Final Score: Part One (Game On 5)

“It’s the truth.”

“Okay.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

I shrugged. “What do you want me to say? Seems to me you came here expecting a fight not a conversation.”

“Can you blame me?”

“No. But wandering in here ready for a fight you could so easily have prevented isn’t making anything better.” He lowered his eyes, and I took a step towards him. “Look at me.”

I wasn’t sure what had prompted him to act this way but I needed him to connect with me. Needed him to look into my eyes and remember who he was talking to. That I was the same person he wanted to come home to yesterday, even though he was now acting like I was the one who had changed.

Radleigh raised his head and as our eyes connected, his gaze softened. Mission accomplished. For now, at least.

“What are we doing, Leah?” he asked with a sigh, pulling me to him and wrapping me up in his arms. “We can’t keep going like this. Both of us wanting me home but neither of us doing anything about it.”

I took in a long exhale of his freshly-showered scent. “I don’t think you’re ready. Yesterday, if you’d said you were coming home right then, I’d have let you. But last night only proved to me that you’re where you should be. The last thing on your mind should have been going out with Jen. And I’m not saying this in a flippant, you should be sitting around pining for me kind of way. If you needed someone to talk to, why her? Why not call Bryce, or talk to your parents, or just… anyone but her? It’s like all she has to do is flutter her eyelashes and you forget what it is you think you want. And… please don’t tell me you were talking about Jayden the whole night because I won’t believe it.”

He shook his head. “We weren’t. We talked about a lot of stuff. About the past, about her and Gary and you and me.”

His wistful tone sent an aching sensation through my body, running through my bloodstream to reach all my nerve endings and I took a slight step back from him, his touch suddenly too painful to handle.

“Let me guess. She thinks I’m a heartless bitch and she’d take care of you so much better.”

Radleigh shook his head. “That’s not fair. She’s never said anything like that.”

Of course not. That’s way too direct.

“What did she say?” I asked. “Do you know why she wants to move back here?”

“She says she was happiest here than she’s ever been anywhere. This is where she grew up. It’s where she wants the boys to grow up, but Gary is fighting hard for custody of Harley. Sole custody.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Why not joint custody? Is she such a bad mother that he doesn’t want her near his kid?”

The words left my mouth without me thinking. It wasn’t that I regretted what I’d said, but it suddenly occurred to me that if he and I split, he’d probably fight for custody of Jessica just to spite me. Just because he could.

“He doesn’t think she can handle two kids on her own,” Radleigh said, his thought process obviously not following mine. “He thinks she’s too selfish. And he doesn’t want her to take Harley away from him.”

Pausing, because this conversation was in no way beneficial to the question I needed to ask him, I said, “Just so I know… when will you see her again?”

“Tomorrow. She’s bringing Jayden to Mom and Dad’s after work.”

“And… will you be going out with her again?”

Radleigh’s body stiffened. “Yes, but with the kids, too. Not just her.”

Throwing my head back I sighed then turned away. I didn’t begrudge him time with Jayden at all, but the more he was seen with Jen, the more talk there would be about me and him, and whether we had really split up. Our PR team had made a statement that we were taking a break but the wedding was still going ahead, yet every time Radleigh was with her, it made us look weaker.

“Do you have to go out in public with her all the time?” I asked. I couldn’t judge my tone. I’d wanted to make it sound relaxed but I was certain it came out snappier than I planned.

“Well… I can’t expect my parents to cook dinner for her and the kids and she’s not exactly welcome at my parents’ place.”

“Fair point. But why not go to her hotel? At least once you’re inside, the press can’t get in.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Leah, if you found out I was leaving her hotel, you’d freak. Isn’t it better for me to be out with her?”

“It would be better if you weren’t with her at all, but I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t be happy to find out you’d been anywhere near her hotel.”