Page 92 of Unrivaled

Pulling out my phone, I’m about to call her when she comes around the corner of the building, all smiles.

She looks dazzling, lit up in the early spring sunshine, her hair glinting gold as it bounces around her shoulders. She has it down today, which is unusual for a school day. I like her hair any way she wants to wear it, but I really love it when she wears it down.

I return her smile, unsure why I’m getting it after how we left things yesterday, but unwilling to question it for fear of making it disappear. “Hey. I was starting to get worried about you.”

Shaking her head, her smile somehow gets wider. “Sorry. I was talking to Autumn for a minute. But you’re right. We better hurry up and get Ben. You’re free this afternoon, though, right? Because we need to talk.”

Oh god. Every man knows that those are ominous words. “Um, yeah. Since the combines are over, I don’t have drills this afternoon. I have some homework to catch up on, but I can do that later.”

“Good. Okay. I can’t come over right after we pick up Ben. I mean, I could, but he’d be with me, so it just seems easier to wait until after my dad gets home, because I’d rather not discuss things in front of Ben.”

Uh-oh. That seems … not good for me.

Swallowing hard, I nod. “Sure,” I croak, then clear my throat. “That sounds good.”

She gives me a quizzical look as I pull the door open for her. “You feeling alright?”

I force a smile. “Yup. Sure. Great.”

Just a man preparing to have his heart ripped out. No biggie.

I let the familiar routine of picking Ben up from preschool take over, helping him get his jacket and backpack while Tiffany talks to his teacher and signs him out. As promised, we swing him out to her car, and once she buckles him in she turns to me, that same smile from before on her face.

And I’m super confused, because last night she would barely look at me. A tiny flare of hope sparks inside me, but I wall it off so it can’t expand any farther. I invited her to come with me last night and she was about to tell me no. I know she was. What are the odds she would’ve changed her mind in less than twenty-four hours?

“I’ll text you when I’m headed over, okay?” She checks the time on her phone. “It should be about an hour.”

“I wanna go see Gray too!” Ben shouts from his seat.

“Not right now, Benny,” she says in her soothing voice. “You get to hang out with Grampa.”

“I always with Grampa! Want Gray!”

She holds up a finger to me and ducks her head into the car. “Mommy and Gray need to talk about grownup stuff. You’ll have more fun with Grampa. But maybe after we can do something with Gray, okay?”

He crosses his arms as best he can with his harness on and gives her the same glare she’s given me so often. “Fine.”

I have to stifle a laugh, and when she straightens, Tiffany rolls her eyes and grins, good-natured exasperation on her face.

I’m not sure if her promise to do something with me after our conversation means our conversation will be positive or not. I guess I get a whole hour all to myself to wonder.

“Alright, see you soon,” she says before climbing into her car.

Like I’ve done since that very first time, I stand off to the side and wave at Ben as they drive away.

Let the torture begin.

* * *

I’m just as nervous as the first time Tiffany was coming over. I’ve been pacing for the last fifteen minutes. Before that I went for a run because I knew there was no way I’d be able to just sit in my apartment and wait. The run and the shower after took up most of the hour, but then I guess her dad didn’t get home as early as she was expecting, because it’s been more like an hour and fifteen minutes.

When she finally knocks on my door, I practically rip the thing off its hinges. I probably look like a crazy man.

The look she gives me is a mix of pity and amusement. “Oh, Gray. It’s okay. Calm down.”

That doesn’t help me at all.

“Well?” I demand, not even waiting for her to close the door behind her, much less take off her jacket or put down her bag.

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