my waist. “We’ll never be even, Deacon. But the fact that you think so…is the reason why I love you so much.”
Seven
Deacon
“You really don’t mind?” I felt bad leaving Cleo alone with Derek to go have a beer with Tucker. But I didn’t have the time I had before, when I could have my driver drop me off at any time. Derek had usually been with Valerie. But now that flexibility was a luxury, and it was possibly a permanent situation.
She moved her palms to my chest and kissed me. “Of course not.”
Derek was on the couch with his toys, having already said goodbye to me.
“I’m not working, so I don’t mind at all. Derek and I will probably color.”
I just felt bad leaving her to watch my kid while I went out. I was going to a bar, which made it worse because I’d probably get a few free drinks. I would have taken her out to dinner, just the two of us, but now with Derek, I couldn’t do that either.
I was so happy to have Derek more, but it really did change my life completely. Even when I lived with Valerie, I had more freedom. I could work as late as I wanted without worrying if Derek had someone to watch him. If Valerie really left, I’d have to sacrifice a lot to make it work as a single father.
But he was worth it.
“Alright. Thank you.” I gave her another kiss before I walked out. “I’ll be home in a few hours.” I left the condo and had my driver take me to the bar. I would have just walked, but it was cold. It was December, and Christmas was just a few weeks away. I’d have to get a Christmas tree and some decorations soon to make sure Derek had a nice holiday.
I walked into the bar and joined Tucker at a table. He was already drinking, and he’d already ordered me my favorite beer.
“Dude, it’s been forever,” Tucker said. “You never call me.”
“I just saw you two weeks ago.”
“Yeah, that’s forever. So, what’s new?”
A lot.
“Has Valerie checked herself into a facility yet?” He drank his beer.
She wasn’t crazy. She was just a bitch. “Things haven’t improved between us.”
“They’ll never improve. You can’t reason with someone like that.”
For the years I’d known her, I’d never been able to reason with her. It was impossible. “Her boyfriend is moving to London, and she wants to move with him.”
“What the fuck did you say?” He was about to take a drink of his beer when he slammed it back down again. “Oh, hell no. She better not be trying to take—”
“I told her she couldn’t. I’ll take her to court if it comes down to it—and she’ll lose.”
“So, then that stopped the problem?”
“No. She still wants to go.”
Tucker cocked his eyebrow, bewildered. “Without Derek?”
I nodded.
“Like…leave him with you?”
I nodded again.
“Abandon her son?”
I sighed in annoyance. “Yes, Tucker. You understand the situation perfectly.”
“I don’t like the bitch, but I’m shocked she would do that. Who does that?”
A very selfish person.
“So, you just tell Derek his mom took off?”
“I haven’t figured out how I’m going to handle it yet.”
He rubbed his jawline, taking some time to think about everything. “It’s so shitty, don’t get me wrong, but…it’s not the worst thing in the world either. Valerie is unstable, difficult, and she’s made your life a living hell since you met her. With her gone, you can finally be happy, you know?”
I’d had to move to New York for work, and it was a happy coincidence since I’d just gotten divorced, but I’d felt guilty every single day, leaving my son behind in a different state. She could move to another country with no guilt at all? “Yes, it benefits me. I can have Derek full time, and I don’t have to deal with her bullshit anymore, unless it’s an occasional phone call. But that’s not what’s best for Derek.”
“Not best for Derek? Dude, she’s a terrible mother.”
I couldn’t deny it. “But it’ll damage him, knowing his mother left him.”
Tucker looked sad for a moment, like he understood the weight of the situation when he really thought about it. “I guess, but lots of kids have parents who live apart.”
“But she ran off to be with another guy.”
“Just don’t tell him that.”
“Then what do I tell him?” I snapped. “I don’t lie to my son. And he’s so smart that I can’t make up something anyway.”
He pulled his beer closer to