Sin City Baby

ne, they should be your partner. They should be your everything. They should be the one person who gets all your attention and time, above all else.”

“It's more about romance than you'd like to admit,” she said.

She leaned in as if to kiss me again, and I didn't pull back. Her lips brushed my cheek, followed by her hand. She stroked my face and gave me a sweet, but sad smile.

“You really are a good man, Gabe,” she said. “I really hope you find your partner one day soon. You deserve it.”

A lump formed in my throat, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. She stepped out of the car and then opened the back door. Without her asking for help, I jumped out and offered to carry Grayson inside for her, which she graciously accepted. She carried his car seat, and we walked side-by-side into the house.

Grayson rested in my arms and weighed nothing at all. His eyes didn't even flutter open as I carried him. He was out like a light. Holding him in my arms caused a tightness in my chest, a pain deep inside me. I so badly wanted this life for myself, I thought. A beautiful wife, a beautiful child – I wanted it.

Hadley was right about one thing – I wanted to find my partner in life. My person. But deep down, I knew that there was only one person I wanted to spend my life with. There was only one partner who'd fit the bill for me. She was standing right next to me.

We entered the house, and Hadley instructed me to lay him down on the couch.

“He'll only be out for a little longer anyway,” she said.

I gently laid my best friend's son down on the couch, brushing the hair from his face. God, he was so beautiful. Everything about the little guy filled my heart with such joy.

“I'll see you tonight, right?” Hadley said as I was about to leave.

“Of course,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my face. “I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

EVAN

I drove around for a bit after leaving the cafe. My mind was spinning in a million different directions and I was having a hard time keeping up. Seeing Rebecca again always did that to me – especially when she acted so normal. When she acted like a sane, decent person, part of me wanted to believe we could work everything out. That everything between us could be okay again.

Thoughts I knew were absolutely stupid and only reinforced the notion that I was a goddamn hopeless romantic.

She'd texted me after she left, but her message remained unopened on my phone. Gabe was right, she was bad for me. Deep down, I knew it. She'd done horrible things to me. She'd used me. Cheated on me. She was a horrible human being, and yet, there I was, still yearning for her. Not because I still loved her, but because I missed what we used to have. The facade of a relationship, the life we were building together. I missed the idea of a relationship, more than anything.

I didn't just lose my girlfriend when we'd split up though. I'd lost my dream house, the kids we'd planned for – I'd lost everything. There were so many questions still left unanswered, and I wasn't sure I'd ever know the entire story. All I knew with certainty, was that Rebecca had cheated on me – countless times – and she didn't even seem remorseful about it.

I pulled up to the house about half an hour after I left the cafe. The For Sale sign was still sitting out front, and there was another at the end of the long driveway. We hadn't had offers yet, but the house had been only on the market for a week now. Originally, I'd considered keeping it, but then I realized there was no way I could live there without her. We built the place together – her design ideas, my money and input. It was our place. Knowing that I would see her in the details every time I walked through the house, I knew I couldn't stay there.

Soon enough, it would be another family's place. Theirs to build their dreams in – those dreams being built upon the ashes of my own.

It was a nice two-story cabin situated right along the lake, and just outside of Castle Creek. Our nearest neighbor was across the lake, and we couldn't see any on either side of us thanks to the trees and the acreage. That was why I'd picked that plot of land. Privacy, nature, and the water. That was all I wanted in life besides a family to call my own.

I walked up the front steps to the wrap-around porch. The living room light was on, and I saw movement on the other side of the window. Great. She was home. As I approached the door, I heard music playing. Soft jazz. Rebecca's favorite. I had half a mind to knock, but then I decided against it. This was still my house, after all. She was merely living in it for now, until it sold. She was supposed to be out looking for a new place – along with a job – but as far as I could tell, neither search was going well.

Could be why she was trying to worm her way back into my life. Undoubtedly, that would have been Gabe's opinion on the matter. Not that I could say he was wrong about that.

I tried the door knob but found it was locked. I pulled my keys out of my pocket just as the lock was turned and the door opened. Rebecca stood on the other side smiling wide at me.

“Evan, baby, I'm glad you stopped by,” she said.

She reached for me and before I could move back, her arms were wrapped around my neck. She inhaled deeply, as if taking in my scent.

“God, I've missed you,” she said.

I wanted to tell her I missed her too, but as she held onto me, I realized that it would have been a lie. I missed what I thought we had – the lie I was living. But, I knew that Rebecca was a fake. A phony. Our relationship, a sham. I didn't miss the woman she really was, not anymore. Not now that I'd seen her for who and what she was.

“I just came by to pick up some more clothes,” I said, gently disentangling myself and pulling away from her embrace. “Remember that the realtor is stopping by on Tuesday to take some more pictures.”

“I know,” she said, her voice going flat. “She called me too.”