But at the time, all I could think about was biding my time once again. I couldn’t allow anyone else to come in between us again, so I stuck close to him, leaving no space for anyone else to intrude.
For two years, he didn’t stray even a little bit, something else that should’ve been a warning sign. I thought the man I knew was strong enough to be over a little nobody like her. Why did she have to come back now and with a child, a son? I know Calen; even if he hates her guts, he’d never let go of his child.
But now he knows the truth, doesn’t he? The truth about my part in splitting them up in the past? So what? It was her decision to leave; I didn’t force her. I dropped down on a chair but jumped right back up again. I can’t sit still; I need to know how things are going. It was my last shot at happiness, and I had to take it. There was no reason for Calen to see my hand in it this time, either. Hadn’t the bitch left once before? There’s no reason for him to blame me, not if Ann does her job right this time.
Another look at my watch showed that it was more than two hours since they were supposed to meet. How long will this meeting last? What will be the end result? Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted Ann again; she hadn’t held up her end of the bargain last time. But she was the best shot I had, my only hope.
I’m sure I can get Calen to come around. He values friendship and loyalty above all else, and of the two of us, she’s the one who left, the one who walked out on him when I never have. I’ve been here the whole time, by his side, through thick and thin. My doorbell went off, and I almost jumped out of my skin as I looked towards the door like it was a foreign object.
Maybe I shouldn’t have done that last line of coke on an empty stomach, but I needed something to pick me up. I’ve been in hell ever since Calen and his mother kicked me out of his home. That’s why I’d called Ann again straight away instead of thinking of other ways to get back in Calen’s good graces.
Now I’m not so sure. Maybe I was too hasty? Maybe I should’ve concentrated on gaining his forgiveness and earning his trust again. Maybe I should’ve laid low for a while and then come back at this thing fresh. But the pain and heartache from his rejection had made me muddle-headed, and I hadn’t been thinking clearly. That’s why I’d called Ann and railed at her for not keeping up her end of the bargain.
But when I realized that she hadn’t known of her daughter’s latest move, I felt real hope again. She was pissed, almost as pissed as me, and her promise to take care of things once and for all had gotten me through the night. I opened the door to see her standing there looking more disheveled than the few times I’d seen her in the past.
“You, what are you doing…?” I wasn’t expecting the punch to the face, so didn’t brace for it or raise my arm to block it. “What the hell are you doing?” I jumped back to my feet, tasting blood in my mouth but barely feeling the sting from the blow. That was the coke’s effect, I know, but I was grateful for it all the same.
“You sold me out, you bitch.”
“What are you talking about? Didn’t you meet your bitch of a daughter at her place? I thought you said…”
“Calen Addison showed up, her husband, they were never divorced, you lied to me.”
“What? What nonsense are you saying? Of course, they’re divorced.”
“Think again, the man himself told me, and I checked in my way over here, something I should’ve done two years ago. There is no divorce on record, which means he was never going to marry you.” She had a smug look on her face as if my pain at hearing those words was somehow pleasing to her. All the rage I’ve held inside for the past twenty-four hours came boiling to the forefront, and I rushed her.
We ended up rolling around on the floor, pulling each other’s hair out and trying our best to gouge the other’s eyes