Can't Help Falling in Love - Samantha Chase Page 0,14
refused to let that thought take hold.
He made it through making dinner, bathing Eli, reading him a story, and putting him to bed before he sat down and allowed himself to relax. Sitting in front of the TV, he did his best to get into a few episodes of Game of Thrones that he was seriously behind on watching. It was after ten, and he was contemplating going to bed when his phone rang.
Melissa.
He was quick to remind himself to stay calm and not go at her with all the rage he felt. Letting out a long breath, he answered the phone.
“Hey,” he said, his voice low and almost deadly calm.
“Hey.”
Hunter waited for her to say something–like apologize, explain herself, ask if Eli was okay–but she remained silent.
Guess it’s up to me to move this along…
“Where are you?”
She groaned. “Okay, look, let’s just start with the fact that I know you’re pissed off.”
“I’d say that’s accurate.”
“Yeah, I got that after listening to the six hundred messages you left.”
“What did you expect?” he demanded angrily, jumping to his feet. “You deserted Eli, Mel!”
“I told you you had to pick him up!”
“And I told you I couldn’t!”
“Well…neither could I!” she countered. “Obviously, you managed to find the time in your precious schedule to get him, so I don’t know what you’re annoyed about. It wasn’t like Katie left him on a street corner someplace.”
“Seriously? That’s not the point! We have a legal agreement, Mel! One that you had drawn up and agreed to, and yet you never freaking stick to it!” He stopped because the agreement was a moot point now. His call to his attorney this morning was going to see to that. “Just…where are you? Will you be around tomorrow?”
“No.”
No surprise there.
“When will you be home?”
She sighed loudly. “Hunter,” she began and then paused. “I’m not coming home.”
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah, so…I met someone. We’ve been dating for a little while and…I moved to Oregon with him.”
“Oregon?” he cried. “You moved across the damn country without telling anyone?” Hunter swore his head was going to explode. He began to pace as he sputtered and tried to get at least one coherent question past his lips, but he couldn’t quite make that happen.
“Hunt, come on. You and I both know things weren’t working. They haven’t for a long time. I told you years ago this wasn’t the life I wanted. I know you thought I’d change my mind, and I also know if I told you I was thinking of moving, you’d hound the crap out of me until you got your way.” Another sigh. “I couldn’t let you have your way on this. I was slowly dying in that town and hell, even I know I was a terrible mother to Eli. He doesn’t deserve that. If I stayed any longer, things were only going to get worse. Is that what you want?”
“None of this is what I want. Not one damn bit of it. What the hell am I supposed to tell Eli when he asks for you? How am I supposed to explain to him his mother cared more about herself than him, huh?”
And for some reason, Violet came to mind, and he realized how eerily similar their lives were before quickly pushing the thought aside.
“You’re a good man, Hunter, and an even better father. You’ll know exactly what to say to him so you won’t hurt him.”
“Be sure about this, Mel. Because if you aren’t coming home, then know I’m going to seek full custody of him. I’ll even file to terminate your parental rights. Is that what you want?”
“I already filed the paperwork myself. You should be getting papers from my lawyer next week.”
The room started to spin, and a pain pierced his heart as he sat down.
This was it.
She wasn’t bluffing.
In all the years they had been together, this had been their MO. They’d fight; they’d yell and scream. Then one of them would offer an ultimatum, and then they’d be okay.
Apparently, not anymore.
“Mel…don’t do this to him. Please.”
And for the first time in all the years they’d known each other, he heard genuine regret in her voice.
“I have to. It’s not fair to him. To any of us. I’m sorry it had to happen this way, I really am. But…this is how it had to be. You and I? We’re too different. You always wanted to live the small town life and settle down with the wife, the kids, the dog, and never see the world.