Chapter Three #2
Although I want to tell her she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, I can’t force the words out.
Because the truth is, she’s right. I can never have Ella.
Not the way I want to. She’s too good a woman.
Even though Drew doesn’t deserve to kiss the ground she walks on, she will never betray him by giving me a chance.
That’s just how good a heart she has. The thing I love about her the most is the one thing that will keep us apart.
Instead of replying to her, I reach back into my truck and grab Jacob’s tray of cupcakes. Turning back to Val, I stare down at her.
“If we’re being honest, here is some truth for you. I’d much rather spend the rest of my life jacking my dick to the thought of that woman than to ever fuck you again.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. Although Val stepped out on our marriage, it wasn’t because I wasn’t fucking her. If I asked her to hop on my cock right now, she would. She can play like she’s happy and moved on all she wants, but we both know how much she wants my dick.
I left her standing there with her mouth hanging open. I walked past her toward her car. Just as I toss the backpack inside, my son comes barreling out of the main office doors.
“Mom, guess what? I beat my highest score in Block Blast. Cam says he thinks it’s the highest score ever.”
Jacob tries to show his mother the phone with his score on it. However, she waves him away.
“Get in the car, Jacob. We have to go.”
Watching my son’s face fall makes me want to choke the shit out of his mother.
“Hey, come here,” I call out to Jacob.
He rushes over to me. My son was all me. He had my dark blonde hair, my blue eyes, and even my dimpled smile. I place my hand on his shoulder.
“I love you. Be good this week with your mom. Maybe, if she’s okay with it, I’ll come get you a week early and we can go out to the cabin and go fishing.”
Despite how much Val makes me want to strangle her, I try to keep our differences away from Jacob. In his eyes, his mother is the best thing ever. I don’t want to take that away from him. So if I have to lie and cover for her, I will.
“Yeah,” Val says, stepping up to us with a smile. “That will be fine.”
“Awesome. Can Cam come with us?”
I grin, those two can’t do anything without each other. “I’ll have to check with Aunt Ella.”
Val scoffs and rolls her eyes when I look up at her. I don’t feed into her bullshit.
They both loaded into the car. I stand and watch as they back out of the driveway. I don’t head back into my office until I can no longer see her taillights. Despite how much I wish they didn’t, her words still sit heavy in my head.
“Andrew is a lawyer. His income runs circles around yours. Do you think she’s going to look at you?”
Drew was always the wealthy friend. We met in kindergarten.
He came from a family of lawyers and doctors.
My father worked on an assembly line until he retired.
My mother worked as a teacher all her life.
They both worked their asses off, budgeted, and retired with hefty savings.
Despite our different backgrounds, Drew and I were inseparable.
Even after he ended up dating Ella. I didn’t hold it against either of them.
Things didn’t start going left for Drew and me until college.
Our first big fallout was sophomore year when he cheated on Ella.
She tried to surprise him by coming to the school to see him, and unfortunately, we both walked in on him in the act.
She was devastated. I felt like shit because I was the only reason she was able to walk into our room.
It took me a while to forgive him for that.
I couldn’t understand why he’d risk what he had with Ella for a girl that he barely knew.
But the thing that sealed the deal on our friendship was his last fuck-up.
After that incident, he and I have never been the same.
After finishing my paperwork for the day, I power down my computer. It was close to 10 pm. Everyone else is long gone. That’s the downfall of owning your own business. Even when everyone else is gone for the day, you’re always the last one out.
Standing on my feet, I lean back and crack my back. I then grab my keys off my desk. My cellphone rings. Picking it up, I look at the name on the screen and smile.
“How’s it going, AJ?” I say as soon as I answer.
“Hey, Uncle Mitch.” His whispered voice puts me on high alert.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I need you to go check on Mom.” I’m out the door before he can even finish his sentence.
“What did he do?”
I knew the boys were going to Drew’s this weekend.
I’ve stayed out of the middle of their divorce.
Keeping my opinions and thoughts to myself.
It doesn’t mean I haven’t had a lot to say.
Drew does a lot of small things to get under El’s skin.
For instance, always making comments about the house when he sees her.
Or, throwing in her face how much he has now that they’re separated.
Ella takes the remarks like a champ, but the shit pisses me off.
I knew if AJ was calling for me to check on Ella, it meant Drew had done something.
“Dad told us tonight that he’s getting married.” AJ’s whispered words had me stopping in my tracks. My hand on the door handle of my truck tightened.
Fuck. I shake my head as I imagine how that news probably hurt El.
“He made me go out to his car while he talked to mom,” AJ goes on to say. “I think he might’ve told her first. Now, she’s not answering her phone or texts.” He pauses. “Can you go over and check on her for me, please?”
“I’m already on my way. Don’t worry about it. I got her.”
I couldn’t be prouder of this kid. The divorce was hard on AJ and Cameron.
They went through about six months of acting out.
One day, while he was at my house, he was telling me how angry he was at both his parents.
I sat him down and had a long conversation with him.
I talked about how this was no one’s fault and how much his mother needed him to step up. He did exactly that.
“Thanks, Uncle Mitch. I have to go. Dad wants us to meet the new fiancée.” I can tell by his tone that he wasn’t excited about that.
After saying goodbye, I hang up the phone. I try to call Ella, not sure what kind of state I would find her in. The divorce was hard on her. I don’t think it came as much of a surprise, but I think she felt like she failed at her marriage.
My call goes to voicemail, making me worry a little more. Placing my phone in my pocket, I climb into my truck and head toward home.