His admission that he doesn’t deserve it might just be what does it for me. I hand him my car keys. “Our bags are in the trunk.”
He smiles and stands. I walk into the living room and sit on the floor with Jackson, who plays with some toy cars.
“Hey, Jackson.” He looks up at me. “We’re spending Christmas here with your dad. What do you think about that?”
Jackson frowns. “What about Mr. EJ and Bree?”
“They’re spending Christmas with his family. We’ll see them in a few days.”
He nods, glances down at his toy, and then looks at me. “But there’s no tree here.”
“I brought ours.” There was no way my boy would be spending Christmas without us carrying out our usual traditions. “It’ll be Christmas as usual, but here and with your dad.”
“Okay.”
Once Henry brings our things in, we get our tiny tree set up and decorated. Jackson frowns once it’s done. Apparently, it’s not as pretty as the one we did with Mr. EJ. Being here in Henry’s house and with Henry is just as awkward and uncomfortable as I imagine it would be back at Elias’s house.
What’s worse is around three thirty in the morning, I’m still awake and lying in his spare bedroom next to Jackson. My phone vibrates on the nightstand just like I was hoping it wouldn’t.
Elias: I thought you weren’t leaving until tomorrow? Mom said you bolted the second you got back from Sylvia’s.
Me: Change of plans, sorry. We made it here safe and sound. Enjoy the time with your family. We’ll see you soon.
Elias: I was hoping to see you before you left. It actually feels weird for you and Jackson not to be here.
Elias: Have fun with your friend and let me know how it goes with Henry.
Me: I will.
I hate texting him. Over video or calling is so much easier. I feel like we actually talk that way. It’s worse now when I’m lying to him over something I’m sure he’d hate that I’m lying about. This is not how I expand my world. But maybe it’s working out since Jackson will spend more time with his father? Jackson allows for his world to expand far faster than I will. If anything will be my downfall in life, it’ll be my inability to do this.
“Raelynn said she was going to stay with a friend?” Mom questions for the fifth time today.
“Ma, why do you keep asking me that?” She’s really irritating me, especially since I don’t think that’s where Raelynn is.
“Follow me.” She stands and I have no choice but to follow her up to Raelynn’s room, which is where my parents are currently staying. She picks up a piece of paper from the dresser and hands it to me. “I found it on the floor when we were going to bed last night.”
It’s an email confirming hotel reservations. What the fuck? Why would Raelynn need a hotel if she’s staying with a friend? I knew something was up. The paper crinkles in my hand. “Can you watch Bree for me?”
“Yes, of course.”
I swivel on my heels and leave for the hotel. This isn’t right. Raelynn shouldn’t be spending Christmas in a hotel room when she could be staying here. I need to talk to her. But when I get to the hotel, they eventually tell me that those reservations were canceled this morning.
This morning!
So where the fuck is Raelynn?
Where would she go?
My stomach sinks. There’s only one other person in Raleigh. With my gut in knots, I put Henry’s address into my phone’s GPS and drive over there. When Raelynn got Henry’s address, she gave it to me, just in case I ever needed it, and boy is today one of those days. The nausea causes my knuckles to whiten as I g
rip the steering wheel when I see Raelynn’s car in his driveway. Sure, she could be here to let Jackson see Henry, but my gut tells me that’s not the only reason she’s here.
With a deep breath, I make my way to his front door. I knock and I wait. Henry answers the door.
“I need to speak to Raelynn,” I say before he can utter a word.
Jackson sees me first. “Mr. EJ!” he shouts, running toward me. “Are we going home?”