“I meant it,” he said, “and planned to talk to you about it as soon as we were able to openly because of theMustangs situation. But as I said, it’s not like you don’t know Elle. From the time Levi was born, she’s been part of his life.”
“You guys have been sneaking around this whole time. You think I don't know that? Coming over here all the time and Rhodes rushing off to your condo…”
“Wait…did those pictures come from you?”
She gives me a smug smile and I want to shake it off of her. “I’m so tired of you and your self-righteous act. You’ve always thought you were so much better than me.” She shrugs. “But I’m not going away. Levi ismine, and you’re not going to take over now that you’re finally in Rhodes’ bed.” She takes a step closer and points her finger at me. “You arenotLevi’s mother and Rhodes will be bored with you soon anyway.”
Rhodes steps between us. “You don’t speak for me, Carrie. And not that it’s any of your business, but I’ll just say it so we’re clear. There is not a chance that I will ever be bored with Elle. I’m in love with her and I will spend the rest of my life showing her all the ways. Understand now that you can’t ever speak to Elle like this again. You need to go. Go home and stop spying on us,” Rhodes says.
“It's easy to do when we're all living here in the same town. I see you coming and going.”
“I’ll be letting the guards know to not let you through the gate anymore,” Rhodes says.
“You can’t keep me from my son!”
“You need to be really careful right now,” Rhodes says. “You're set up really nicely in your house and paid above what I’m required to pay for child support. You’re saying threatening things now? I’ll be informing my lawyers about it. I’ve made this all very easy for you, the lifestyle you have right now, and I can turn it around just as fast.”
“How dare you turn all this on me? She's the one tryingto get away with breaking the rules when you're not even supposed to be seen together. Why are you upset withme? And this whole thing with the book. You think I don't know I'm in there? I could sue you for talking about me like that.” She tries to get around Rhodes and he blocks her.
“Carrie, go home,” Rhodes says.
“I’d really hoped we could be friends when I first realized you were going to be in Rhodes’ life, but you’ve made it impossible,” I say. “Let’s be adults here, Carrie. I’m not trying to take your place with Levi. I’ll never do that. But I do have my own place in his life, and I wish you respected me enough to be okay with that. I’m no longer cheering with the Mustangs, so there won’t be any more sneaking around.” I cross my arms. “You should know by now that I’m not going anywhere. And I’ll be taking steps immediately to protect myself, so don’t fucking threaten me. How about we each take a step back and not go to this dark place ever again?”
Her defiant stance has dissolved and she looks like all the helium has been let out of her. Deflated.
“You’re not welcome here anymore,” Rhodes says. “I’ll have my lawyer contact you regarding the new arrangements for Levi’s drop-off and pickup.”
“Rhodes, that’s not…please, don’t—” she says, starting to cry.
“Until you can prove that you’re not going to pull this threatening shit again, that’s exactly the way it’s going to be.”
He motions for his guard and Mitch materializes. He opens her car door and when she gets inside, he closes it. Rhodes puts his arm around me as we wait for her to leave. We wait until she pulls out of the driveway before we go inside.
“There have been times I thought I saw her car outside your gate or near my condo,” I say, things becoming a lot clearer now. “That night we kissed, I think she was outside your gate.”
He curses under his breath and calls his lawyer.
CHAPTER FORTY
BEFORE FRIENDSGIVING
RHODES
Then
Rap-rap rap-rap-rap rap
I opened the door and Elle rushed past me. I frowned and turned, following her into my living room.
“Elle? Are you okay?” I already knewshe wasn’t. She hadn’t even looked at me yet, but in that brief second that she flashed past, I didn’t miss the splotchy cheeks.
Not to mention, we weren’t really supposed to be around each other. I’d had to see my best friend only in passing or with our group of friends for months now and eventhatwas breaking the rules. I fucking hated it.
“I know it’s mid-season right now and we’re not drinking, but I could really use a drink,” she said.
I avoided alcohol from June to February, and now that she was cheering for the Colorado Mustangs, she did too.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
