door and ask ‘What the fuck was so wrong with us that you had to get a new family?’”
“Which translates into what the fuck was wrong with you that Bronwyn got another man and had a child with him and not you?” I question as my heart squeezes because women have fucked with this guy a lot.
These two are the most significant players in his life, but what if there had been other women using him and never loving him.
No wonder he’s so jaded.
“Yes, that’s exactly it. There’s something wrong with me for thinking that, but I just can’t seem to let it go.”
“Well, you’re a catch. If you ever need references, send them my way.”
“Says the woman who keeps rejecting me,” he teases me.
“If we had met under different circumstances…” I shrug. “I’m pregnant and you have a lot of emotional gunk that you have to sort out before letting anyone in your life.”
“My brother would be killing me if I make a move because he’s afraid that I’ll fuck up his relationship with Persy.”
“I’m not in the practice of listening to others, so we’d be doing a lot more than holding my hair while I talk to the porcelain goddess in the bathrooms. And well, on the couch…the action would be different from just tucking me in when you find me asleep because it seems like I’m developing some kind of pregnancy-narcolepsy,” I say, but would I break the sister code for him?
No, I’m too loyal to my sister to mess with her relationship. Probably.
“Really, just the couch and the bathroom?” His voice has an energy that makes me want to say yes, and let’s just do it now. “We’d have gone through all the surfaces in this house and be heading to some tropical island where it’d be just you and me. Just say the word.”
My sensible side says, “No. We’re both in a bad place. I’m starting a new life, and you—”
“Do you think I need a therapist?” The change of pace feels like a whiplash.
One moment he’s telling me that we could have sex on any surface of the world, and the next we’re discussing…therapy?
“Talking to a professional about your unresolved feelings is always a good idea,” I answer, because having a sister who does that for a living has taught me many things, and I can respond to this better than discussing his tour le sex. “That said, you need to want to go. If not, it’s a waste of time for you and the therapist.”
“Do you have a therapist?”
“I do, and I speak to her every month. I have a lot of issues when it comes to my job. Mostly when I have to deal with family cases where I win because I’m good, however I shouldn’t have taken the case because I worked for the wrong parent.” I sigh, remembering all those cases I won because I’m a damn good lawyer. However, the child was placed with the wrong parent in my opinion. They make me sad. It’s hard to live with the guilt and harder to move onto the next case.
If I had the money, I’d have a firm that works to help parents who can’t afford a good lawyer but need to get their children away from their exes.
“You know what,” I suddenly say. “Losing my job hurt my pride and changed my entire life, but it might be a blessing in disguise.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad that it brought you to me.”
“But I shouldn’t be here,” I argue.
“Maybe this is where we belong. In this exact moment in time when we are somehow lost and in need of direction. We might be able to help each other find the way,” he claims while his gaze traps mine, and all I want is to be that guide and maybe stay with him once he finds a new path.
“You know what they say about blind people leading each other…” I close my mouth because I can’t recall that saying. “Anyway, I’m sure it’s a pretty bad idea.”
“No,” he argues. “I’m an emotional mess. You’re just trying to figure out how to live better with your new situation. Two different concepts. You can lead me into the emotional light, and I’ll just make sure that you and the blueberry demon settle down. It’s a win-win situation. What can go wrong?”
I stare at him, wondering if anything could go wrong. We’re not offering anything out of the ordinary. I can be a