“Ty, that won’t be necessary,” I tell him. “It’s fine.” He looks at me and swallows hard before backing off and grabbing Henry out of the passenger seat. He walks over to the little piece of lawn next to the driveway to give me and Damon a second, though I can tell he’s not happy about it.
“How have you been?” Damon asks.
“I’ve been better, actually,” I say, rudely. Him being here is bringing up things for me that aren’t good. “What are you doing at my mom’s place, Damon?”
“I came with Mom. You know how she hates traveling alone. She’s working out the details with your mom about the move. Adele phoned her last week, saying she wanted to move back to Buffalo.”
Last week! So she’s known this for a while. I’m sure she knew her own plans when we had lunch that day we fought, and has only just decided to tell me, her own daughter. She might claim she’s tried to call me about it, but I seriously doubt she would have told me until it was happening. Clearly Caitlin doesn’t know either, as she would have said something this morning.
“Something I just learned myself,” I say.
“You didn’t know?” His eyes grow wide.
“No, I didn’t. And are you sure that’s why you’re really here?” I tilt my head to the side. “And I say this because whenever I meet with my mom, she’s still pushing you on me!”
Damon looks warily over to Tyler, who’s playing with Henry, but keeping one eye on us. He’s probably just out of earshot to hear, but maybe not. “Cindy, I never stopped loving you,” he whispers through gritted teeth. “I was going to come and see you while I was here. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you.”
I look at him sadly. That’s all I can feel at this point. I think the fight left me a long time ago, if I’m honest. I have nothing left for him anymore.
“Oh really? And how’s Jessica?” I ask sarcastically.
“We broke up,” he sighs.
“That figures. It was really great finding out you two became an item after you swore black and blue that you had no interest in her like that. Other than sticking it to her, of course.”
“I’m sorry, Cindy. My parents were insistent that I stay with her since I…”
“Screwed her. It’s okay, you can say it.”
“Not my proudest moment. I’ll regret it forever.” He flicks his eyes to Tyler. “He’s a lucky man.”
Wow, he’s actually taking some responsibility for once. I can’t even believe it. “Thank you,” I manage. “I hope you work things out with Jessica. You sure have lasted longer than you and I ever did,” I say.
He presses his lips together and gives me a nod and a half smile. “Goodbye, Cindy.”
“Goodbye, Damon.” I almost feel sorry for the guy. And I wonder what would have happened if I’d stayed in Buffalo and Damon hadn’t let his horny fantasies about other girls get the better of him. I guess we’ll never know.
I turn to Tyler as Damon walks away to my mom’s front door. “Ty,” I call out.
But he’s been watching us the whole time and already walking towards me with Henry under his arm.
“I want to go home.”
He leans down to kiss me and I don’t care who might be watching from the window.
They can all go to Hell as far as I’m concerned.
CHAPTER 27
Tyler
We don’t say much in the car. It seems we’re both pretty beat.
If I tried to recap the events of the last few hours, my head might just blow off.
To top everything off going badly, we run into her ex in her mom’s driveway!
The fucker didn’t look like he had much to say for himself from where I was standing.