Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
ADAM
When Mr. Dollston called to say his upstairs bathroom, that we just finished, had water pouring from the ceiling, I had to run right over there.
He spent a ton of money redoing it, and the plumber he used was someone I recommended.
It’s not a good look for House O’Love Construction if he hired a shoddy guy that I recommended.
I sent a text to Chelsea letting her know I was bringing Dominic to daycare and ran out the door.
Four hours later, I finally had the leak contained. It was not my guy’s fault, thank God, and I’ve taken measurements to get everything cleaned up again for Mr. Dollston.
I head out to my truck, pick up my phone and my heart skips a beat. Starting the engine, I see no less than fifty missed calls and text messages. Most of them from Chelsea Jo.
I try calling her back, but it goes straight to voicemail. I race home and see her car isn’t in our driveway. Looking to Francesca’s house, I see the lights on and both her and Jackson’s vehicles are in the driveway, so I give her a call.
“Chess? Sissy, is everyone ok? I’ve got a ton of missed calls and CJ’s car…”
“Adam.”
I stop at her tone of voice, and notice Chelsea’s car in the driveway across the street. Francesca’s old house, also the one Adley is currently staying in.
“Adam.” I hear her repeat my name, but my mind is spinning.
“…you didn’t call her, she was frantic…”
“…didn’t know where you were…”
“… didn’t know Dom was with Farrah…”
“Fuck,” I grind out the word then end the call with my sister. I sent her a text, why is she so mad? I look at my phone again, opening the chat and see the red circle with an exclamation point in the middle, signaling the text never went through.
“Fuck me!” I yell, yanking my hat off and pulling at my hair, I trudge up the walk and pound on the door.
Adley swings the door open and gives me a look of warning. “She’s furious with you.”
“I didn’t know the text didn’t go through. Let me in!” I bully my way in but pull up short when I see Chelsea standing in the middle of the living room, eyes red and puffy.
“Lower. Your. Voice.” Her threatening words fill the room and the tension surrounding us is so thick I can choke on it.
“CJ…”
“Don’t CJ me. You were supposed to be with him today.”
“I was! We played with his trucks, I made him lunch, and then I got a call that there was a leak at a house I just fixed.”
“So, you decide to drop Dom at daycare instead of sticking to the plan?”
“I didn’t just drop him. I called Farrah, she said it was fine—”
“How about me? Call me, Adam.”
“I sent you a text. You were with my sister. I didn’t want you to have to come home. So, I handled it.”
“No, Adam, you didn’t handle it. You pushed your responsibility off to someone else and went to do something you wanted to do.”
“I didn’t want to do it! I had to go. I have to work, Chelsea.”
“You always have to work.”
My heart rate skyrockets and my hands clench. “Are you kidding me with this bullshit right now?”
“Bullshit? Are you kidding me?” She throws her hands up and stomps toward me. “Just when I thought I was getting Adam, the doting father and caring boyfriend, selfish Adam shows up.”
“Selfish? I work my ass off for you! For him! What the fuck, CJ, we just had this conversation. Aren’t we on the same page? I told you, everything I do is for you two.”
“Everything but stay.”
My blood runs ice cold. I swallow down my anger and pain. “Where am I going Chelsea?”
“You can go home. We’re staying here.”
I stalk closer to her. I don’t like her tone or the threatening words she isn’t saying. “Don’t you dare leave again, Chelsea.”
She stares right back at me, crossing her arms in front of her, essentially cutting me off from her world. “Or what? It’s not like you came looking for me last time.”
I take a breath trying to calm my nerves before I say something I regret.
I gather the words I’ve been burying deep, the words I’ve been afraid to ask, afraid to hear an answer to.
“I didn’t go looking for you because there was no way I would have been able to hear you tell me you didn’t want me, to my face.
You moved out of your home to get away from me.
Refused my phone calls and I was supposed to go find you?
So, what? So you could look me in the eye when you told me to go to hell?
” I spit the words, my anger from the past rising to the surface.
“You’re right. You didn’t need to hear that. I’m sure Grace filled you in anyway.”
“What the fuck does that mean? Grace means shit to me, Chelsea!” I bellow out and then I hear a baby cry. “Fuck.” I go to move towards his room, but she puts her hand up.
“Just go, Adam. You’ve shown tonight you won’t ever put us first, no matter how much you try to convince me.”
“Chelsea, don’t.”
“But it’s my fault too, I believed you when you said it, so shame on me.
” She hesitates for a moment then turns her back and walks down the hall to where Dom is crying.
I stand there shell shocked. I can’t believe how this day unfolded.
Adley is standing quietly in the kitchen having watched the shitshow happen.
I look at her, just shaking my head, I have no words.
“I sent the text.” It’s all I can say as I turn toward the door when a flash catches my eye. On the entryway table is a bowl that holds keys when you walk in. I look closely at what’s sparkling and I notice the love knot ring I gave her all those years ago, sitting in the middle of the bowl.
And just like that, our home sweet home was turned upside down once again.