Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
CHRISTINE
“You’re gonna stay the whole time?” Casey demands.
I nod seriously as I hold the car door open and wait for him to climb down. At some point in the past few weeks, he decided he’s absolutely too old for my help now. “Every last minute.”
His feet have barely hit the pavement before he takes my hand and drags me toward the skate park with every ounce of strength he has.
“Casey—”
“Moms sit over here,” he informs me as he leads the way to the picnic tables.
Fletcher looks up from the makeshift sign-in table as we approach, and a wide smile spreads across his face.
“Case! Ready to show us what you’re made of today?”
Casey nods excitedly, then points at the seat he wants me to take.
I laugh a little but comply.
It’s the final day of camp, which means it’s basically a performance to the parents to show everything they learned over the past three weeks.
Fletcher’s eyes meet mine as Casey dives for the stockpile of skateboards to pick which one he wants. “You’re sticking around today?”
I shrug and widen my eyes in mock awe. “Had to see what all the fuss was about. Casey said his teacher was like a skating god or something.”
Fletch’s eyes crease around his grin. “Did he now?”
I make a big show of looking around the rest of the park, which is still mostly empty. “So where is Liam anyway?”
He throws his head back in a laugh, then crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head. “You are a mean, mean woman.”
I press my lips together to hold my response back.
I can think of quite a few times he didn’t seem to think I was mean.
“I’m here, I’m here. Hey, Case.” Liam jogs up with a tired smile and pats Fletcher on the back. “Christine, hey, thank you again for helping with that party last week. Gracie hasn’t stopped talking about it since.”
I wave a hand in front of my face. “Of course.”
“No, really. I know you put a lot of work into it.”
“It was really something,” Fletcher adds.
I squirm a little under the praise. Truthfully, the party turned out even better than I could have hoped for. If anything, I’m relieved. Especially with the way some news outlets picked it up and tied it to talk of that upcoming movie. Thank God it wasn’t a disaster.
And with my name attached to it now…who knows. Maybe Gracie was right and this could turn into a new chapter for me.
“I was happy to do it.”
As the other kids and their parents start arriving, Liam and Fletcher get pulled this way and that, answering questions or helping the kids get into their gear.
“Oh, hi!” Gloria, Erin’s mom, slides into the seat next to me as she smiles and waves at her daughter. Out of the corner of her mouth, she says, “Are you going to be covering your eyes this whole time too?”
I laugh, a weight lifting from my shoulders that I hadn’t realized was there at the sight of a friendly face. The other moms aren’t rude, exactly, but they congregate around a different table. “Probably.”
“Erin’s been asking about doing another playdate,” she adds.
“Oh, I’m sure Casey would love that. I swear I heard about the fort they made for days .”
“That’s about how long it took to clean it up,” says Gloria, and we both laugh.
Fletcher looks over at the sound, his eyes catching mine, and my smile grows—then I remember where I am and quickly look away.
The kids start with some of the smaller obstacles around the park—little ramps and rails. Hearing Casey describe what they were learning and watching it are two very different things. I wince and brace my shoulders each time one of them goes, even when it isn’t my kid. They do the tricks one by one, with either Liam or Fletcher lingering nearby as if ready to intervene. For some of the smaller kids, they break out their own skateboards and push alongside them to help them gain some speed, then keep holding their hand throughout the duration of the trick.
When it’s not Casey’s turn, I can’t help it. My eyes keep getting pulled back to Fletcher. He cheers the kids on and gives each of them a high five after every trick. But despite that easy smile, his eyes miss nothing. He tracks every movement, and though most of the kids land their tricks successfully, it’s like he can already tell when something will go wrong, and he jumps in and throws an arm around the kid’s waist, catching them before they can hit the ground.
One of the girls freezes up at the top of a ramp, chewing on her lip and looking from the concrete in front of her to the picnic tables. Fletcher inches closer, talking to her in a voice too low to hear.
She murmurs something, and he cups a hand around his ear like he can’t hear her. “Why?”
“I’m brave and tough!” she calls.
He flashes his stupidly perfect toothy smile. “That’s right. Now let’s go.”
She lowers her head, all business now, and kicks off.
It’s wrong on so many levels, but I am an absolute puddle watching it. Watching him.
But then it comes to that monstrous hole in the ground—the bowl, I think they called it—and I feel like I’m about to be sick.
Gloria pats my leg comfortingly as Casey steps up to the edge, head held high. Fletcher hops over the side so he stands at the bottom while Casey balances his board at the top. My heart is in my throat, and I find myself rising to my feet.
Fletcher holds out his hand for Casey to grab.
I force myself not to turn away because I know how badly Casey wants me to watch, even though every cell in my body is screaming to cover my eyes.
Casey drops down into the bowl, and Fletcher keeps holding his hand until he hits the bottom, then lets him go. I hold my breath as Casey shoots across at way too fast of a speed, but instead of slamming into the other side or tumbling off, he glides halfway up, turns, and rolls back toward us with a huge grin, completely in control.
I’m jumping up and down and cheering before I realize it. Both from relief, but also…something else. Life has felt like it came to a screeching halt the moment I decided to go through with the divorce. Like everything’s been on pause. But over a year has passed now. And somewhere in there…Casey has grown up. I was so wary about this camp, thinking he was too young for it. I don’t know if I’m impressed or shocked or…sad. Maybe a strange combination of all three.
