“It’s the right thing to do. ”
I let out the biggest, loudest, most sarcastic ha! I could manage. “The right thing to do? How is marrying someone you don’t even know the right thing to do?” My head spun as a dizzy feeling overwhelmed me.
“I won’t be like my parents. ” His voice faltered. “I have to be there for my kid. ”
My voice softened when I heard his pain. “Jack, you’ll never be like your parents. But you don’t have to marry some stranger to prove that. ” My lungs felt like they stopped functioning, and I forced myself to suck in a breath.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he repeated.
“You already said that. ” I started wondering who he was trying to convince. “Jack, no kid should grow up with two parents who don’t love each other, let alone even know each other. This isn’t right!”
“I’m sorry, Cass. I’m sorry I’m such a fuck-up. ” He sniffed.
“You’re not a fuck-up, Jack. But please, don’t do this. ” I begged for him to see reason. “It’s one thing to have a kid with someone, but it’s another thing to marry them. ”
“I already asked her,” he admitted reluctantly.
“What? Jack, no,” I said as the tears spilled. Breaking up was hard enough to deal with, but marrying someone else was truly putting the final nail in the coffin of us. “Have you talked to Marc and Ryan?” I asked through my desperation, assuming his agents would have the ability to talk logic into his clearly illogical mind.
“I have. ”
“And?” I practically shouted. “What did they say? I’m sure they told you not to do this. ”
“They pretty much said exactly that. ”
“Jack. If everyone is telling you the same thing,” my breath hitched, “we can’t all be wrong. ”
“It doesn’t matter. I refuse to continue the fucked-up cycle my parents started. We’re getting married in two weeks. ”
“Two weeks?” I could barely say the words aloud.
“Chrystle doesn’t want to be showing in the wedding pictures. ”
I hated her. Right when he made that statement, I felt pure hatred toward this strange girl. How was some random chick getting to marry the one guy I’d loved in my entire life?
“Kitten?”
“Don’t…call me that,” I said, my breath shaking.
“Cassie. ” His voice wavered. “I never meant for this to happen. I never imagined marrying someone who wasn’t you. ”
Resentment replaced the sadness coursing throughout my body. “How is that supposed to make me feel? Huh? You can’t say that to me! It’s not fair, Jack. I can barely get through the day without breaking down. ”
“I’m sorry, Cassie, but you’re not the only one hurting here. You’re not the only one who has to try to make it through each day. I lost us too, ya know?”
I felt the breath I was holding escape with a whoosh as I struggled for air. “I don’t know how to get over you. ”
“I’ll never get over you. ”
“Then don’t do this. Jack, please don’t marry her,” I pleaded, my voice breaking.
“I have to. ”
“You don’t have to!” I screamed into the phone and he didn’t respond.
Melissa barged into my room after hearing my raised voice, her face contorted in confusion and sympathy. I waved her over, not wanting her to leave, so she positioned herself next to me on the bed with her back leaning up against the wall.
“Do you still love me?” I asked him, squeezing my eyes shut.