Page 32 of Comeback
Chapter 15
Emma
“I’m home,” I called after another long day at work. But no one came to greet me. I found Nicole in the living room, where she always worked. She laid motionless on the carpet, her head held between her hands.
“Nicky?” I asked as I carefully stepped closer. “Are you okay?”
“Shhh.” She held a finger to her lips. “Keep your voice down.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, lowering my voice. “Where’s Mackenzie?”
“She’s finally taking a nap. I thought I could get some work done, but now I’ve got a pounding headache.”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered as I knelt on the floor next to my cousin. I could tell it had been another bad day—Mackenzie had taken one step forward during our day with Jack, but two giant steps back in the days that followed. Her separation anxiety was worsening while I was stuck at work. “I’m so sorry I put you in this position. I swear, I’ll be able to afford daycare in another week or two …”
“I know you’re already doing all you can, Ems.”
“If it wasn’t for the child psychologist appointments, I could afford it right now, but I feel like sheneedsthat, too.” I paused. “What happened today, anyway?”
She waved a hand through the air as if it were a white flag. “The usual.”
I frowned. “Tomorrow’s my day off. We’ve got plans, so we’ll be out of your hair all day.”
“Plans?” Her eyes ticked over to mine with a look of knowing.
I hesitated. “Jack invited me and Mackenzie out on his boat. He wants to take her fishing for the first time.”
Nicole didn’t say a word. I knew she disapproved. She had a right to—she’d warned me about Trevor, and I didn’t listen. And now she was warning me about Jack. And as far as she was concerned, once again, I wasn’t listening. I could feel the tension building between me and Nicole. We used to have long talks after I put Mackenzie down at night—but now we barely spoke. She spent her nights with Jeff.
“I know you think I’m an idiot,” I said. “I just wish you could see it from my perspective.”
“What perspective is that?” she asked. “The one of a desperate single mom tricking herself into believing that some random fuckboy will be her Prince Charming?”
I winced. Her words had hit their target. “You don’t have to be nasty.”
“You don’t knowanything about this guy, Emma. Do you even know his last name?”
I had to think about it.
Damn,Ididn’tknow his last name.
“No,” I said, “but right now, I know he’s good with Mackenzie.”
“Seems like a bad idea to get the kid with attachment issues attached to a guy you barely know.”
“I agree with you. I just don’t know what else to do.” I sighed. “From my perspective, he’strying,Nicky. As long as we’re careful not to confuse Mackenzie, I don’t see what the big issue is.”
“The big issue is that this guy isknownfor sleeping around. What’s more likely—a guy like that suddenly deciding he wants to be a father to another man’s daughter?Ordoes a guy like that wanna bang you because he thinks you’re a hot piece of ass, and he’s willing to say or do anything to get in your pants? Y’know, like those kinds of guysalwaysdo?” She paused to let her words sink in. “He has a reputation. You justcan’ttrust guys like that, Emma.”
Maybe those rumors she heard were true. Maybe hedidsleep around—I didn’t know. As long as hestillwasn’t sleeping around, I suppose I didn’t really care what he’d done in his past. We all had baggage from the past, didn’t we?
“Maybe you’re right,” I said. “But I’ve gotnothingelse going for me right now, Nicky. As long as I’m responsible about it, I don’t see the harm. I hear your concerns, and I share them, but I also feel like you’re kinda attacking me.”
Her face sagged with regret. “Sorry. You’re right. I’m being a bitch. I’m just frustrated and I’m taking it out on you.”
I grabbed her hand. “It’s okay. I know you’re being this way because you love me and, hell, we’ve been down this road once before. I don’t blame you at all. But please, trust me to know what’s best for my life, alright?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I love you, cuz.”
