Lily steps around me, a bright smile on her face as she looks at Josephine. I turn too, stepping behind her. Close enough for us to look like a couple, but far enough away that we aren’t touching.
“Hello, Josephine,” I say, taking Lily’s advice and staying calm.
Josephine is standing on the sidewalk leading to the baseball field. She’s wearing a white pant suit to a baseball game, and her hair is pulled back so tight it stretches the skin around her eyes. She’s nothing like the woman standing in front of me.
“Theo.” She says my name with disgust, looking down her long nose the same way she has since she took my son away from me. I don’t know what happened to the girl I once knew—or if she ever existed—but she’s not the woman standing before me now.
“Where’s Eric?” I ask, looking around for her husband because where one goes, the other typically follows. They walk in with their expensive clothes and superior attitude, determined to step on everyone else so that they can sit a little higher. “Doesn’t enjoy baseball?”
Josephine sniffs, hiking her purse higher on her shoulder. “He had a few meetings to attend, but he’ll be here.”
I force a tight smile. “Great.”
Awkward tension hangs in the air. Forcing myself to grit my teeth and smile at the woman who ruined my life is a torture that I will endure until my son is old enough I don’t have to anymore.
Josephine looks at Lily, her smile mocking. Lily lifts her chin, staring her down without an ounce of fear, and I swipe my hand over mymouth, hiding my smirk.
My ex-wife bristles when Lily doesn’t cower under her gaze and turns her attention back to me.
“You know, I kept asking myself why you would allow Tanner to play after the whole—football debacle,” Josephine says, her nose wrinkling on the word debacle as if it weren’t something that had been a risk to Tanner’s life. “But I think I’m beginning to understand.”
I narrow my eyes, anger starting to simmer in my veins. “Understand what, Josephine? Come on. No need to be cryptic. Speak your mind.”
A look of surprised innocence crosses Josephine’s features, and she places her hand over her chest as if offended at my tone. “I just mean, it makes sense for you to say yes since you’re dating Ms. Carson, that’s all.”
“What?” A surprised voice comes from behind me, and I spin around so fast I nearly make myself dizzy.
Tanner stands in the parking lot, his bat bag hanging from his hand and a glare on his face.
“Tanner—”
“You’re dating, Ms. Carson?” he asks, cutting me off.
I shake my head, trying to figure out how to explain this. I told myself I’d tell him before now—but then I got stuck on how to explain that we are fake dating. In the end, I didn’t say anything—another mistake.
“It’s—complicated,” I say, feeling Lily’s presence behind me like a weighted shadow. “I was going to tell you.”
Tanner scoffs, shaking his head. “Sure you were, Dad. Is she the only reason you decided to coach? You know what, I don’t care. I have a game to get ready for.”
He walks off, and I step up to stop him—but a hand on my arms stops me.
“Let him cool off,” Lily whispers. “He’ll listen to you, but not right now.”
My body is shaking under her touch, and my fist clenches, guilt and anger threatening to smother me.
“Theo,” Lily says my name, and I’m desperate to hang onto the high it brings.
Shaking out my fists, I slowly turn to face her.
“Are you good?” she asks, and I shake my head—but then my gaze lands on Josephine. The anger comes rushing back again.
“You knew he was standing there, didn’t you?” I ask, pure venom lacing my voice.
Josephine smiles. It’s a wonder she didn’t become the wife of a politician. She’d fit the role perfectly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Good luck with your game.” She stops, eyes scanning Lily in contempt. “And yourgirlfriend.” She spits out the word like it tastes bad. “You know, Theo, it will be interesting to see what Tanner has to say to Judge Ranker at the end of the summer.”
Her words are a punch to my sternum—the winning blow—and she knows it. She follows Tanner to the baseball field with a finger wave and a condescending smile.
I watch her go, hatred burning in the center of my chest.
