Chapter 49
SARAH
My phone buzzes. I blink my eyes open to the early morning light, surprised not to have a small leg draped over me. I snatch it off the nightstand and swipe to answer.
“Shouldn’t you still be sleeping?”
“I haven’t gone to bed yet.” Roxie’s excited voice fills my ear, and I pull the phone away to turn the volume down. “Did you see?!”
I run a hand over my face. “See what?” I groan, not having any idea what’s so urgent this early.
I roll onto my side and close my eyes, remembering Slade’s abrupt goodbye last night. He said he was fine, but I know better.
I watched the big, gruff man read and be silly with my kids, and then I heard Ollie tell him he loved him. My stomach soared, and my throat ached. Whatever is happening between Slade and me is one thing, but I have two small, vulnerable hearts that could get broken.
Slade hasn’t said how he feels, and I hope he’s falling in love with me right back. But asking him to love and be a constant in two kids’ lives is another thing entirely. I can’t stand to see Ollie’s heart broken by another man.
Roxie huffs, and I’m pulled back from dozing off.
“Seriously, have you not been paying attention? Miles.” She grounds out his name.
I yawn. “Rox. I love you, but I don’t care what Miles is doing at the moment.” I’m in love with the gentle beast across the street. I’ve just got to be sure he loves me and will love my kids, too, before I throw myself at him again. And this time, it won’t be in my driveway.
I caught him looking at me in the kitchen last night. I know what he was thinking. I’ve been having lots of the same tempting thoughts, and my body is ready. But my heart needs to be certain it’s just as safe.
She groans. “Sarah, get up. Right now!”
“Rox, whaaaatt?” I whine, rolling myself.
“There are Two. Women. Talking,” she enunciates clearly.
My eyes pop open, and I sit up straight. “What?”
“They’re saying Miles slept with them while they were interns. He hit it and quit it, and they’re coming for him.”
I remain perfectly still. Evaluating this news.
Is this a good thing? I’m not sure. Regardless of how much I despise Miles, he’s Ollie and Frankie’s father, and I’ve never wanted them to be affected by this side of him. But if I’ve learned anything recently, it’s that I can’t protect them from everything.
I try to sort through all my questions. “When did this happen?”
“Uh. . .when did he sleep with them, or when did they come forward?” She doesn’t wait for my answer.
“They reported it when he was announced as the new anchor on The Morning Show. Apparently, text messages and details were just leaked. My guess is they’re either looking for their five minutes of fame or payback for being used and dismissed. ”
I put her on speaker and Google it. My screen fills with the two young women’s faces. I could be angry at them, but I’m not. They were likely lured and manipulated just as I was. I wonder if there will be more.
My empty stomach rolls and swirls. I blow out a slow breath.
“You know what this means?” Roxie sings as I scroll through another article.
“His lying, cheating ass is sunk. Bullseye, baby. Those executives are seeing him for who he is. They must know that he was intentionally misleading them about your relationship. I’d like to see him stand before a judge and claim parental superiority now. Ha!”
My finger stalls on the screen .
What if this is it? What if this is the end, and he no longer has the power he’s always held? What if I can finally be free?
“Hey, you ok?”
I don’t know. I’m shocked and feel a little queasy. I stare at the wall across the room.
I’ve always just let everyone assume the worst of me, but now they’ll know the truth.
I let out a little laugh. “I don’t even care anymore.” I don’t care if people know the truth. The damage was done long ago, and I’m still standing.
“Sarah, what are you talking about?” Roxie’s tone is serious.
“All I wanted was to start over. I wanted stability for Ollie and Frankie and a chance to be happy. It seemed so far out of reach every time I turned around, and Miles was there holding something over my head. Rox . . .” My heart beats faster, and my eyes sting with tears.
“I’m not sure I really believed it was possible for it to ever be different. ”
I rest a hand on my chest. The enormous weight of years’ worth of fear and anguish lifts, and a hope I haven’t allowed blooms and spreads in its place.
“It should never have been this way,” she says softly. “But you made it. You did it, and this is just the beginning.” Her voice quivers, and a tear slips out and rolls down my cheek.
“Do you really think this is it?” I hold my breath, unsure if I should let myself look toward the light shining at the end of the tunnel.
Slade . I have to tell him.
I swallow my emotions, and the urgency to see him shoves me out of bed. I want to run across the street and jump into his arms and tell him that I’m not going anywhere.
I pull clothes from my drawers.
She sniffs, and her sassy voice returns. “Sarah, they’re filing lawsuits. I can’t imagine any lawyer would advise him to move forward with suing you for custody. He’ll be too busy trying to save his own ass. ”
“I have to call Kat and tell her.” I hold the phone between my ear and shoulder, trying to tug on my leggings.
“Yes, and then you have to tell me what she says.”
I pull on a sweatshirt.
“Rox, I love you.”
“I love you, too!” she squeals.
“Call you later.”
“You better.”
We hang up, and I use my fingers to pull my hair up into a ponytail, not giving a crap what I look like. Slade has seen me at my worst.
I sit on the edge of my bed and type out a message to Kat. It’s still early, but she’ll message me when she gets it.
There’s a knock on my front door, and Grover barks. I rush to open it, ready to fling myself at him.
“Grover, shhh. No barking.” I hush him, hoping he doesn’t wake the kids.
I swing open the door. My lungs stall as my stomach hits the floor.