Page 81 of Act Like You Don't Care
His commentary on it made me smile. “Sounds like a sci-fi movie. Or a horror.”
“I hope not.” His voice was warm, like a good sweater on a cool evening. It made me feel like there was someone out there other than my mother who cared for me.
“I’ll call you when I know about the appointment,” I promised.
“Good.” There was a pause and then he added in a slightly too-casual tone. “Mom wants you to come for dinner next weekend.”
I hit the brakes, horns blaring behind me. “Why?” I demanded as I put my foot on the gas again and held an impolite finger up for the jerk behind me to see.
“I told her about the baby. She wants to get to know you a little, and to give you a chance to get to know us.”
Shit. I hadn’t considered that they might feel obliged to play happy families. “She doesn’t have to pretend. I’m okay, really. I don’t expect her to do anything for it.”
The silence stretched to the point where I wondered if the call had somehow dropped. I was on the point of hanging up and considering if I should call him back when Miles spoke up again. “It’s your child and mine, but her grandchild too. And Dad’s. They want to help because that’s what family does.”
I almost protested that we weren’t really family until I realized that, even if I wasn’t family, the baby was, and I was honest enough with myself to accept that I was happy to bask in the reflected glow of their love for my new child. Our child.
And, honestly, if anyone could keep the kid safe in LA, it would be them, right?
“I never thought of that, but you’re right,” I said. “I’ll go make nice with the in-laws.” The words were out before I could stop them. I winced and held my breath, waiting.
Another of those long pauses that had my anxiety ratcheting up, then he said lightly, “Thank you. I think she’s worried you won’t like us. After all, it’s my fault you’re in this situation.”
“I seem to remember being there too,” I replied tartly. “In fact, I seem to remember making the first move. I’m a big boy. My choices, my consequences. I’m just sorry you got roped into this when it was supposed to be just a little fun and a chance to blow off some steam.” I regretted it as soon as I’d said the words, but there was no way now to take them back. It hadn’t felt like that at the time and, looking back, that description was about as wrong for what had happened between us as it could get.
He made a noise that could have meant anything. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Text me when you’ve got your appointment, okay?”
“Sure.” The call ended and I drove home in the most disgusting mood I’d been in for ages. It was probably what I’d deserved, though. I was lucky he was as willing as he was to help with the baby. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d be a good father.
He did seem to want to be friends—I’d take it, if it was all I could get. Maybe I should just take that and be happy. I remembered the last years of my parents’ marriage and shuddered. We wouldn’t get that bad, I was sure, because Miles was Miles and I wasn’t going to visit that hell on any child of mine. But the fear of losing even this simple friendship rose up and froze my heart for a moment and everything else that frightened me shrank to insignificance compared to the thought of losing Miles and still having to see him.
I’d rather spend the rest of my career playing the crazy ex.
When had life gotten so complicated that Hollywood suddenly started seeming simple?
Miles
Ipicked Tam up at his place late Sunday afternoon on the day of the family dinner and drove him out to my parent’s place.
“Just let me know when you want to leave. I know you start work tomorrow.” I had been honestly surprised that he’d agreed when I’d offered to pick him up. It seemed to be out of character for him, or at least out of character for the image he presented. Sometimes people re-evaluated their lives, though, after a big scare. Maybe that was what he was doing.
“Thank you,” he said politely, his leg jigging in direct contradiction to his easy tone.
We made small talk on the drive over, mostly about the upcoming start of rehearsals for Wirechild. “Margaret’s been pretty good,” Tam admitted. “Better than good, honestly, now that we’re committed. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”
Tam nodded and surveyed the houses around us as we turned into my parents’ neighborhood. “Feels pretty homey.”
“I liked it.” We pulled into the driveway and parked next to my brother Jim’s car. Uh oh. This hadn’t been the plan when I’d talked to Mom yesterday. “Jim’s here.”
“Oh?” Tam blinked at the car. “Was he not supposed to be?”
“Not that anyone told me,” I replied, tamping down my irritation. I was pretty sure I knew exactly what had happened. “I’m going to apologize right now for this.”
“Why?” Tam paused, the door open and one foot already on the asphalt of the driveway.
For a moment, I debated just backing out of the driveway and going home again. “Jim got married to this girl a couple of years ago who wanted to be an actress.” Tam’s face fell and I hated myself. “Why don’t we just go out for a meal, maybe catch a movie. Good excuse to turn the phones off, right?”
