Page 130 of Against All Odds

“Catherine, thank you for being here,” I say, trying to hide my nerves.

She steps forward. “You’re very welcome. Are you ready to fight fire with fire and change the narrative?”

I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life. “Yes, let’s do it.”

My hands are shaking, and I feel that familiar nausea like I had during the first trimester. I’m sitting in the conference room with my lawyer as we wait for Dylan and his team to arrive. I wore a green dress with a blazer to try to hide some of my pregnancy. Obviously, he knows, but I don’t want to draw any attention to it so we can discuss the issue at hand.

“Let me do most of the talking,” Gail says as she fills my water. “If you want a break, just clear your throat and ask to use the restroom.”

“What would I need a break for?” I ask.

“Trust me, divorce and family law are not for the weak. His team is going to try to paint you as the bad guy, even though it’s the furthest thing from the truth. Just stay calm, smile when you can, and let him make an ass of himself.”

That shouldn’t be too hard, since he’s become a master at it.

Ten minutes later, they are escorted in and Dylan takes the seat across from me. He looks tired. That’s the first thing I can think of. His hair is longer than it normally is, there are dark circles under his eyes, and although he always had swagger, it’s not there anymore. I’m not sure if he was told to look this way or not, but I know he’s not that good of an actor and it’ll slip after long enough.

He lifts his blue eyes to meet mine, and he quirks his lips into a half smile, not villainous, more of a gesture of hello.

I look away. Fuck him.

His lawyer speaks first. “We’re here because?—”

Gail cuts in. “We’re all aware of why we’re here. Your client went public with a pregnancy that he decided he didn’t want to be part of. He was signing his rights away until it no longer served him due to his own actions.”

Get him, Gail!

“A father has every right to be involved in his child’s life. Mr. Leone was made aware of the child and was forced to make a decision immediately.”

My eyes widen, but my lawyer slides the water toward me, an indication I need to stay quiet and calm.

Right.

I take a sip and drop my hands to my lap. I wanted a piece of Everett with me. A sort of talisman to hold on to him and his strength. So I wore his mother’s ring on my right hand, diamond down so it looks like a gold band to anyone else.

I spin the ring slowly, trying to feel his presence. Just the thought of Everett calms me, and I return to my stoic demeanor.

“There was absolutely no pressure from my client. In fact, you sent the dissolution paperwork to us. So where exactly do you claim to be getting such ... urgency from?”

Dylan shifts and I stay statue still. “I didn’t have a choice.” He looks to me. “I want this baby. It’s my child. You know I’ve always wanted children.”

It takes every ounce of strength I have not to scream at him. He did want kids, when we were first starting off. He wanted to get a job at an accounting firm, work his way up, start a family while I was teaching. That was the plan.

Until he decided otherwise.

Once he started acting, there was never talk of kids or any of the life he’d promised.

It was what was best for him. His acting. His fandom. The roles he could get and the money he could make. Him, him, him.

Which still seems to be the case.

I turn my head to Gail, who nods once. “We never disputed his rights as a father, but it was made abundantly clear he was uninterested in any parenting.”

“He is now.”

Of course he is. “As you know, my client no longer resides in California. Upon the birth of the child and confirmation from a DNA test that it is, in fact, Mr. Leone’s child, we can discuss options for co-parenting.”

His lawyer speaks immediately. “Unfortunately, Mrs. Leone would be considered a flight risk in our assessment. She disappeared after their separation and has abandoned the marriage. It’s clear she has the means to do so with the child. We’re going to request that she remain in California, and we’ll be requesting fifty-fifty custody where they can split time each week.”

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