A Girl's Guide to Moving On (New Beginnings #2) - Debbie Macomber Page 0,105

wrapped around Christmas and the upcoming winter break. I somehow made it from day to day for the next two weeks. Every class taxed me to the limit. All I wanted to do was curl into a tight ball and hibernate, but that was impossible.

If Jake had been looking for a way to punish me for having the gall to divorce him, then he’d found the perfect torture. To my dying day I would always remember the look of pain that flashed ever so briefly in Rocco’s eyes before he closed himself off from me. Rocco had been nothing but wonderful to me and I missed him.

Owen asked daily when he would see Rocco and Kaylene again. I put him off until he had a crying fit. After the first week I’d been forced to tell my son that we probably wouldn’t be able to see Rocco again. It was then that I felt the first cloud of emotion break through my fog of pain and loss.

Friday afternoon I caught sight of Kaylene in the hallway. Students were moving up and down the crowded aisle, rushing between classes. I froze and she did, too. Her eyes held mine prisoner and then narrowed. The two of us had always had a great relationship. My heart immediately filled with questions. I wanted to know how Rocco was. Knowing I’d hurt him was a constant pain I carried with me. I was hurting, too, far more than I ever thought I would.

Kaylene’s gaze speared me with what could be described only as hate before she whirled around and marched off in the opposite direction. For the rest of the day I couldn’t get her look out of my head. After school I sat in my classroom and propped my elbows on my desk. I needed help. I couldn’t do this any longer. I couldn’t face another day of this.

I had no options; my back was to the wall. Jake had threatened to challenge me for custody of my son. Deep down I knew he didn’t want Owen with him. Having to care for a three-year-old would put a damper on his lifestyle. What he wanted was to hurt me and hurt Rocco, and he’d succeeded, and I’d let him do this to us.

To this point I hadn’t talked to anyone about this except Leanne. She’d been furious with Jake and promised to talk to him. It hadn’t happened. Sean seemed to be slipping downhill a little each day and she’d spent a lot of time with him. Besides, she was dealing with her own heartache. I wasn’t sure what had happened between her and Nikolai, but I knew they were no longer seeing each other.

Owen was going with his father for the weekend and Jake picked him up at the daycare center. I preferred it that way, and I knew he did, too. I hadn’t been sleeping well and was grateful on Saturday that I was scheduled to work at Dress for Success. It gave me something to do rather than remain at home and stew. Our Christmas tree wasn’t up yet, nor any of the decorations. I wasn’t in the Christmas spirit.

I hadn’t been in the shop more than a half-hour when Shawntelle came bursting in the door, opening it so hard it was a wonder the glass didn’t shatter. She stood just inside the store, hands on her ample hips, searching the area until she saw me.

This woman was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry. Seeing her now was downright scary. She pointed her index finger at me and shouted, “You and me, sister, are going to have a come-to-Jesus talk.”

A couple women had stopped in to do some Christmas shopping. They took one look at Shawntelle and headed for the door as if their lives were in danger. As for me, I was rooted in one spot, unable to move. Shawntelle didn’t need to explain why she wanted to talk to me. I already knew.

She marched over to me as if she was related to Attila the Hun. “You better have a damn good reason for what you did to Rocco,” she demanded.

I took one look at her and tried to smile. “How is he?” I asked, desperate for news of Rocco.

“How do you expect? That man is hurting. No one’s ever seen him like this. He nearly destroyed the garage, tossing around every tool he could find; he punched his fist through the wall, and