Chapter 28
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
AUDREY
I huff at her fucking dramatics. “Daniella, no one is taking your spot as our child.”
“You two are married, or have we forgotten that fact?! This is my high school best friend. She was here so much growing up. How is this not weird to you both?” The disgusted look on her face has me questioning whether I really had a part in raising this human in front of me.
I take a breath and cut her off before she says anything else out of anger or misunderstanding. “We’re all three consenting adults, and we didn’t raise you to be judgmental like this. Plus, you don’t know the full story either.”
Daniella mutters under her breath, “I don’t think I want the full story…”
That snaps Bo into gear. “Did you come back here just to show us this picture?” he questions, and her head tilts to the side with a “are you dumb” look on her face.
“If you have questions about our dynamic or what we’re doing, ask them.
If it’s only going to be rude comments, you can go to your room. ”
We haven’t told her to go to her room since her early teenage years, but we’ll get to the point of no return if we keep saying hurtful things to one another.
“I came to see if it was true or not, and clearly it is.” She crosses her arms over her chest and rushes out. “What, are you two getting divorced or something?!”
“We wouldn’t be standing here arguing with you, together, if we were getting divorced, Daniella. But we are welcoming Stevie into our marriage.”
“But why Stevie? It could’ve been anyone else, and I wouldn’t have blinked an eye. Plus, you’re both old.” She mocks a gagging sound, and I roll my eyes at her dramatics, but also glad that some of her personality is starting to show through.
“She’s a midwife at work now, and we kinda hit things off… without getting into too many of the details.”
“Didn’t she work at a sex club in Vegas?
” Daniella tilts her head with her brows pulled together, and I’m just thankful there wasn’t any trace of disgust in her voice, because I would have kicked her out of the house for being judgmental of sex workers.
There’s not much she would get kicked out for, but that’s one that’s pretty high on the list. “Oh my fucking god—you two went to Vegas a couple of years ago…” I can see the wheels turning in her head.
Bo sits back on the couch, finally relaxing a little. “Yeah, that’s where the story started, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that,”
She hums but leaves it at that. “Kyle and I broke up,” she blurts, completely changing the subject.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” I grab her up in a hug, but she starts to laugh an unhinged laugh that’s slightly concerning.
“It’s fine, he was way too immature for me.” She lets go and sits down on the oversized lounge chair. “And I think I want to drop out of college. I have no clue what I want to major in still.”
Bo comforts her as he does best. “There’s nothing wrong with dropping out, especially if nothing is calling to you.”
“I’m looking into esthetician school, but I need to go and tour. Can you both go with me?”
We both nod, and Bo agrees, “Of course, you say when and we’re there.”
“I will need to use some of my college fund for an apartment, though, because I refuse to hear what’s going on with the three of you.
” The disgusting look has made its appearance, but rightfully so.
“And I’m still not over it being Stevie…
But I also realize it doesn’t matter what I think about it.
I think I was more shocked than anything from that random lady’s message she sent of the three of you.
” She thinks for a minute and then adds, “Plus, it was a good ice breaker to telling you both I was dropping out.”
I chuckle. “We wouldn’t have cared if you would have just told us, honey.”
Me
We’re sorry Daniella acted like she did
She understands now
The texts were read, but she never responded, and I look up from my phone to where Bo is cooking dinner. “Stevie is completely ignoring me at work, Bo. I can’t handle this. She doesn’t need more time. What if she’s waiting on us and she thinks we don’t want—”
He cuts me off with a kiss.
“She needs time, Darlin’. We’ll give her a week. And if she doesn’t come back to us, then we’ll go to her.”
It’s been a couple of days, and I’ve had just about all I can, but I listen to Bo this one time.
But still I send one more text to Stevie.
Me
We’ll be here whenever you’re ready, Baby
“We were on a birth together tonight, and she wouldn’t even look at me, Bo.” I don’t know what to do anymore. I took the midwife patient today knowing Stevie was on shift, but she acted like I wasn’t even there.
“You texted her and told her Daniella understands now, right?”
“Yeah, but she’s still only read them…”
“I think she still needs more time. Three more days, Darlin’, and we can go over to her grandma’s. We at least know she’s okay since you see her at the hospital.”
“She doesn’t look like she’s been sleeping, Bo.” I hate when people say that, but she truly doesn’t look like she’s doing well, and it’s clawing at my heart.
I need to know that she’s okay.
Bo’s brows pull together, and he reminds me, “The woman works seventy-two-hour shifts.” How he’s handling this so well, I’ll never know. It makes me irrationally mad at him, but I also don’t want to bombard Stevie.
Daniella finding out was something she had been worried about, and how it all ended up happening was one of the worst ways it could have unfolded, but we have it figured out now. All I want to do is tell Stevie that.
“But she had been doing that before and didn’t look like this. She looks crushed, and I can’t live with being the one who did that to her.”