Page 95 of Entirely Yours
“Good for her,” I spit.
I hear him stumbling around on the other end of the line, a car horn beeps in the background. As mad as I am at him, he’s still Chloe’s dad. “Where are you?” I ask.
“Boston.”
No shit. “Get an Uber, Guy.”
“I’m not drunk,” he reiterates. “Just needed to get out of the apartment.” He pauses for several moments before saying, “I want to meet her.”
I know he’s talking about Chloe. “After five fucking years?” I bite out. My hands are shaking, my whole body responding in anger to his audacity.
“Lis said you’re pregnant again.”
God, who knows what Melissa told him after we ran into each other.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Whose is it?”
“Also none of your fucking business,” I hiss.
His heavy breathing is his only reply, and I realize I might never get this chance again. “You might think you want to meet her but?—”
“I do,” he cuts me off.
“Shut up, you asshole! It’s my turn to talk,” I yell. “You really fucked me up. You’re a narcissistic jerk who lied to me and then abandoned me to raise a child on my own. I will probably never forgive you for that. It hurt so damn much.” I clutch my chest, heart aching. “But,” I continue, “I’m also so fucking glad you did it because now I have her. And she’s perfect and beautiful, and nothing like you. I would go through hell all over again to be her mom. So, fuck you. And thank you. You lit my world on fire andwithout that, I wouldn’t have been able to rise from the ashes. Now, lose this number.”
And I hang up.
I take a deep breath, willing myself not to cry even as my heart breaks all over again. But when I turn around, my newfound friends—my new family—are standing in the doorway, watching me. Gabe starts a slow clap that Ben and Cole join in on.
“That,” Cole says, throwing her arm over my shoulder, “was badass.”
Finally, I do cry. A cathartic release. A shedding of years of anger. A renewal.
“When will Jules be here?”
Ben looks at his watch. “Ten minutes.”
“Perfect.”
And it really is.
My life.
My new family.
Him.
I’m ready for him now. Hopefully, he feels the same way.
Today started with a text from Mom, essentially telling me to get my ass out of the house and to take Chloe with me.
No further explanation given.
I’ve learned over the years that when Elaine Bardot tells you to do something, you do it. So, when Chloe woke up, we went to get donuts and took them over to the park for a picnic like we’ve been doing most Saturday mornings. She was sad when we had to skip yesterday, so I’m glad Mom forced us out of the house today. She had a blast playing in the late summer sun for the better part of the morning, only arguing with me when I told her it was time to reapply sunscreen.
“Ben never makes me wear sunscreen,” she whined.
