And that made me realize how much I'd missed her. How much I still missed her, even after all this time. Even though she never showed up and kept a baby from me for years because she didn’t think I was good.
Something worse than dead chest reared up inside of me as I lay there with her afterward. The realization that I was still 100% obsessed, 100% addicted to this woman.
She lied to me about Bernice. I wasn’t bored at all. I just wanted more.
I still want more.
Okay, Griff, stop whining and go to work. I force myself out of bed, like I’ve done every morning since kicking her out.
And when that Death Buddha song “Count My Blessings” comes on the shower radio, I turn the fucking station.
Another one of my plans gets derailed that Wednesday. So far, Red and Olivia have been absent when I leave for work—on purpose, I’m pretty sure.
We’re not even married yet, and Red is playing that estranged-wife card like a pro. She and Olivia eat senior early bird early, so they’re always done with dinner by the time I get home from work. And if somebody told me they caught Red watching from the window to make sure I was gone before getting Olivia up for breakfast, I’d be like, “Man, I believe you.”
But today as I go downstairs, I catch a scent wafting into the foyer from the kitchen…a delicious and disturbingly familiar smell.
Unable to stop myself, I follow it—only to stop short when I see the scene in the kitchen.
Olivia’s wearing a school uniform, for some reason. And she and Red are sitting at the little table in the open-plan kitchen eating fried chicken and pancakes.
With my brother.
They’re laughing and talking, like they’ve known each other forever. But that comes to an abrupt halt when they look up to see me standing there.
“Hi, Dream Dad!” O2 chirps with a happy wave.
“Hi.” I barely manage to grit the word out before turning to my brother to ask, “What are you doing here?”
Geoff just smiles, like it’s a perfectly normal thing for him to visit me at my home. When it literally hasn’t happened even once since I moved to Vegas.
“Mom mentioned that Nora Benton was able to score O2 a last-minute placement at Frederick Academy, and today is her first day of school.”
I narrow my eyes. “It’s still August. I thought school wasn’t supposed to start until September—like, after Labor Day.”
Geoff and Red look at me like I'm an idiot. But Olivia shouts, “I know! They start school too early here. Before my birthday. I hate it.”
“Sugar pie, stop this. You’re going to love it,” Red tells her.
She’s great with kids. Probably great with all kids. I’ll admit I was fucking with her when I gave her a choice about a condom. I knew she’d choose it.
But what if she hadn’t? For the first time, I think beyond the wedding that will secure me the CEO position. And another kid…I can’t say I find the idea completely distasteful. I mean, we’re already in on one.
But then she holds up her pinky finger to Olivia and says, “Bet you Uncle Geoff and me won’t be able to get a word in when we pick you up from school.”
“Pinky bet!” Olivia agrees. She perks back up.
And I return to glaring at Geoff. “Why are you picking her up from school?”
Geoff smirks. “Mom said you hadn’t arranged a car for Bernice yet, for some reason, so I came by to offer her a ride to and from school.”
“Thank you again for this,” Red tells him. “We really appreciate it. I'm not sure what I would have done without you offering to drive.”
So I guess it’s on me to point out the obvious. “You could have asked me.”
Red has the nerve to look stunned. “Oh, I didn’t think you’d be up for that…I mean, usually you’re gone when we wake up, so I wasn’t sure what time you had to be at work. And we haven’t really talked about domestic responsibilities.”
“I can take her,” I say between clenched teeth. “And I can pick her up.”
“Well, then, it looks like I’m not needed,” Geoff says with another smirk—like I’m just amusing him to no end. “Good job, finally taking some responsibility, Griffin.”
I grind my teeth. These are times I miss being an anonymous Reaper. I’d give anything to put my fist through his mouth without any consequences.
I have to settle for “Bye, Geoff” and watching him hard as he wishes Olivia a good first day of school, then leaves.
Red does not offer me any fried chicken and pancakes after he goes. Just grabs her purse off the counter and says, “I suppose we should get going.”
“You don’t think I can handle drop-off by myself?” I ask her.
“Oh, I…”
Her inability to answer that question lets me know that’s exactly what she thinks.