missed out not having brothers and sisters, didn’t I?” She let out a chuckle as she sipped her iced tea.
“They can come in handy sometimes, without a doubt.”
“Okay, my mother is expecting me. I’m going to head home. If you need me, call. I don’t care what time it is.”
“I will. Promise.” Smiling, she got up, turned the window sign to closed, and locked the front door behind herself as she left.
I employed a cleaning service to sweep, mop, and sanitize the tables, chairs, and bathroom after the shop closed. As I sat here, I considered the fact that I might have to let that luxury go. I would probably need that money for bills or for the boys. I ran my hands into my hair, covering my eyes as I contemplated the chores I could do myself here to save a few bucks. I doubted I could continue to afford taking the first few weeks of the school year off to volunteer for Rose with her kindergarten class, either. I realized this divorce would end up being more complicated than just dumping my wayward husband.
“Time to go home yet?” Nick popped out from the swinging doors followed by Finn. Jake had left about an hour after he got here; he must have been on his lunch break. Now it was just me and the boys in the shop.
“Yeah, it’s time. Should we pick up something for dinner on the way? Or swing by the grocery store? I’m not sure what Rose has in the fridge, if anything.”
“Jake said he’d bring dinner by.”
“Oh yeah, he mentioned something about that this morning.” I smiled. I couldn’t help it. The thought of seeing him was . . . well, I didn’t even know how to describe what I was feeling anymore. But the thought of seeing him later tonight was like a light in the dark. One I hadn’t expected to find, but was grateful to have.
7
Jake
“I’m not a coffee addict. I’m just a little over-attached to it.”
Even though I’d seen with my own eyes what a selfish prick Tom had become over the last few years, I had still held out hope that he would be there for his boys. Today proved that he wouldn’t, and I was disappointed, to say the least. Finn and Nick were hurting. They tried to hide it, but I had known them far too long to let it slide. It had all come out over pizza and Coke this afternoon on my lunch break. They told me how Tom had been treating Violet—dismissive, disrespectful, rude. How he had been neglecting them in favor of work, which most likely was not about work at all, considering he was cheating with his secretary.
I wish I had known.
I wish they or Violet had confided in me.
When you grow up with someone like Tom and I had, you can’t help but give the benefit of the doubt. I had been caught up in giving it over and over until here I was, stuck in this untenable situation. I felt like a fool, halfway in love with my best friend’s wife and wishing I could do something to take away the pain he had caused his family, while knowing deep down there was nothing I could do other than let the pieces fall apart the way he had intended.
I had been stuck on the sidelines when I had wanted to be in the middle of it. When it felt as if I should have been the one in the middle of it. Regret burned through me like acid filling my veins because I had seen her first all those years ago. And I had let her go. He did not appreciate all the wonderful things about her that made me love her in silence and I was left wondering if he had ever learned to see beyond her beautiful facade to the more spectacular inside. Hell, at this point I had to question if she even saw it within herself.
I had spotted Violet on the first day of my junior year of college standing in the cafeteria, beautiful and shy, talking to her friend. I watched her for a moment as she laughed and tossed her shiny brown hair over her shoulder, smiling at Piper and lighting up the entire cafeteria. I wanted her immediately; back then I was used to getting what I wanted, so I didn’t hesitate to start my approach. But Tom beat me to it. He