Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
GRANT
“What time are you going over to your mom’s today?” I ask Luke.
“Not sure.”
I take a deep breath, not wanting to be irritated with him when it’s Kari I’m annoyed with. “Do you need me to call her?”
“I’ll do it later.”
“She knew you were going to spend Thanksgiving with her, right?”
“I mean, yeah.”
“Why don’t you go get cleaned up and I’ll give her a call, okay? I can drop you off if she doesn’t want to pick you up.”
“Alright,” Luke says.
“And put on a clean shirt!” I yell after him.
Not that I even had to. The place I’m renting for the next couple of weeks is a shoebox.
“Whatever, Dad.”
I wait until he’s in the bathroom before pulling out my phone and dialing my ex. This is not how I thought I would be spending this day.
No. I planned on waking up next to Georgia, spending the morning in bed making love with her, and then making a simple dinner for the two of us. Maybe some more sex, but not this.
Not radio silence.
Kari doesn’t pick up on the first call, and instead of leaving a voicemail, I hit the call button again.
“Grant, why are you calling me? I’m busy.”
Kari’s voice is annoyed the second she answers the phone.
“It’s Thanksgiving. Luke is supposed to be spending the day with you. What’s the plan?”
“About that…” she starts.
“About what? Luke had a plane ticket booked to come visit you, and he’s here with me on the holiday that he is supposed to be spending with you.”
“Well, Randy wants it to be just the two of us today.”
Are you fucking kidding me?
“No, Kari. Luke is here and he wants to spend the holiday with you. He wants to live in LA with you.”
“It’s one day, Grant. Can’t you keep him?”
This is what I was afraid of. This is why I blew up my entire life in Pinecrest because I was worried Kari would pull shit like this. It’s why I haven’t been able to talk to Georgia.
Every call and text has been ignored.
I get it. I can’t blame her. I told her I wouldn’t leave, and what did I do?
I fucking left.
“I will bring him over tomorrow, but you need to figure out a schedule because Luke is your son too. He wants to be here, and I have a life I need to get back to.”
“Oh, and I don’t?” she snaps. “You’re not the only person who has a kid, Grant.”
“And I took him with me because I love him and so you could live your life. You need to show up for him.”
The shower is still running, so thankfully Luke won’t catch any of this conversation.
“Tomorrow won’t make a big difference. I’ll take him shopping and we can get some stuff for him to decorate his room.”
“And the day after? Him living with you will be an everyday thing,” I clarify.
“Like I don’t know that,” she huffs. “Text me your address and I’ll come get him tomorrow morning. If that works with you and your life.”
She ends the call and I’m seething.
The nerve of her acting like our son is interfering with her life.
I try to remember the good mother she used to be—trying really, really hard—but I can’t.
Those last few years we were married, it was like she became a different person.
Someone I didn’t know. She was too obsessed with her appearance and became completely self-absorbed, and it affected every aspect of our lives.
Divorcing her was hard, but I knew Luke and I were better off.
When she met her current husband, someone who feeds her need of attention, I knew Luke would be better off living with me too.
The thought of him living with her now makes me angry. I don’t want him to live with her, but according to the court, we have shared custody. I wouldn’t put it past her to use that to get what she wants.
Besides, Luke wants to be here. I want to give him everything he needs…even if it’s at the sacrifice of my own heart.
“What time is Mom picking me up?” Luke comes out of the bathroom. His hair is a wet mess, but he has on a light blue button-up shirt.
“Change of plan,” I say. “Mom is going to come over tomorrow. She wanted the two of us to spend Thanksgiving together.”
"Really?" Luke asks, a sadness to his voice as his shoulders drop.
"Look, I know you were looking forward to seeing her, but she’ll take you shopping so you can decorate your room and get a nice fresh start. You’ll be happy here.”
“Have you talked to Georgia?” Luke asks, opening the fridge to grab a soda.
“I haven’t, no. Have you?” I try to keep the hopeful note from my voice, but I don’t do a great job.
“Just a few texts here and there. She said she hopes I like it here at my school and to call her if I need anything.”
The pain that has been sitting in my heart since the moment I stepped on the plane surges back with a vengeance. It’s just like Georgia to still be there for Luke. It’s not his fault that we’re not talking.
I did the one thing I told her I wouldn’t do.
I left her. But she had to understand I wasn’t doing it without reason. This. This right here is why I didn’t want Luke coming to LA on his own. Because what would he be doing today if I weren’t here?
Would he be sitting at Kari’s house while she and her new husband went out to dinner on their own? I hate how irrationally angry she makes me. All because she treats our son like he’s an inconvenience to her life.
“Good. I’m glad you’re talking to her. You can tell me if things aren’t okay too, you know that, right?”
“I know.”
“Okay. Then why don’t you help me make dinner so the two of us don’t starve?”
“Can I change my shirt since I’m not going out?”
I smile at him. “Sure. I’d hate for you to look nice for your old man.”
What was going to be a sad Thanksgiving dinner of leftover pizza from the night before is rescued with a bowl of pasta and my kid and me watching football.
It wasn’t the day I had planned, but those days are gone. I have no idea what will be waiting for me when I get back to Pinecrest, but I can only hope I didn’t ruin any shot I have with Georgia.
Because being here on my own, with my kid halfway out the door, I need her more than I ever thought possible.
I want the family that she wanted. I want everything with her.
I only hope I didn’t fuck it up.