Page 78 of To Hate Adam Connor

She left her spot next to the window and sat down next to me. Close.

“Would things be different for us, do you think? If Aiden hadn’t happened. Do you think we would’ve still ended up here or made different decisions along the way?”

I looked into her eyes and saw that she was being genuine. I exhaled. “I don’t know, Adeline. I can’t know. If you’re asking if we would’ve ended up getting married either way…I think we would have. I loved you. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened so fast, but yes, I think we would have still ended up together.”

“I loved you, too, Adam,” she whispered. “So much that I couldn’t imagine waking up without you sleeping next to me…”

“But now you can,” I finished for her.

She looked away.

“I think I did make a mistake by forcing Aiden and me on you. And he changed you. He changed us.”

“Of course he changed me. The problem is he couldn’t change you and that is what ended up changing us. I don’t see why we’re having this conversation again, Adeline. We went over all this when you gave me your ‘I want a divorce’ speech. I have other things to talk to you about. I don’t have time to listen to you talk about how our son was a mistake for you.”

“Our son,” she repeated, meeting my eyes. “I’m sorry. Things have been hard for me lately.”

“What? You didn’t get the green light from the director?”

“Actually, no, I didn’t get the green light. I already told you I had to take Aiden with me because the director wanted to see me around Aiden. The role is a mother who tries to protect her son from an abusive husband, so when the tabloids ran with the story that I forgot Aiden in the car…it must’ve affected his decision.”

“Must have…” I shook my head. “He is not a purse you can take wherever you want to show him off, Adeline. Just because you’re spending time with my mother doesn’t mean you have to act like her, too.” She pursed her lips. “I wanted us to talk so I could tell you that I’m filing for sole custody of Aiden. I didn’t want you to hear it from a press release or see it in the tabloids.”

She put her hand on my arm and leaned into me.

“You knew it was coming, and I think after what happened yesterday, it’s high time we do it,” I said before she could have a chance to protest.

“Adam, you can’t do that to me. Not now, not after what happened. And you have to think about Aiden, too. We talked about this before. Forget about me, do you know what he’ll think? What everyone else will think?”

I twisted my body so I could see her face. Her hand gently squeezed my arm.

“What will he think, Adeline?”

She released a long breath. “He’ll think I don’t want him, and so will everyone else.”

“Do you want him?”

“Yes, Adam. Of course. This is working out great for him. One week with me, one week with you. And this way, I have time to focus on my career. I’m finally going back to doing what I love.”

“I never stopped you from doing what you love, Adeline. Like everything else, taking a break was your decision, too. You thought if you left him with nannies and went back to shooting people would judge. In the end, you always did what you wanted to do, so don’t even try to dump this on me.”

“Adam,” she started again and my temper flared up. I stood up and looked down at her sad face.

“What happened yesterday, Adeline? Did you forget he was in the car with you?”

She scowled at me. “Of course not.”

“Then what happened?” I repeated my question through gritted teeth.

“Rita was supposed to have him. It was her fault.”

“Rita, your assistant. You’re gonna sit there and blame an assistant for not taking care of your son?”

She remained silent.

Her phone buzzed on the couch across from her and her eyes slid that way. To my surprise, she didn’t go for it.

“I saw the photos,” I explained. “I saw the photos, and I never saw you come back to rescue him. He stood there, Adeline. He stood there and cried until another one of your assistants came out to take him in.”

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