Wrecked (Clayton Falls) - By Alyssa Rose Ivy Page 0,25
being sick and wanting to spend time with him before he died.
“Oh.” He just sat there staring at me. His expression was unreadable, but it wasn’t friendly.
My heart sunk. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I wanted him to say something. Anything. “Okay, this was fun. Sorry to have wasted your time.” I put my purse back on my shoulder and headed outside. Part of me expected Jake to follow, but I refused to turn around until I reached my car. I looked back in through the large window. He was still sitting at the table with that unreadable expression. “Goodbye, Jake,” I said to myself as I got into my car and drove away.
***
I had to get through the next few days of work without thinking about Jake too much. I couldn’t afford to. I had to get everything ready for Noah when he got back. I dealt with the guilt of having him stay with my parents by picking up lots of little gifts for him. He wasn’t quite two, but he definitely had a soft spot for anything with wheels. Such a boy.
I smiled thinking about him. It had been nearly a month since my last trip up to see him. I hated sending him away, but we desperately needed the money. My mom kept encouraging me to move back home near them, but I wasn’t willing to do that. That felt too much like giving up.
Chapter Twelve
Jake
She had a kid? She actually had a kid and hadn’t even brought him up yet? That changed everything. Or did it? I had no idea what to think. By the time the news sank in, I went outside to find her but she was already gone. Shit.
I pulled out my phone to call her, but stopped. What would I say? There was no way I could just sit around and wait for Molly and Ben. I needed to walk.
I didn’t know Wilmington too well, but I headed further toward the downtown and just kept walking. When I got tired, I found a bench and just sat there. I had to think it through. Emily was amazing, nearly perfect. But could I really handle dating a mom? And what about the kid? What was I going to do around him? I thought she’d been really interested, but maybe she just wanted to mess around. Why would a mom want me around her son?
Finally, Ben called and I told him where to find me. I was ready to get home, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the two of them. There’s nothing like being with a happy couple to remind you of how much it sucks to be alone.
Ten minutes later, he pulled up. I got in the backseat without saying anything.
“How was your date?” Molly turned around as soon as I closed the door.
“She has a kid.”
“What?” Ben looked at me in the rearview mirror after he pulled away from the curb.
“She has a kid.”
“Wow, she looked so young.” Molly still hadn’t turned back around.
“She is young. She’s twenty-one.”
“How old is her—is it a boy or girl?”
“Boy. And I didn’t get a chance to ask. He looked young in the picture she showed me, but not like a baby or anything.”
“Real helpful.” Molly rolled her eyes.
“How would I know how old he is?”
“So what did you do? Are you still going to see her?”
“I don’t know.” I buried my head in my hands. It was too much to think about.
“What does that mean?”
“She left before I could even process it.”
Molly put a hand to her chest. “Oh my god. What did you say, Jake?”
“I think I just said, ‘you’ve got a kid?’”
“That’s it?” Molly asked incredulously.
“Maybe I also said, ‘when were you going to tell me?’”
Molly gritted her teeth. “You two haven’t been dating long. She didn’t have to tell you yet.”
“So what does it mean? If I keep dating her, does that mean I have to be the kid’s dad or something?”
Ben picked that moment to jump in. “I’d assume he already has a dad…”
“Oh yeah.” Great. So now I’d have to compete with the kid’s father.
“Maybe she’s a widow?” Ben suggested. “Have you thought of that?”
“At twenty-one?” I asked.
“Stranger things have happened.”
“I wonder how old he is. Do you think she had a baby in high school…” Molly thought out loud.
“No, I don’t think he’s that old. But who knows?” I leaned back and closed my eyes.
“What’s his name?” Molly said it softly. She was