Page 94 of The Moment You Know

“Thanks.”

“Now, did you at least find out what David wanted to talk to you about?”

“Damn it,” Paige groaned. “No. I was so pissed at Ashley and distracted by Jacob that I never even asked.”

Chapter 36

David had just put Jacob down for his nap when Valerie called.

“How was your talk with Paige?” she asked.

He could hear the optimism in her voice.

“It didn’t happen,” he told her, sitting down on the couch in the living room. “I didn’t even see her. Ashley was late picking up Jacob, so I still had him with me, and when I called and told Paige, she said we’d have to talk another time and that was it.”

“Was Ashley late on purpose, do you think?”

Valerie’s optimism had been replaced with pessimism.

“Probably. I mean, she’s not the most punctual person under normal circumstances, which is why I told her to pick up Jacob at the park thirty minutes before I was supposed to meet Paige. That’s usually an adequate window for her but she showed up ten minutes after I was supposed to meet Paige. Literally as I was getting Jacob into his car seat to bring him home. She apologized, said she was really sorry, that she didn’t mean to be late, which is what she usually says when she’s late, but it felt like bullshit. God, I was pissed.”

“So now what?”

“I try again. I’ll be smarter about it the next time, though.”

“Let me know if I can help. I can absolutely watch him so you don’t have to deal with Ashley.”

“That would be great. Thanks, Mom.”

As he set his phone on the coffee table, he noticed Ashley leaning against the doorway to the living room with her arms crossed, having obviously been listening to his conversation with his mom.

He frowned at her. “Are you trying to piss me off even more?”

“It’s not my fault you didn’t see me standing here while you were talking shit about me to your mom.”

“I wasn’t talking shit. Everything I said was true.”

She gave him a flat look. “Look, I’m sorry you didn’t get to talk with your ex-wife, but I’m not letting all of that fall on me. I know I was late, but she could’ve stayed and talked to you. She chose not to, so that’s on her.”

“It’s on her? Are you out of your mind?”

“You’re treating her like she’s a delicate flower, baby, and she’s not. For Christ’s sake, she’s known about Jacob for months, so she should be able to deal with him by now and stop being so dramatic.”

“She’s not being dramatic, so turn that shit off,” he told her with frost in his voice. “And I’m not treating her like a delicate flower. You’re treating her like she doesn’t deserve any empathy.”

“That’s because she doesn’t deserve any. Jesus, I’m so goddamn sick of your ex-wife! I never liked her and I like her even less now—”

“Believe me, I know you never liked her, but you need to quit being an immature bitch and start acting like an actual grown-up.”

Ashley made a sound of utter disgust. “You know, ever since she came into our life a few months ago, you and I have been having problems. We were doing great, and then we run into her at that restaurant and everything goes to hell.”

“That’s seriously what you think? That our problems are her fault?”

“Yes. But obviously you don’t.”

“No, I don’t, because I’m not blinded by irrational hatred.”

“I’m not blinded by irrational hatred.”

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