Page 95 of The Scars I Bare
In my perfect new life, there was my worst nightmare.
Shock quickly turned to anger as I marched through the sea of people, abandoning my post as official cake-cutter.
“You can’t be here,” I seethed under my breath.
He smiled a smile that, once, a long time ago, had done funny things to my insides. A smile that I’d loved to wake up beside.
A smile I’d trusted.
He reached inside his pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it out to me. “Ten texts, four phone calls, Cora. That’s how many times I’ve tried to reach you regarding our daughter’s birthday. Ten texts, four phone calls. All you had to do was reply to one of them. All I wanted was a chance to see her. So, you see, I can in fact be here. Because there’s not a judge around who wouldn’t allow me the right to see my daughter, whom, by the way, in case you’ve forgotten, I still have partial custody of.”
I swallowed hard, my hands shaking, as I took a step backward. I looked around and saw people politely trying to act busy, avoiding our very public display.
“Cora?”
I turned to my left, and there was Dean. He stepped up to my side with a mixture of concern and something I’d never seen before.
Raw, untapped anger.
How did Dean even recognize Blake? They’d never met before. I didn’t have time to contemplate that before he turned to address my ex-husband, “What are you doing here?”
Blake’s eyes darted from mine to Dean and back again, obviously making the connection. “Seems I had no choice. When my wife went missing and wouldn’t allow me visitations with our daughter, I had to do what any father would do—drop everything and go looking for her.”
My teeth gritted together as my fingers curled at my side. “Ex-wife. You seem to have forgotten that part.”
He shrugged, giving a cursory glance in Dean’s direction. “Clearly, you haven’t.”
Something akin to sadness spread across his face. Something I hadn’t seen there in a long time.
He held his chin high, his gaze fixated on Lizzie, who was still too focused on her pony cake and friends to notice her daddy standing in the entryway. “Look,” he said, letting out a puff of air, “I don’t want to make a scene. That’s not why I came.”
Dean made a noise of disbelief next to me.
“I just wanted to see her, Cora, and I’m sorry if that upsets you. I know things between us were—”
“Bad?” Dean interjected, causing the two men to exchange glances.
“But I still want to be a part of her life. And you can’t shut me out.”
I let out a frustrated breath, my arms wrapped so tightly around my chest I thought I might leave visible marks from the viselike grip. “I know, and I’m sorry.”
“Cora, you don’t owe this man shit,” Dean nearly growled, his body so on edge beside me, I could feel him nearly vibrating.
“I owed him the common decency of a reply,” I said. Turning my attention back to Blake, I said, “And, for that, I’m sorry. I should have texted or called. I know, no matter what happened between us, you will always be Lizzie’s father. I should never have tried to shut you out. It’s just been a big adjustment, and we’re not completely settled. It’s why we’re having her party at the inn; we still haven’t found a place to live.”
“And school?” he asked, sincerity in his voice.
I bit my upper lip, glancing from one man to the other. “It’s been a bit of a rough go,” I answered honestly, causing both of them to react accordingly.
“What do you mean?” Blake asked.
“Why didn’t you mention anything?” Dean echoed.
My hands began moving along with my mouth. “It’s nothing,” I said. “Just a note and a meeting with the teacher. The school is worried they won’t be able to provide the level of academics required for a child of Lizzie’s level.”
Blake was the first to talk, shaking his head like he’d seen this coming all along. “I knew you shouldn’t have moved down to this Podunk shithole.”
“Hey!” Dean fired back. “This Podunk shithole doesn’t need you to help us solve our problems, asshat. We’ll figure out something for Lizzie without you.”
