I put the phone away when I get to my BMW SUV that I bought the week after I got here. It worked out that I sold the one I had in Columbus to another player. The drive home takes me no longer than six minutes, and when I put the key in the door and open it, I yell, “Honey, I’m home,” to the four empty walls.
I haven’t moved from Erika’s condo, only because it makes more sense to just stay put until the end of the season and then get a place. I sold the house I had in Columbus as is, so I have no furniture.
I carry my bag straight to my bedroom and dump it in the closet, walk to the bathroom, and turn on the shower. “Fuck, it’s good to be home,” I say when I step into the big shower and turn the jets on.
Once I step out, I don’t bother getting dressed. Instead, I slide into the bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. My eyes flicker open when my phone rings. My hand snatches it off the side table, and I see that it’s Cooper. “What happened to you don’t want to talk to me for a few days?”
“Very funny,” he says, and he’s huffing out. “I need a favor.”
I close my eyes. “Depends,” I say, throwing the covers off me and rubbing my face.
“Erika had an accident.” His voice is frantic. My heart picks up, and I’m already in the closet getting dressed.
“Is she okay?” I ask worriedly. “Where is she?”
“She’s fine. She got rear-ended on the highway,” he says, and I can hear crying in the background. “I have the baby, but I have to get to the hospital to be with her.”
“What do you need from me?” I ask, slipping on jeans and a shirt.
“Can you get Mia and Emma from school?” he asks, and I snatch my leather jacket and a baseball hat. “I already called the school, and Mia’s teacher is going to wait with them.”
“I’m walking out the door right now.” I grab my keys and slam the door behind me. “Text me the address.”
“Thank you,” he huffs out. “I owe you.”
I press the button to open the BMW door when I get in the garage. “Text me the garage code also.”
“I gave it to you fifteen times already,” he says, and I can hear him running around.
“Well, make it lucky sixteen and stop giving me a hard time. Hug Erika for me,” I say, disconnecting the phone and then waiting for his text. The address comes through within two seconds, and I put it in the GPS.
Parking in front of the school, I get out and walk up the long concrete pathway to the two brown doors. I pull one of them open and then come face-to-face with two more blue doors. I look over to see the secretary of the school waving at me as she buzzes me in. I walk in and turn to the right. “You must be here to get Mia and Emma,” she says to me, and I smile, showing her my ID.
“I am.” I smile at her, looking around.
“They are in the last classroom to the left. It’s a red door,” she says, holding out her hand toward the hallway.
Walking down the hallway, I see children’s artwork hanging outside of the classroom and a couple hanging down from the ceiling. I stop outside the red door and look inside and smile when I see Mia and Emma sitting at two desks. My eyes go to the teacher sitting with them, and I swear the earth shifts underneath my feet.
I stop mid-step, and she looks up at me. The woman who has been haunting my dreams for the past five months. The woman who is more beautiful than I even remember, the smile fills my face as I see her look up at me. Her eyes meet mine, and I whisper her name. “Jillian.”
She looks at me, the smile on her face freezing and then going away. In its place is a glare. “Uncle Michael!” Emma says, and I look at her as she runs to me and then hug her.
Lifting my eyes again, I see that Jillian is standing up, and she looks a lot different than she did the day I left her, and she said she was going to call me. She stands there with her hair in a ponytail wearing a tight white dress with black stripes across it and a belt under her boobs but on top of her pregnant belly. “What the hell?” comes out of my mouth.
Chapter 12
Jillian
It all happens in slow motion. It’s like one of those slow-motion car accidents that you see happening right in front of you, except you are the one driving the car. “Uncle Michael!” Emma shouts, and the smile on my face freezes. This can’t be happening. There is no way this would happen like this. When I look up, my eyes meet his.