Page 31 of Redemption

“You don’t need a job. Your job is being a mother. Quit.”

“I wish it was that easy.” Her hands shake as she reaches up to wipe her eyes. “God, I’d gotten so used to spending every waking moment with her. I know it’s a codependency that probably isn’t healthy for her, but that’s my little girl. Noah’s been independent for a while now, and she’s my baby.”

This still doesn’t make sense. “Lex, why get a job in the first place? I don’t understand.”

“Because I have bills to pay.”

The statement sounds so simple, but for some reason, the words don’t make sense in his mind. “Bills for what?”

“I got a place. And I spent the money I had left in savings from before we got married on furniture for the kids so they have beds and everything they need to feel at home. It didn’t leave much money left over, and I’d really like to stop sleeping on the couch at some point.”

His heart drops. She’s really moving on, and he’s been out here living in la la land. “You don’t have to work. I’ll give you whatever money you need to take care of the kids. And you.”

Leaning on the car, her eyes finally lock with his. “I can’t take your money.”

“Sure you can. I’m offering.”

“Lily suggested putting alimony in the papers, but I just couldn’t do it. I don’t want to be vindictive, and I wasn’t in the marriage to get anything out of it.”

The fucking divorce papers. “Are you sure you still want to go forward with the divorce? We can change our minds. Talk and figure out how we move forward again. How to fix what went wrong and broke.”

She sighs and looks at the ground. “I’m sure.”

Fuck. “Lex-”

“I’ll be fine. Do you have your phone on you?”

“What?”

“Your phone. Do you have it on you?”

Colt reaches into his jeans and pulls it out. “Need to call someone?”

Taking it from him, she half smiles. “No. When did you get a smartphone?”

“A couple of months ago. I’m still trying to figure out how to use it. But it works well when I have to rock Calla to sleep because I can only count the various sections of the ceiling in her room so many times before I go crazy.”

She chuckles and taps on the screen before handing it back to him. “Here.”

“What’d you do? Did you change my ringtone to something that sounds like a woman getting off in a porno so I have to explain it to Noah? Because I hate to break it to you, but Ky already did that.”

Another chuckle comes from her, and he feels a warmth spread across his chest. It’s been so long since he’s seen her smile, let alone laugh. Until right now, he hadn’t realized just how long it’s been or how much he missed it.

“No, I got a new phone. I replaced my old number with my new one. I think we’re at a place where you contact me directly for the kids.”

“I’ve earned your trust?” he jokes.

Sniffling, she wraps her arms around her waist, and he hates how small she looks. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you with the kids. I didn’t trust you wouldn’t try to find me. Or that you wouldn’t harass me into giving in and coming home. It took me this entire time to get to the point I am now, and I think I’m strong enough to not fall apart at the sight of you.”

“I never wanted this, Lex.”

“I know. Me neither.”

“And I didn’t want to hurt you. Whether you can believe me or not, I love you.”

Wiping her nose, she shakes her head. “Please, don’t. This is the first time I’ve been able to be around you that hasn’t felt like fifty people stabbing me with steak knives in the heart.”

“Are you eating?”

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