Page 51 of Holding You
“She’s good too.”
“Next?” I ask.
“I do have a topic, but it’s a little off from all this. What about Max’s dad?”
“Colter? What about him?”
“Does he know that I’m living here?”
I’d called him before I had the conversation with Declan on the patio. He was comfortable with whatever decision I made.
“He’s fine with it.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes. Colt and I have a good relationship. He trusts me and I trust him. He’s a great guy. Not the guy for me, but he’s a good man. And Susie’s mom?”
He doesn’t even look up. “Gave up her right to have anopinion years ago when she told me she didn’t want to be a mother anymore.”
My heart instantly aches for him. For Susie. I hear the pain of what that means. Of the new light this news sheds on the kind of man Declan is.
There are so many things I want to say.
How could she?
What kind of mom doesn’t want to be in their child’s life?
Why did she leave?
But instead I say, “Her loss.”
He glances up. “Yeah. It is.”
The silence falls between us, so painful that my next sentence comes out before I can think twice about it.
“Since the kids have taken over the basement, I guess you can stay up here to watch a movie with me if you want.”
I reach for the remote and turn on the TV.
“Thanks, but I have some emails to go over, so I’m going to head back down.”
“Oh. Okay, yeah.”
He stands. “Let me know if we need to talk about anything else.”
“Okay.”
“Night, Ruby.”
“Good night, Declan.”
He heads back down the stairs and I watch his every step.
I invited him to hang out with me, and he said no.
I should be happy.
But I’m not.
