“You look like you’re still in a bad mood,” she stated.
“I’m not,” I snapped, scowling at her, which kind of proved her point.
“Right,” she said sarcastically, then shut her laptop and patted the cushion next to hers on the couch.
I sighed. “It’s been a long day, Maddy, and no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
As much as I loved my cousin, I wasn’t in the mood to rehash the past eight hours with her.
She removed her glasses. “Do you know what I’ve been hoping for?”
“What?” I mumbled, flopping down on the couch beside her.
She flashed a mischievous grin. “That one day, you’ll come home from work with a huge smile because you got back together with Anton.”
“Maddison, don’t start.”
“Okay, I know what will make you feel better.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “And what would that be?”
“A girls’ night out.” I groaned and stood up, intending to escape into my bedroom. But Maddison intercepted me, blocking my path. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“I’m too tired to have fun. Why don’t we do it tomorrow?”
“The only answer I'll accept isyes,” she stated firmly.
Realizing Maddison wasn’t giving up, I thought I’d done the same thing to her when she was in a funk before. The longer I argued with her, the longer it would be before we went out and then came back home.
“Fine. Where do you have in mind?”
She grinned. “It’s a surprise, honey.” She skipped back to her laptop. “Be ready in an hour.”
“Oh, no. If you want me to go out, then let’s go now. I just need to change into jeans. You have five minutes to get ready.”
She scrunched up her face and rolled her eyes but agreed. It ended up taking her fifteen minutes, which was much better than the full hour it would’ve been if I hadn't given her a deadline.
On the way to our mystery destination, Maddison spotted an ice cream truck and dragged me into the line. We each got plain vanilla cones. By the time I’d figured out where we were going, I was laughing.
At the amusement park, we walked around and chatted, and I was glad we came—though I didn’t admit it to Maddison. It might become her habit.
As we stood in line for the Ferris wheel, someone bumped into me. I turned to protest and saw a man chasing after a little boy. I watched as he picked up the boy and swung him around. An image of Anton with a son flashed in my mind.
My eyes filled with tears. Even though I knew Reeva had lied about him being her child’s father, I felt out of sorts. I felt cheated on Anton’s behalf.
I had been lying terribly to myself.
Earlier today, I hadn’t put effort into consoling him, more preoccupied that if I had, it wouldn’t be professional or that someone at work might see. I was protecting myself from more hurt. I was still hurting.
In the middle of an amusement park, amid a horde of bustling crowds of children and adults, I couldn’t contain my confusing emotions. Rising to the top lawyer spot and putting aside marriage and children was only four months in the making, and this was the mess I’d become.
Why would he even want to date me? I was nobody in his world and far from the likes of Reeva.
Maddison shifted and blocked my view of the boy and his father.
“Hey, you have a weird look on your face. What’s wrong?” she asked.
I stepped out of the queue as the first sob escaped and sat on a bench, hiding my face behind my palms.