Casey stops, kicks up the board, and flashes a proud grin up at me.
Since it’s the last day, the camp runs late with a mini celebration. They order pizza, and the kids are presented with little finger skateboards to take home.
Gloria and Erin are deep in conversation with Liam on the other side of the park, and I linger by the pizza table as Casey runs around with a few of the other kids.
I’d like to think Gloria being the only friendly person here is all in my head, but every time I meet one of the parents’ eyes and smile, they either pretend to not see, or they give me a tight, uncomfortable twitch of their lips and turn away.
I take a sip from my water bottle and focus on Casey instead. He’s laughing and chasing one of the other boys around, so carefree and…happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this way around other kids.
“ So . How does it feel to be the mother of the star student?” Fletcher leans against the table beside me, a slight smile on his lips as he watches the kids.
“He really was good, wasn’t he?”
“It meant a lot to him to have you here. And I know…being here isn’t the most comfortable for you.”
At first I think he’s talking about himself, but he’s frowning, his gaze trained on the other moms who snubbed me a few minutes ago.
I grimace. So it’s as obvious on the outside as it feels.
“You look beautiful,” he murmurs.
I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. “Don’t flirt with me here.”
“Then where would you like me to flirt with you?”
The harder I try to fight my smile, the wider his smirk grows. I shake my head and turn back to the park…
…and see a sleek black SUV pull up to the curb on the opposite side.
And out steps my ex-husband.
Casey freezes when he sees him, and the rest of his friends go running off without him.
“Hey, bud,” calls Julian.
“What the hell?” I shove away from the table.
Casey whips around with wide eyes when he sees me coming. I’d asked him a while ago if he wanted me to invite his dad too, but he’d been pretty adamant that he only wanted me to come today. Did he change his mind and somehow invite him here? But judging by his face, he’s as surprised as I am.
“What are you doing here, Julian?” I ask.
“I need a reason to see my son?” When I don’t bother to dignify that with a response, he sighs. “I got back early from my trip. Thought I’d pick him up, we could spend some time together?—”
“You thought you’d just come pick him up?” I cut in. “Without running it by me first?”
“I think I’ve been very patient with you through this whole ordeal,” he says in a low voice. “I don’t need your permission to see my son. Come on, Casey. Get in the car.”
“You’re not taking him anywhere. If you hadn’t noticed, today’s kind of a big deal for him. He’s playing with his friends right now.”
“Looks like things are pretty much done here anyway, so what’s the big deal?” Julian’s gaze cuts to me. “Nothing to cause a scene over.”
The rage boiling inside of me threatens to reach a breaking point. I am not the one causing a scene. I clench my hands into fists at my sides and force myself not to yell. “You can’t swoop in whenever you feel like it. You want to see him? Fine. Then you talk to me, and we plan something. You don’t get to just show up and take him.”
“Everything all right over here?” Fletcher steps up beside me, arms crossed over his chest and his jaw hard as he takes Julian in.
Julian barely spares him a glance. “We’re fine. Come on, Casey?—”
Fletcher takes another step forward. “You’re not taking him anywhere.”
That, finally, gets Julian to look at him. His lip curls. “And who the hell are you?” His eyes flick to me, and his lip curls further, like I’m some dogshit smeared on the bottom of his designer shoes. “Is this what you’ve been up to?”
“You need to leave, unless you’d like me to call the police,” says Fletcher.
Julian barks out a cold, mean laugh. “I’d very much like it if you did. Go on, go on. Call them. Or better yet?” He pulls his phone out of his suit pocket. “Do you want their personal numbers? Is the deputy okay, or should I try the sheriff instead?”
Dread pools in the pit of my stomach like hot tar. I don’t care what our legal documents say. If Julian wants to take him, I don’t think anyone would stop him.
“See, I run this camp,” says Fletcher. “And I’m legally obligated to ensure the kids only leave with the adults on their forms. Casey only has one person legally permitted to pick him up. His mom.”
I turn, then freeze.
“Casey?” I ask in a small voice.
Fletcher whips around.
He was standing right behind me. He was there just a second ago.
I look around wildly, thinking maybe he got pulled back into a game with his friends, but no. They’re all over on the opposite side of the park, and there’s no sign of him.
Not in the bowl, not by the tables, not with the other kids.
“Casey,” I mean to call, but it comes out closer to a gasp.
“Jesus Christ.” Julian stomps up beside me. “Are you happy now?—?”
Fletcher steps between us. “How about you get the fuck out of her face and go look for your son?”
Tears build rapidly in my eyes as I whip my head back and forth. “Casey,” I gasp. “Casey.”
Someone jogs over to us—I think it’s Liam. He and Fletcher exchange words, but I can barely hear over the roaring in my ears. My breaths come in short and fast as I stumble through the park, desperately looking around.
“He gets upset and hides when people argue,” Liam is saying. “He’s probably just camped out somewhere.”
“Stay with her, okay? Look around here and call the police. I’m gonna jump in the car and circle the park. Chris. Chris?” A hand finds my face, then eyes are right in front of mine. “Breathe. Take a deep breath. Breathe. Liam’s going to stay right here with you, and I’m going to go find him, okay?”
“Casey,” I gasp like it’s the only word I can say.
Fletcher presses his lips together into a hard line, stares at me for a second longer, then releases me and takes off. “Stay with her,” he calls before disappearing into the parking lot.