She answered, her voice audible. “Yes?”
“I can keep Derek as long as you want, but I wanted to know if you’d like him back since I’ve had him all weekend.” He couldn’t control his tone, hide his annoyance. Now that he didn’t have to, he probably had no reason to keep his civility. He just got to the point of the conversation, keeping it short and simple.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Both of his eyebrows rose as she screamed over the phone. “Alright…I’ll keep him.”
“You assault my boyfriend in the fucking lobby?” she snapped. “I’ve wanted to rip Cleo’s eyes out once or twice, but I’ve never actually done it.”
She was a prime example of a toxic person, someone who was unable to have any kind of normal life. Everything was dramatic. Everything was chaos. If a situation was perfect, she sabotaged it.
“If he didn’t want me to kick his ass, he shouldn’t have spoken to me,” Deacon said calmly. “I won’t apologize for it. Couldn’t care less.”
“This is unacceptable, Deacon—”
“It’s over. I’m tired of you blaming every little thing on me. He provoked me by talking shit, which I’m sure he omitted from his version of the story, but I really don’t care anyway. We only talk about Derek from now. Text me when you want him back, and I’ll drop him off.”
“Deacon—”
He hung up.
I wanted to clap.
He shoved his phone into his pocket.
“That’s progress.”
“I never want to go to court with her and put Derek through that, but at least I have a chance if I have to. If she pushes me, I’ll do it. But I imagine she won’t. Hopefully, she focuses her energy on this new relationship and stops focusing on the one she had with me.”
I was really tired of Valerie’s presence in our relationship. If she didn’t exist, our lives would be so simple. It would be like staying at the cabin every single day. Just peaceful. No drama. No chaos. “Give it time.”
Derek stepped out of the hallway. “Were you talking to Mom?”
I turned to Deacon.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Do I have to go back?” Derek asked.
He shook his head. “No.”
Derek threw both hands in the air. “Yes!” Then he went back to his room.
Deacon sighed as he dragged his hand down his face. “I don’t want my son to hate his mother, but it’s her doing. So, whatever.”
“You tried…”
He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. “Honestly, I think you’re a better mother figure for him than she could ever be.” He leaned against the counter and twisted off the cap.
It was a great compliment, but it also made me sad, because that wasn’t how it should be. I had no experience…and I wasn’t his mother. But I loved him like my own, would give up my life to save his.
“And sometimes…” He let his words trail away. “Never mind.”
“You wonder if she even loves him…”
He bowed his head like he was ashamed of even thinking it.
“She tricked me into getting pregnant to control me, and now that she can’t use him to control me…I just worry how that relationship will be. Will he be useless to her? I have to believe she does love him, but it seems like he’s just a bargaining chip to her.”
I noticed those same things too. She was a mother, but she didn’t enjoy doing anything with him, taking him anywhere. All she cared about how she could use him to get to Deacon. It was such a terrible thing to think, and I didn’t want it to be true either. Derek deserved more than that.
He took another drink of his beer then set it down. “I have some work to do. Do you mind making dinner?”
I was surprised at the request because he never asked me to do anything. But it also felt really nice, to be viewed as an equal partner, to ask me for help when he needed it. “Sure. I’ll get Derek in his pajamas and brush his teeth afterward.”
“Thanks, baby.” He moved to me and kissed me on the corner of the mouth before he turned away. He grabbed another beer before he walked out of the kitchen and to the dining table. He pulled out his laptop and paperwork and got to work, like he wasn’t the least bit concerned about the responsibility he’d just given me. On his left wrist was the watch I gave him, a cheap contrast to the more expensive things he usually wore, but he still wore it proudly…and that meant the world to me.
Five
Cleo
I worked at my desk in the lobby, my earbuds in my ears so I could take phone calls while continuing to work.
When someone approached my desk, I lifted my eyes.
And I saw Jake standing there, his face still bruised even though more than a week had passed since he’d initially gotten his injury.