as I’d unburdened myself of everything that had transpired, he shot out of his chair and pointed at the door. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  As my mouth dropped to my chest, my brows shot up in the opposite direction. “Excuse me?

  Ziegler grinned. “You heard me.”

  “I was thinking maybe you had a stroke or something.” After rambling for the last half hour about my confusion over my feelings for Presley, Ziegler had risen out of his chair, pointed a finger at me, and uttered those words.

  Rolling his eyes, Ziegler said, “I know I seem ancient to you, but at thirty-five, I’m hardly old enough for a stroke.”

  I shrugged. “Then what’s your problem?”

  “My problem? You think I have a problem?” He swept his hands to his hips. “For the last three months, you have droned on and on about Presley. How it was disrespectful to Jake for you to have feelings for Presley, how your parents would be freaked out you would dare to think of Presley in any way other than a mother/sister.” Shaking his head, he added, “You even went so far as to throw in how it was even biblical you could not have a relationship with her, which I went to my rabbi about and—”

  “Yes, that Jibbum thing.”

  “It’s Yibbum.”

  “Whatever.” I’d felt slightly better when Ziegler’s rabbi told him about how in Deuteronomy it contradicted the scripture because it said the brother of a man had an obligation to marry the widow. Sure, Presley wasn’t Jake’s widow a
nd we weren’t Jewish, but it was close enough for me.

  “Although you’ve tried putting up argument after argument as to why you can’t date Presley, none of them outweigh your potential happiness as well as Presley’s.” When I started to protest, he held up a hand. “And let’s not forget the happiness of Evie.”

  I wanted to believe him. I wanted to think that starting a relationship with Presley wasn’t stepping off a cliff and free falling into oblivion. We’d known each other for years. We practically lived together. What was the worst that could happen?

  “We could have a brutal breakup after which she hated me and would never let me see Evie again,” I answered myself aloud.

  Dr. Z grunted. “Jonathan, you do know that by communicating openly with Presley you could forgo any alleged brutal breakups. The vast majority of problems in intimate relationships stem from communication issues.”

  “So, you think I should ask her out?”

  “Yessss,” he teasingly hissed.

  “And while we’re out, I should tell her how I feel?”

  “Totally. The only reason to abort the mission would be if she tells you she has a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Anything else is fair game.”

  “Why is it I feel like I have epically shitty odds for winning this game?”

  Jerking his thumb at the door, Ziegler said, “I want you to leave here and go straight home. I want you to ask her out to dinner or the movies or spelunking.”

  “What?”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “Great. When you have confirmation of a date, I want you to text me.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes. I’m sure you’re going to need talking down off the ledge once again.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You make me sound like a fucking head case.”

  Dr. Z grinned. “When it comes to Presley, you are.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  He slapped me on the back. “But don’t go thinking you’re special. You’re finally experiencing what every man does when he falls in love for the first time.” With a wink, he added, “I was in therapy twice a week during the month I was debating asking my wife to marry me. But I survived and so will you.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Z.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  Then I did what he had previously requested and got the fuck out of there. When I got outside, I saw a text from Cade reminding me of tomorrow night’s 80’s party at our fraternity. With Jake’s death and Evie’s birth, I hadn’t been as active in our fraternity. And then it hit me. I should ask Presley to the frat party. She could come into Atlanta and stay with me—well, I would be on the couch, and she could have my bedroom.

  That was it.

  Since we would need someone to watch Evie, I called my mom. Thankfully, she didn’t have any plans and was thrilled at the prospect of keeping Evie. I was grateful she didn’t ask too many questions. At the same time, she’d gotten used to Presley and me going out…as friends.

  But the closer I got to home, my resolve started to fade. Would you stop being such a pussy? It’s just a party. You’re not asking her to hook up or something even more extreme like marrying you.

  It went without saying how extremely detrimental this all was to a guy like me. I’d never in my life had an issue with asking a girl out. Even in those awkward middle school years, I manned up whenever there was a girl I liked. I was feeling completely emasculated by the issue with Presley.

  I pulled into the driveway and fought the urge to puke. As I started to open my door, I could almost hear Jake’s voice in my head. For fuck’s sake, Jon, she never was mine. Not really. Now get in there and make me proud.

  Tilting my head to the Jeep’s ceiling, I said, “I sure hope that was really you and not me officially losing my fucking mind.”

  With determination pulsing through my veins, I hopped out of the Jeep. When I swept through the back door, I found Presley alone in the kitchen. Throwing up a hand, I lamely said, “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself. Sorry, I thought you were Evelyn. I thought you said you were staying in the city this weekend?”

  “I was. I mean, I am. I just came for the night.”

  She quirked her brows at me. “Let me guess. You’re experiencing your usual Evie withdrawals.”

