so apathetic about her heartache, awoke the familiar rage inside her. She’d been doing so well about keeping it in check for longer than she could remember. Try as she may now and especially when it came to this, she couldn’t just let it go. “I’m not over it, Ted. I’ll never get over it, you fucking asshole!”
She got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. Ted jumped out of his side. “Danica!”
She stopped in her tracks, feeling like a moron when she realized if she were going anywhere tonight, she’d need her car.
“Danica, I get it okay? It was hard for you, but your life was a mess. Still kind of is, and I’ve told you I’m willing to help with everything, but I wasn’t about to raise some other man’s baby.”
“Nobody was asking you to,” she said through her teeth.
“Oh, come on! How did you plan on raising him? You work part-time at ShopMart, and the only family you have kicked you out. The last thing you needed in your life was that baby.”
The tears streamed down her face as she remembered that horrid morning she kissed Oreo good-bye forever. Through her peripheral vision, she saw Ted walk toward his front door, but she didn’t move an inch. She knew Ted was right. Her life had been a fucking mess for too long now. She knew there was no way she could’ve kept him, that had she attempted to, as she first thought she might, she’d be in a world of trouble. But did he have to be such a callous bastard about it? Glancing at Ted, she watched as he stopped and slumped his shoulders when he turned and saw that she was still standing on the sidewalk. “Danica, let’s not do this again okay? At least not out here. Come on, babe. Just come inside.” With no other recourse because it was late, and she needed to figure this out, she started toward the door. “Good girl,” he said as she walked in the door he was holding open for her.
“I’m sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight.”
“Babe—”
“I need to be alone, Ted. Please!”
Lifting his arms at either side of him, he tilted his head. “Okay. If that’s what you want tonight. But we’re not making this a habit, Danica.”
Danica didn’t bother to respond. She kept walking until she was in the guest room and closed the door behind her. She dropped her things on the floor and lay down, staring at the ceiling as the tears continued trickling down the sides of her face. She’d had some tough years in her life, but this last one topped them all. If this selfish asshole really believed she could just get over it, he was out of his warped mind.
Danica thought back to the day she’d met him. It’d been one of her frenzied days at the courthouse. He’d approached her saying it wasn’t the first time he’d noticed her and he just had to know her name. He’d asked if she’d have coffee with him. Of course, then he’d been so incredibly charming and humble and said all the right things. She’d already been blown away by his accomplishments, and he still had such drive. It was inspiring being around someone like him. In hindsight, his approach, like everything else he did, had likely been meticulously planned. Ted’s courting had been just as masterfully executed as everything else he set his mind on. She’d quickly fallen for him, despite the age difference.
But then the real Ted inevitably surfaced. By then, she felt indebted to him for all he’d done to help her with her case—her life. But at least she wasn’t living with him at the time. She’d planned on breaking things off despite all that months ago. Then Angie died, and Danica had been desperate for a place she could stay until she could figure out what she’d be doing about the baby. After giving up the baby, she’d been too miserable, and she knew her sister would question it if she crawled back to her. Ted was as smart as he was arrogant and controlling. He’d picked up on the fact that, without the baby keeping her there, she’d likely leave his ass if he didn’t stop with his controlling ways, so he’d eased up a bit, making it easier for her to stay there until she could figure out what she was going to do with her life. Only like tonight, she’d