57. Chapter 57
Chapter 57
If David thought he’d wake up feeling less fucked up about Paige than when he went to sleep, he was quickly robbed of that notion when he received a text from her the next morning. Immediately feeling a sense of anxious dread at seeing her name, it took him a moment to open the text.
PAIGE: How are you doing this morning?
Such a benign—yet loaded—question, to which the real answer pained him greatly because he knew Paige was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. However, at the same time, he didn’t know how to be with her right at the moment, in any way, shape, or form.
He knew that was mostly due to guilt—guilt that in the pursuit of forging a new life with her, he’d seemingly lost sight of his son’s welfare, and Jacob had gotten hurt.
He’d never felt so discombobulated in his life, and he hated it.
What if this feeling didn’t go away? This inability to think about Paige without thinking about the cost of his mistake? What if he felt like this weeks from now? Months?
It would tear them apart. Taking a deep breath, he replied with a lie.
DAVID: I’m doing okay. You?
PAIGE: Good enough.
PAIGE: How did it go at your mom’s last night?
DAVID: Not too bad, considering.
PAIGE: Did you talk to Jacob about Liam?
DAVID: A little. I basically said that Liam wasn’t going to be a part of Jacob’s life ever again.
PAIGE: I’m sure that made Jacob feel better.
DAVID: It did.
DAVID: Now I just have to make good on my promise.
PAIGE: You will.
PAIGE: I have to go, but I hope you both have a good day!
Friday wasn’t any better, starting off with another solicitous text from Paige.
PAIGE: Good morning. How are you and Jacob doing?
DAVID: He’s doing pretty good, but I haven’t been sleeping very well. I was even awake before my alarm went off, so I’m tired as hell.
PAIGE: Well, given how much stress you’re under, I’m not surprised you’re having trouble sleeping.
PAIGE: Melatonin should help. Also, you could put some lavender essential oil in a diffuser near your bed, and set an amethyst crystal on your nightstand. That’s my favorite, but celestite and angelite also work, too.
DAVID: Okay, good to know. Thanks.
PAIGE: I’m a little confused. Shouldn’t you be making a ‘rock’ joke right about now?
DAVID: You’re right. Clearly, I’m off my game, which I blame on a lack of sleep.
DAVID: Otherwise, I’d have asked where the nearest quarry was.
When he got home from work later that day, after picking up Jacob, he found a little gift basket on his doorstep, filled with all the items Paige had suggested. A few of the things were obviously new, like the Melatonin, the mini diffuser, and lavender essential oil, but the crystals were likely from her ‘collection’.
Jacob, of course, was intrigued by the crystals, and wanted to know what they were called and what they were for, so David briefly explained. Jacob then wanted to set up the diffuser, and as it started emitting a wispy stream of lavender scent (to his delight), David texted Paige, his heart heavy at her thoughtfulness. Because even though he appreciated what she’d done, it didn’t alleviate his inner conflict at all.
DAVID: Thank you for the gifts. You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble, though.
PAIGE: You’re welcome.
PAIGE: And there’s a quarry on my way to work, so it wasn’t any trouble. But even if it was, I would have done it.
PAIGE: I hope it helps.
Under normal circumstances, David would’ve been aggravated that Paige had to work on Saturday. However, these weren’t normal circumstances, so he was actually grateful she was working most of this one, because it provided a natural barrier from seeing her, giving him cover all day.
On Sunday, though, since it was her designated day off, he had no such cover, which meant he had to make his own, since spending the day with her was not an option.
So, when he got her FaceTime request on Sunday morning, he braced himself before accepting it. Thankfully, he had anticipated such a call, and was mostly prepared for the conversation.
Mostly, because the moment he saw her pretty smile, all his conflicting emotions rose up and punched him in the middle of his chest, making it hard to breathe. It also made him realize that feeling like this for much longer was going to be … unsustainable.
“Good morning,” he greeted her, hoping he sounded normal.
“Good morning,” she returned sweetly. “How are you? How’s Jacob?”
“We’re doing okay.”
“Have you been sleeping better?”
“Not really, no.”
“Really? That stuff always helps me.”
“Well, it probably would’ve helped me, too, but Jacob basically commandeered everything—except for the melatonin—and I just didn’t have the heart to take it all back from him.”
Paige laughed, and the sound washed over him, making his throat tight. “Oh, God, that’s funny.”
“It kind of was.”
There was a brief silence, and then she said, “I’m glad you guys are doing okay, because I was thinking maybe the three of us could get together and do something fun today.”
“Actually, Jacob and I already have other plans,” he told her.
“Oh. Really?”
He could see that she was both surprised and disappointed by the news, and he gave her an apologetic look. “We’re going to spend the day with Dick. Hanging out, catching up, and … whatnot.”
“Whatnot?”
“Man stuff.”
“Man stuff? You mean, like arm wrestling? Re-building a car engine? Stuff like that?”
David almost laughed at the visual of him doing either of those things. “More like watching football and having a couple of beers.”
“Well, I’m a little disappointed, but …” she trailed off, then seemed to gather herself and give him a smile that was on the lackluster side. “Anyway, I hope you guys have a good time with Dick.”
