“I have papers for you to sign. Let me in, Savannah.”
I hated confrontation and I hated being tough. It wasn’t in my nature. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. Just leave whatever it is at my door. I’ll buzz you in.”
Hitting the button, I adjusted my bra and shirt and held Sully tightly to me. I made sure my door was locked as I heard him bounding up the flight of stairs.
The knock made me jump.
“Savannah, open the door. I just want to talk to you.”
He didn’t sound angry, but I was still unnerved. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Sully was starting to fuss, having been cut short from his breakfast.
“Is that my son?” he asked. The knocking came again, and it was more like pounding this time. “Savannah. Open the fucking door. Please.”
Part of me wished Maddox was there. The other part of me was glad he wasn’t. I didn’t need a confrontation between the two of them. Besides, I wanted to be the one to handle the situation. Isla was calling me but I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure what was the right thing to do, but I had to do something. Process of elimination led me to the conclusion my best option was to make plans to talk to him on my terms.
“Adam, if you want, I can meet you at the coffee shop in a few hours, but I can’t open this door.” There was no way in hell I was jeopardizing Sully’s safety. Not happening. He could bang on that door all damn day. “Now you should leave before the neighbors call the cops on you. I’ll text you a time.” After I found a sitter for the baby.
He swore but he did say, “Fine. I’ll see you later, then.”
“Yes.” I wanted to walk a fine line between being polite so he didn’t flip out and not being nicer than he deserved. The sound of his voice, which I had once thought was so charming, made my stomach turn.
I waited until it sounded like he’d gone down the stairs before going to the door and looking out the peephole. The hallway appeared to be empty. I sagged against the metal door. I checked the camera downstairs and saw him leave.
Then I called Isla back as I opened the door to retrieve whatever he’d left. I juggled Sully on my hip.
“What the hell happened?”
“He said he had paperwork to give me. I didn’t let him in. It’s an envelope, kind of thick, but nothing sketchy.”
“Open it.”
I shut and locked the door and put Sully down on his mat with a shape-sorter toy.
It took me a second to pull out the paperwork and scan through it. “It’s some kind of one-time payout to me, then his request to terminate parental rights.”
“Wow. How do you feel about that?”
Everything. Nothing. “I honestly don’t know. I told him I’d meet him in a couple of hours. Can you watch Sully for me? Maddox is at his parents’ in Stroudsburg for the day.”
“I don’t understand why you need to meet him. Just sign the papers and be done with him. I mean he’s basically buying your silence. Giving you money so you’ll never bother him again.”
“I know.” I swallowed and looked at my son. “I don’t know if that’s better or worse than the guy who is in and out of a child’s life.”
“I don’t either.” She sighed. “Fine. I can watch Sully but only for an hour. I have to be at the restaurant at three today and you know what Saturday is like this time of year. I can’t be late.”
“I promise.”
“Please be careful. Meet him in public and maybe take some pepper spray with you.”
That made me roll my eyes. “He’s not going to attack me.” I didn’t think. “He didn’t even sound angry.”
Though he did refer to Sullivan as his son and that worried me. I hadn’t even realized he knew whether I’d had a boy or girl.
“I’ll see you in half an hour, give or take forty minutes depending on how the train is running.”
“Thanks, you’re the best.”