44
Mel
Will left for practice over an hour ago, and I’m bored. Sure, I could get ahead on an assignment for next week, or do a load of laundry, but where’s the fun in that. I texted Josie earlier to see if she’s free for coffee. I’m excited to catch up with her and tell her I’ve decided to take the plunge and see where my relationship with Will takes me. I’m nervous, of course. There are a hundred ways this could go wrong, but I want to trust this—trust Will when he says we have what it takes.
My phone buzzes, so I grab it, eager to see what time Josie’s free and in the mood for gossip and a hot beverage. But the text I get isn’t from Josie. It’s from Chaz. I ignored his early messages, hoping he’d take the hint. He didn’t.
Chaz: Melanie, I know you’re ignoring me. Honestly, I can’t blame you, but this is different. Please, I need a favor.
A favor? I’m a college student who works in a coffee shop. What does he want, free refills? I’m about to text back my usualLose this numbermessage when another text comes through.
Chaz:It’s not for me. It’s for the boys.
Chaz:Corbin’s running a really high fever. I need to get him to the doctor, but I can’t get a hold of anyone to watch the older boys. And I hate to drag them along with me. I’m desperate. But I understand if you can’t make it.
Godammit.
I should say no.
I should tell him I’m busy.
And if this was just another text asking me to talk, I would totally tell him to go to hell.
But he’s not just my asshole ex right now. He’s a dad trying to do right by his boys. And I love those little guys. I guess there’s no real harm in staying with them for an hour or so while he gets Corbin checked out. And maybe this is a good thing. As much as I hate the thought of seeing him, this will give me the opportunity to cut ties with him once and for all, face-to-face.
I take a deep breath and comfort myself with the fact that in an hour or two, Chaz will have gotten the point that we are nothing more than exes and we never will be more. And maybe I can talk Will into coming back to my place after practice. Yeah, I have a new plan for the afternoon.
Step one: Do a good deed (even if Chaz doesn’t deserve it, his boys do).
Step two: Say good riddance to Chaz for the last time.
Step three: See if Will wants to come back to mine after practice. This place is lonely when he’s not in it.
* * *
My plan isn’t workingout quite the way I thought it would. I will definitely be able to accomplish steps two and three, which is good news. But step one? Not so much.
I arrived at Chaz’s place on the edge of campus just a few minutes ago. It’s a short walk from my place, but I drove since Josie wants to meet later at the mall.
The house was quiet, which should have been my first clue, but it occurred to me that the boys could all have a bit of a bug and might be sleeping.
But they weren’t.
Because they’re not even here.
“What the hell?” I ask Chaz when he tells me the boys are with their aunt. “You fucking lied to get me over here?”
“I never lied,” he says (lying again). “Corbin has been sick. And I had a hell of a time trying to find someone to help. But my sister’s son is under the weather, too, so she offered to keep the boys for a bit so I could catch up on grading and get some errands done.”
“Errands?” I explode. “That’s not what you told me. You made it seem as though you’d be rushing out the door with a feverish baby. And what? He has the sniffles so the boys are at a sleepover and you figured I’d be happy to come running over? Even though I’ve been avoiding you and begging you to stop calling me? You knew I’d come running when you mentioned the boys, and you fucking lured me over here. Lied and said your kid needed a doctor desperately? You’re a sick fuck, Chaz.”
“Melanie, wait,” he calls as I turn to leave. “Please.”
But I’m done with him and his lies. I open the screen door and walk out onto the back deck. I’m halfway to my car when he catches up to me, wrapping his hand around my arm and holding on tight.
I do my best to shake him loose, but it does no good. “Get the fuck off me,” I yell.
“Shhh!” he commands, his eyes blazing with intensity. “Do you want the neighbors to hear you?”