  I grinned. “You know me too well.” After glancing around the kitchen, I asked, “Speaking of, where’s E?”

  Jerking her chin at the monitor on the counter, she replied, “She went down for her nap about an hour ago. She should be up soon for you to snuggle.”

  At the grainy image of Evie on the monitor, I couldn’t help but smile. She was in her new favorite sleeping position on her stomach with her little butt tucked in the air. Thankfully, she was old enough now we didn’t need to worry about it.

  “So, um, how are things going for you?”

  Presley glanced up from the bowl she was stirring some mysterious concoction in. “Did you ask me how things were going?”

  With a shrug, I replied, “Yeah.”

  Laughing, she said, “Considering we just texted last night, I have to ask if you’re feeling all right?”

  Not exactly. You see I’m out of my fucking mind right now because I’m teetering dangerously close to the edge of the line we seem to have drawn between us. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t seem fine.”

  “You know I’d never come around Evie if I thought I was sick.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t mean there’s something physically wrong with you. It’s more that you’re acting like something is wrong.”

  Damn. She really did know me. Since she was on to me, I figured it was now or never to take the free fall over the cliff. “Fine. I came home because there was something I wanted to ask you.”

  Her hands froze in stirring. “There is?”

  I nodded. “With work and Evie, I know you don’t get out of the house much to socialize.”

  “Wow, way to make me sound like a loser without a life,” she teased.

  Shit. This was not going the way I’d planned it out in my mind. “You’re far from a loser, and you know it.”

  “Maybe. I do have my moments where I feel like the oldest nineteen-year-old on the planet.”

  And bingo! There was my in. “Right. I can imagine you do. That’s why I wanted to ask you to my frat’s 80’s party tomorrow night.”

  Presley’s blue eyes bulged. “You want me to go to a party with you?”

  Trying to play it cool, I shrugged nonchalantly. “Why not?”

  Her expression told me she could think of many reasons why it wasn’t a good idea. But thankfully, she didn’t voice those. “I haven’t been to a party in forever.”

  “Then there’s no time like the present.”

  “What about Evie?”

  “Mom said she would watch her.”

  “You already asked Evelyn?”

  “I just ran a possible babysitting scenario by her.” At her questioning look, I added, “Like I didn’t want to ask you and then you not be able to go.”

  Presley nibbled on her lip. “Did you tell her it was to a frat party?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “I’m surprised she said yes.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “She knows how much I wanted to turn my life around.” She shot me a pointed look. “I’m not the old Presley who got wasted at parties and ended up in one of the bedrooms with Jake or some other hot jock.”

  “Mom knows that. And so do I.”

  “Then why are you asking me to a frat party?”

  Fuck me. With all the anxiety shit that had played out in my head, this was not a scenario I’d anticipated. I jerked a nervous hand through my hair. “Because I thought it would be something fun to get you out of the house. You know, something that other girls your age were doing.” When Presley still remained chewing her lip, I said, “I’m sorry. I thought wrong.
We can totally do our usual.”

  I started to head for the fridge when Presley grabbed my arm. “The truth is I really want to go.”

  “Really?”

  She ducked her head. “Yeah. I do.”

  “Then why in the hell are you busting my balls about it?” I teasingly asked.

  “Because I feel guilty,” she murmured.

  “You feel guilty because you want to go to the party?”

  She nodded. “I’m supposed to be this new and improved Presley. I shouldn’t want to go a party. Like the very idea should be revolting.”

  “Just because you’ve changed, it doesn’t mean you’re dead.”

  Cutting her eyes away from me, she whispered, “I’m also afraid.”

  It immediately hit me what she was alluding to. “You think if you go to one party and have a drink, you’ll be falling off the wagon of your new self.”

  She jerked her gaze back to mine. “Exactly.”

  Fuck me. How could I have been so stupid? I was so hell bent on asking her out to tell her how I felt that I didn’t even stop to think what I was asking of her. “Now that I think about it, I can totally see your point. Because of that fact, I kinda feel like a jerk for asking you.”

  Presley shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t feel that way at all.”

  “It’s a sucky thing for a friend to do. I’ll text Cade and tell him we’re not coming.” When I started to reach for my phone, she knocked my hand away.

  “Don’t.”

  “But I—”

  “Don’t tell him we’re not coming.”

  I tilted my head at her. “Does that mean we are coming?”

  Although she still looked conflicted, Presley nodded. “Yeah, we are.”

  Hell yes. “Great.

  “In spite of what you think, frat parties aren’t all bad.”

  “From what I’ve seen they are.”

  “You’ve been to frat parties?”

  She gave me a withering look. “Come on, Jonathan. This is me we’re talking about. The first time I went I was sixteen.”

  With a whistle, I replied, “You were some of that dangerous, underage meat.”