And they did, watching football and having more than a couple of beers, and as soon as Jacob crashed on the couch, Evan jumped right in.
“So, what’s the latest with you and Cat Lady?” he asked. Since his sister, Evelyn, had gone on maternity leave, he’d been putting in a lot of extra hours at Three Amigos, resulting in him being very busy and subsequently a little out of the loop. “Something good, I hope?”
“Well, she met Jacob at Thanksgiving,” David answered, knowing it would unleash a million more questions, which it did.
“Really?” Evan’s eyebrows rose. “Things must be progressing with her, then.”
“Enough to where meeting him made sense.”
“And how did that go?”
“Pretty good, actually.”
“Did Jacob like her?”
“He did. When she left, he gave her a picture that he’d drawn.”
“Did she like him? I remember you saying he might be an issue for her.”
“She liked him. They got along very well. She even brought him Rice Krispies treats.”
Evan sighed. “Women who bake are the modern-day unicorns.”
“Well, Rice Krispies treats aren’t baked, but I get your point.”
“So … Cat Lady wears slutty lingerie, eats meat, gives lingam massages, bakes, and gets along with your kid. Sounds like she’s a keeper. Wait, did she meet your mom, too?”
“Yes, and they got along great.”
“Hmm. So, when do I get to meet her?”
“Soon,” David told him, keeping his tone light.
“That’s pretty vague. You’re just worried I’ll try and snag her for myself, aren’t you?”
“No. Because she’s way too nice for you.”
“Well, shit.”
David then went on to tell Evan about Jacob’s shitty weekend with Ashley, which led to Paige’s suspicions, Lauren’s involvement, and the revelations in Jacob’s therapy sessions.
“Jesus Christ,” Evan murmured when David was done, looking at Jacob sleeping a few feet away on the sectional for a long, pensive moment, before turning and facing David again. “So, what’s next?”
“I’m not sure,” David answered. “It depends on what happens after Lauren submits her reports. She said there’s a high probability that no charges will be brought against either Ashley or Liam, and if that happens, there’s a possible Plan B for me to maybe get sole custody.”
“I hope so, man. Ashley really needs to be put in the rearview mirror.”
David nodded in agreement.
“Then you and Jacob and Cat Lady—and her cat—can live happily ever after,” Evan added, giving David’s shoulder a hearty slap and squeeze.
“Yeah, that.”
Later, as David was climbing into bed, his phone buzzed with an incoming text from Paige.
PAIGE: How was your day?
DAVID: It was good. How was yours?
As soon as he sent the text, he wished he could take it back, because it was such a stupid response, given that he’d deliberately set her adrift for the day so he could avoid her.
PAIGE: It was pretty quiet. I did some cleaning, then ended up making Dolly a batch of lemon squares.
That sounded like a pretty crap day, and David decided he was probably going to hell.
Or maybe he was already in it.
On Tuesday morning, David heard from Lauren, and after the brief conversation, he texted Paige.
DAVID: I just got off the phone with Lauren. An investigation isn’t going to be opened, so she wants to meet me tomorrow night to discuss Plan B.
PAIGE: I wish I could go with you.
Secretly, he was relieved that she couldn’t go, even though the reason she couldn’t was shitty, and under normal circumstances it would’ve made him unhappy. With the month of December now upon them, her work schedule had exploded because of all the Christmas and holiday parties booked almost every day and most evenings at The Main Event.
DAVID: I know.
David blinked at Lauren. “That’s your Plan B?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“Of course you can,” Lauren said with conviction. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t use a little bit of help,” she added, digging something out of her pocket and holding it out.
It was an oval shaped stone, two inches in length and colored a deep shade of brick-red, with a subtle pattern of black, cream, and brown veins running through it. Taking it from her, he examined it carefully, noting one side was flat, while the other was rounded in the middle, and waited for an explanation.
“It’s a worry stone,” she explained.
“A worry stone?”
“Yes. It’s called that because the repetitive action of rubbing it—or using it, as it’s usually referred to as—shifts your attention away from any anxiety you might be feeling, allowing it to be drawn out of your body and into the stone, which then lets it go. Using a worry stone also causes your brain to release endorphins, creating a calming effect in your mind and body.
“The stone in your hand is made of one of my favorite crystals. It’s a red jasper, known as the ‘supreme nurturer’, because of the support it provides in times of stress and its ability to absorb negative energy.”
“Sounds good, I guess,” David said. “So, how do I use it?”
“You make a loose fist, with the flat side of the stone resting against your fingers and rub the curved part with your thumb.”
David followed her instructions, tweaking placement until the stone felt right in the palm of his left hand, and he could easily rub it. After a few moments, he had to admit that the repetitive act was soothing, and sort of grounding. Now, whether that was because the red jasper was actually doing what Lauren said it could do, or because it just felt good to do it, he had no idea.
“I assume I’m supposed to use this during my meeting with Ashley?”
“Yes. It’s easily hidden in a pocket, so you can use it without being noticed. However, if you’re uncomfortable with that, just holding onto it can also have a calming influence, as can simply having it in your pocket.”
He had a feeling the third option was going to be the winner. “Okay.”