Page 53 of Love…It's Complicated

“It doesn’t?”

“Not really. If she’s not talking to anyone and she’s going through something, maybe she could benefit from one.”

“She talks to Maisie.”

I clench my fist and hold it at my side as I keep a forced smile on my face. “While I’m sure Maisie’s expertise in child psychology is superb, I think finding a professional therapist through our insurance is a better idea.”

Tyler’s tongue rolls over his back teeth, and he leans back in a huff. “Can we talk about this first?”

Victor intervenes. “It was just a suggestion. Whether Isabella sees someone here at school or at an outside facility, she could benefit from the interaction.”

“Is that your professional opinion as a History teacher?” Tyler sneers.

“As an educator and advocate for children, yes, it is.”

I rub the pads of my fingers over my forehead and fight the embarrassment that is my ex-husband and try to mentally figure out what the heck is going on with Isabella. I know she’s been sullen, but having a teacher broach the subject is a new level of concern. “Thanks, Victor, um … Mr. Adams. We’re going to discuss this and see what we can do for Izzy.”

“Anything else about her education we need to discuss other thanstudy more?” Tyler’s sarcasm is as obnoxious as his shirt.

“That’s it,” Victor replies.

“Thanks.” Tyler rises and is quickly out the door while I give a wave to Victor. He’s halfway down the hall when I step out of the classroom and storm after him.

“Where are you going? We have to see her English teacher next.”

“Dinner,” he states and then stops just by the exit doors, spinning to me and waving a hand in the air. “This is bullshit. Therapy for our kid? Is this a school or some namby-pamby feelings bullshit center?”

“Her parents divorced. It’s hard on a kid.”

He pushes open the door and walks outside toward the lot and his Mercedes. “Next thing you know, she’s gonna be walking around with an emotional support ferret because she can’t deal with her parents’ divorce.”

“You’re just behaving this way because you feel guilty.”

Tyler stops and turns around with raised brows and an open mouth.

I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Don’t act like you don’t think this isn’t your fault.”

“We were separated, Lyss. Whether I filed for divorce or not, we were on our way to divorce.”

“You filed after you had an affair. You gave up on us, Ty.”

His mouth opens and closes, and he switches his stance. His hand is on his hip, and his other palm is up, as if he’s going on the defense. “It’s not like that, and you know it. I’ve explained myself. I didn’t mean to fall in love with Maisie. I was lost in our marriage when I met her, and we just started talking.”

“You talked to her, Tyler. You put yourself in the position to fall in love with someone. A man who is fighting for his family doesn’t willingly open himself up to someone else. You did that on purpose.”

“Would you have preferred it was an affair of sex and not emotion?”

“Absolutely! Sex is short-lived. But you loved someone else enough to break up our family. And now, Izzy probably has this paralyzing fear that any relationship she forms will end the same way. Abandoned and alone.”

“Don’t assume things about our daughter. How could you possibly think that?”

“Because that’s how I feel!” I yell, and it’s followed by a quick gasp of air and the intense, overwhelming sensation that comes when one speaks your truth.

“Lyss—”

“Don’tLyssme!” I back away from him, clenching my jaw and willing myself not to cry.

A family is walking through the main entrance, looking at Tyler and me, clearly in a dramatic confrontation.

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