“Have a good night,” I lied.
I wished she had an awful night. Maybe have a place on her foot that kept itching, keeping her up for long hours so she could think about what a prick she was.
The only thing that could make that call worse was…
The phone in my hand started to ring again, and I answered it and placed it back up to my ear.
“Yeah?” I asked without merriment.
“Hey, how’s the boy?” my brother asked.
“He’s been better,” I said, curious to what he was about to ask for.
“That’s great news,” he said, not listening to a thing I said.
Who said it was ‘great news’ that a kid had ‘been better?’
Certainly not me.
“What’s up?” I murmured.
“I got the kids’ things today. Would it be possible to get the receipts? The kids have moved up sizes and they won’t fit anymore.”
I snorted at my brother’s words. “Listen, bro. I got them a computer and a tablet. They’re not for sizes. They’re one size fits all.”
“Oh, I know. But they want those bigger ones,” he backpedaled.
I guess I should be impressed that he said he wanted a different size. At least he came up with a semi-plausible lie.
You know, if I hadn’t done the shopping for them myself and asked the kids what they wanted for Christmas.
What? Did they think I was stupid?
“When I called and talked to the kids last month, they told me exactly what they wanted from me. I got them both what they wanted. An iPad Pro, and a new Dell laptop.” I paused. “Exactly what they asked for. If they don’t like it, oh well,” I growled semi-snappishly.
“Oh, okay,” he mumbled. “Well, I guess they’re okay then. Thanks. Have a good night. Oh, and you played well in the last two games.”
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “You, too.”
There was no point in correcting him on the fact that I hadn’t played in the last two games to play well. They didn’t watch me play. They said they did, but they didn’t.
My Grams had also been the one to tell me that they don’t like baseball and that when asked to turn the games on when she’s down there, they refuse.
“Your brother and sister are assholes,” Wrigley’s angry voice came from behind me.
I looked up to find her standing in the doorway.
“Yeah,” I agreed sullenly. “They are.”
She studied my face for long moments. “Do you…will you stay the night?”
My heart started to gallop.
“Uhh,” I hesitated.
“Please?”
She hadn’t said that word to me in a really long time, and most assuredly hadn’t said anything in that tone. Like she was pleading with me with everything she had to give.
“I…”
“You can sleep in my bed.”
Like that would help.
“I…”
“I need you here, Georgie.”
I never was able to tell her no.
“I…”
“To be honest, I think I need you to hold me. I feel like my world has tipped on its axis, and the only thing that is right in it right now is you.”
“Okay.”
The blurted-out word was said so fast that she blinked.
“Are you okay?”
I grinned. “I was trying to say I’d love to, but you interrupted me ten times. I had to make sure I got the message across.”
She grinned, then stepped back.
“There’s a condition, though.”
My brows drew down as I looked at her in surprise. “What?”
“You have to give me your phone,” she answered.
I held the phone out to her, not even hesitating.
“It’s yours.”Chapter 18Leeches would be less invasive than you.
-Things not to say to your ex-husband’s family over text message
Wrigley
I tiptoed out of the room and moved as quietly as my stumbling, sleepy body could carry me.
I made it into Micah’s room and gave a sleepy smile when I saw George standing over his bed doing the same thing I was.
“He okay?”
George turned, having heard me, and nodded. “He’s fine. I came in to check on him. Made a whole lot of noise doing so, and then stood here to watch him. Did I wake you?”
“I had to pee,” I lied.
I didn’t have to pee. He’d woken me.
But I wanted to see what he was doing, so I’d gotten up and followed behind him when he took too long to come back.
The last two weeks, he’d been at my side, and I’d gotten used to him being there.
I’d forgotten in all our time apart just how much I liked him plastered against me.
Just the thought of him leaving earlier had sent me into a panic, and then before I could work up the courage to ask him to stay, he’d hightailed it out of my apartment like he had better places to go.
Then I’d gone to the door and opened it while he’d placed his head against the wall in the hallway, and I realized that he hadn’t wanted to leave any more than I wanted him to go.