“She just showed up unannounced at my house with Noah, who, for a fact, is my son.”
“Does that explain why you didn’t say anything until I found out myself? And even after I found out, you still said nothing. It was like you didn’t care enough to set the record straight,” she snapped, anger flashing in her eyes.
I felt exposed and helpless, like a featherless chicken. “That’s not it, honestly. I wanted to reach out to you, but I was tryingto get Chloe to understand that I love you and could never build anything with her. But she doesn’t want us to just co-parent Noah.”
“Now that you’ve finally decided to explain yourself—something that, for the record, is none of my business—I guess she understands your ‘undying love’ for me?” She was unapologetically sarcastic, and I couldn’t even meet her gaze.
“We’re still working it out, but we might have to take legal action. I just couldn’t keep staying away from you. I needed to clear the air.”
“I keep trying to make excuses for you, but you disappoint me every single time. Kevin, you have a beautiful son and a woman who wants to make things right with you. Maybe you should focus on that and leave me be.”
“I have a new job that demands my full attention and Avery, who wants nothing more than to make me happy. I can’t carry your baggage as well. Do you understand?”
“I don’t love Chloe. It was just a one-time thing, I swear.”
“Kevin, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to work. Please shut the door on your way out.”
“Licia, are you kicking me out?”
Her eyes burned with fury. “Did I stutter? Yes, leave… my… office.”
My world came to a screeching halt. I stood there, completely paralyzed, unsure of what to do or say next.
Chapter Twenty Three
Licia
It had been a while since I allowed myself to unwind just for the fun of it, rather than to clear my head or run from my troubles.
But I had come to realize that my life was never going to be free of drama, and there was no escaping it. The best I could do was come up with new coping mechanisms to deal with them as they came, one at a time.
I hadn’t been able to free myself from the feelings that haunted me since Kevin's visit the other day at the hospital. I didn’t want to think about everything he said about his son, Chloe, and the complicated situation they were in.
Yet, it had been all I could think about for days. It was as if I was caught in a never-ending loop: one minute, I was pulling off a perfect act, pretending to be fine, convincing myself that I was finally getting over him.
Then, in the next minute, he would show up, and my defenses would come crashing down like a house of cards.
Taking a walk in the park by myself didn’t seem like a bad idea, given the solitude that came with it. I closed my eyes, leaning back in the bathtub, and painted soothing pictures in my head.
I imagined families having their little picnics on the lush, well-mown grass; people walking their dogs; mothers wheeling their babies around in strollers; lovers on secret rendezvous, nestled comfortably in each other’s arms.
I could almost feel the rustling of dry leaves under my feet as I walked across the path, hear the creaking sound of rusting nuts from the old wooden bench.
A small smile tugged at my lips in anticipation of this peaceful escape.
On the other hand, I could embark on a shopping spree with Joey. If there was one thing Joey loved, aside from raking in millions of dollars in real estate deals, it was spending my money. In her words, it would be a disservice to me if she didn’t encourage me to be carefree now and then.
What I needed was to drown out the tumultuous thoughts in my head. Anything that could help with that was worth my while, even if it meant being dragged along by Joey.
I picked up my phone and typed out a quick text. After reading it over with a smile on my face, I sent it to her.
*Hi, Jo. Are you free for an all-expense-paid shopping experience?*
I hadn’t even placed the phone back on the table when her reply came in with a blushing emoji.
*Of course. Where do we meet up?*
I smiled, shaking my head. So typical of Joey. I knew she would jump at it.
