Page 82 of Rematch
“It’s been a long time. I’ve been thinking a lot about you. I was sorry when I didn’t get to see you on Christmas. Did you get the gifts I left for you?” he asked.
He’d bought her a sweater—something his mother had obviously picked out—and a pair of fuzzy holiday socks.
“I did. Thank you.” She hadn’t gotten him anything, seemingly yet another too subtle hint.
“I know you’ve been busy lately. With the bakery and…other things,” he said. Obviously other things was code for Preston.
“I have,” she started. “It’s important to me?—”
“I’m sure you’re exhausted, but it looks like you’re really starting to get a handle on the bakery,” he interrupted, gesturing around the kitchen, which was nearly fully stocked. “And your mom was showing me some pictures of Lennon over the holidays.”
Chelsea made a mental note to kill her mother.
“He’s getting so big,” Rick continued. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen him.”
The fact Rick was mentioning Lennon spoke to his level of desperation, considering he rarely paid attention to her son.
Time to cut him off at the pass.
“Rick, this isn’t working for me,” she said.
His nod was too relieved for him to have understood where she was heading. “I’m not surprised. You’re burning the candle at both ends, and you’re never going to get the help you need from a professional athlete who’s on the road all the time, doing God knows what…and with who.”
Chelsea frowned, shocked that the irony of Rick’s statement was completely lost on him. Had he already forgotten that he’d struck up an affair when they were ENGAGED? Did he fail to recall that he was the one who’d skipped out on the wedding because he was doing God knew what…with Vanessa?
“Is he being difficult about Lennon? I know your mom is worried about a custody battle, but I’ve got a friend who’s a divorce lawyer, and he says it would be virtually impossible for Preston to take Lennon from you, despite his name and money.”
Rick had talked to a lawyer?
“His name isn’t on the birth certificate, so it’s a simple matter of us getting married and me legally adopting Lennon,” Rick added.
What. In. The. Sweet. Mother. Fuck. Was. Going. On?!
“Stop!” Chelsea said, when it was clear slick lawyer Rick was on a roll, and only just getting started. “Preston is a great father, and his name will be going on the birth certificate.” She intended to make a call the second Rick got out of here, in fact.
“Chelsea, that’s a mistake.”
“No. The only mistake I made was in foolishly thinking you were capable of being just my friend. It’s obvious that’s not something we can be to each other.”
Rick looked her in the eye. “You’re right. We can’t. I’m in love with you, Chelsea. I always have been. My goal these past seven months has been to win you back.” He moved closer as he spoke, forcing Chelsea to step backward to maintain distance. That attempt failed when she ran out of room, her back hitting the counter.
She placed her hand in the center of his chest when he shifted as if to kiss her. “If you try to kiss me, I will kick you in the balls.”
Her threat caught him off guard, and he took one step back, though not nearly big enough. “I don’t understand.”
“You cannot be this oblivious. I know you’re an only child, and I know you’re used to getting your way, typically by steamrolling over all obstacles, but none of that is going to work in this case. Any relationship you and I might have had ended the day you failed to show up at our wedding.”
Confusion marred Rick’s features. “You said you forgave me for that.”
“I did. But I’m never going to forget, and I’m never going to trust you again. The most I could offer was a casual, surface-y friendship, and I only did that to appease our mothers, who are driving me up the damn wall!”
Rick scowled. God, he was such a mama’s boy. “My mother has been very good to you. She made Lennon’s Halloween costume, for Christ’s sake.”
“She did. And he was a super-cute pumpkin, but that doesn’t mean I want her as a mother-in-law. She’s my mom’s best friend. That’s it.”
“I helped your dad build Lennon’s crib and repaint the nursery.”
“And I appreciate that. But to be honest, I thought you did it because you felt fucking guilty and were trying to make amends, not because you were living in some la-la land where we got back together.”
