Page 59 of Under My Skin

“We ready to get started?” I ask.

“Are you? It seems like we might’ve interrupted something.” The smirk on Mikey’s face as he says it tells me it’s going to be a long day of razzing. And I’m totally up for it. Nothing can kill my mood.

My phone rings, so I give him the okay to get started and pull my phone out of my pocket.

Fuck me.

I spoke too soon. Something can definitely kill my mood, and that’s my ex-wife. I contemplate sending the call to voicemail but then remember we have two daughters together, and maybe she wants to talk about something to do with them.

“Hello.” I tell myself to keep my tone even and not snap at her for missing the last three weeks of phone calls with the girls. Her only responsibility when it comes to them is to make a weekly phone call and have some small talk. She can’t even do that, and Addy and Mackenzie deserve better.

If she can’t make the minimal effort when it comes to them, she doesn’t need to be involved at all. The girls would be better off without her, in my opinion, but they miss her, and I can’t deny them their mother. Every week with no call from her hurts them, though, and I need to get that through her head.

“Hey, Cam. How’s life in the boonies?” Her laugh that I now find intensely irritating rings through the phone, and I’m a second away from hanging up on her.

“What do you want, Renee?”

“I’m calling to check in, what do you think I’m doing?” There’s an edge to her voice that I recognize as one of her tells. She’s raring for a fight. I won’t give her the satisfaction, though.

“You’re supposed to call every Thursday at five o’clock, and we haven’t heard from you in three weeks. It is currently Tuesday at eight in the morning, so forgive me if I’m a little confused.”

“I should be able to talk to my kids whenever I want, Cam. Don’t you think I deserve that after everything you’ve done?”

I was wrong. I think I do want to give her that fight after all.

“I didn’t do anything, Renee. You cheated on me. You decided that you wanted to live in another city and leave your daughters. You decided that you didn’t want to be a full-time mother and would rather parade around with your new boyfriend than be here for your kids. Who, by the way, are the greatest things that have and will ever happen to you. Every time you miss a call, you disappoint them more and more, and before you know it, Addy and Mackenzie will want nothing to do with you, and you’ll have to live with that for the rest of your life.” I’m beyond pissed off and taking heavy breaths now to try to calm down.

“I didn’t call so you could lecture me, Cam, so save it for another day. Let me talk to the girls,” Renee bites out.

“They aren’t available right now. Call back on Thursday at five o’clock like we agreed on.” I hang up without saying goodbye because I might say some unsavory things if I stay on the line any longer.

I’m trying to compose myself when I hear footsteps approaching. I turn around and expect to see one of the guys but find Lizzie instead holding two cups of coffee and looking extremely uncomfortable.

“Sorry if you overheard any of that. My ex-wife and I aren’t each other’s favorite person, and she knows just how to get me riled up.”

“I didn’t really hear much. I could just tell you were upset,” Lizzie says while handing me a coffee.

I look down at it and see that it’s black, no cream or sugar from the looks of it. Just the way I like it. “How do you know I take my coffee black?” I ask, genuinely intrigued.

“Just a lucky guess.”

“Thank you.” I lean in and give her a chaste kiss. Just because I can. God, this feels good. Not fighting my feelings for Lizzie Montgomery makes me feel the lightest I have since my life started falling apart. It gives me hope that maybe I’m not messing everything up. That I’m doing something right.

I can only hope she doesn’t change her mind about me. That whatever hold I have over her sticks, and she doesn’t realize that she can get someone younger and with less emotional damage and baggage.

“Sorry again for all my stupidity these past few days,” I speak against her lips. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to stop apologizing for my behavior.

Lizzie kisses me hard and then steps back before things heat up too much.

“No more apologies. I’m serious. We’re good. We’re great actually. It’s a good thing the girls ratted you out. I think we needed the push.”

“I have a feeling I’m going to get ganged up with the three of you,” I laugh.

Lizzie’s smile gets even bigger and I can tell she likes the sound of that. “They really are great girls. So smart and funny and well-behaved. You’ve done a really good job with them, Cameron.”

She’s so sincere and sweet, and it doesn’t surprise me that the girls talk about her non-stop. Lizzie Montgomery needs to be protected at all costs, and in this moment, I vow to be the one who’ll do it. Addy, Mackenzie, and I will be the ones to give her everything she wants, and no one is going to get in the way of that. Especially my ex-wife.

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