Page 53 of Scoring Position

I walk her way, stopping with my shoulders back and my chin high. She needs to know I’m not the same woman who backeddown to avoid drama for so many years. If she thinks she saw the new me at the courthouse or here on the day I was fired, she’s wrong. She’s fucking with the future of the man I love, and I refuse to let it happen without giving her a piece of my mind.

“Trust me, Gail,” I spit, “the last place I want to be is here with you, but you haven’t given me another option. What the fuck do you think you’re doing accusing Ace Mathers of cheating? Are you that much of a heartless bitch that you’d fuck with a good, kind,innocent manbecause of a personal vendetta?”

“That’s ridic?—”

“Bullshit,” I say, cutting her off. “I know this is about me. You’re trying to get what you want, and now you finally have something to hold over my head.”

She opens her mouth to reply just as a familiar BMW pulls up next to where we’re standing on the curb. I throw my head back in annoyance as Ryan steps out and walks toward us wearing a collared shirt, khaki chino shorts and those goddamn penny loafers. A visible shiver racks my body as I try to figure out how I ever found this douchey asshole attractive.

“Mom?” he says, looking from her to me before stopping at her side. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing,” she says, reaching out to smooth a wrinkle from his shoulder. I swallow the bile that makes its way up my throat at the gesture. “Lark was just leaving.”

An incredulous laugh bursts from my lips. “Like fuck, I am. I just got here,” I say, turning to him. “Your mother is launching a completely unfounded cheating investigation on a man who did nothing wrong because she wants to get back at me for not changing my name. Ace worked his ass off on every single assignment this semester. Every word he wrote was his own. But, because I was his tutor, she’s fully prepared to drag his name through the mud.”

He turns his head, looking at Gail. “Is that true?”

“Well…” she begins, pausing for a moment, no doubt to come up with a lie. “We don’t know for sure that he cheated, but he might have. His grades are slightly higher than they have been in the past, and?—”

I put my hand up, stopping her as I look at him. “Ryan, we were together for eleven years. Not once during that time did youeverstand up to her for me. You watched her disrespect and belittle me time and time again, never intervening or telling her to back off.Yougave me this last name, not her. I carried it as your wife for five years, creating an identity that I shouldn’t have to give up just because we didn’t work out. You have a chance to do the right thing for me, for once. Speak up and tell her to end this petty bullshit so we can all move on with our lives.”

He swallows, reaching up to grip the back of his neck as the seconds tick by, the deafening silence telling me everything I need to know. My shoulders slump as I shake my head in disappointment, although I’m not really sure why. I’ve known his true colors for a long time. It’s why I had to walk away.

Nobody ever gets married thinkingWe’ll love each other until we don’t—then we’ll get divorced. I thought Ryan and I would make it when we were younger. I chalked his attachment to his mother up to our immaturity at twenty, convincing myself year after year that it would get better. I was dumb to think he’d grow out of it, but he promised me the future I’d always dreamed of, and I had faith in him. When our marriage failed, I blamed myself for not being a strong enough partner to make him feel like he didn’t need his mom. I struggled for a long time, wondering if I’d ever find someone who would accept me for who I am, imperfections and all. But Ryan’stoo muchis Ace’sjust right,and that’s how I know I’ve found my other half in him.

Ace Mathers healed a heart he didn’t break, encouraging me to live my life to the fullest and holding my hand while I foundmyself again after being lost for so long. Even with our ten-year age difference, he’s shown me more love and support than Ryan and Gail ever bothered to in all the years we were together. I’m standing at a crossroads right now, and the answer to which path I should take has never been clearer.

“Okay,” I say, lifting my head high. “You can have your name back.”

“What?” they both say in unison. Gail’s expression is blanketed in shock, but when I look over at Ryan, it’s very clear that he’s disappointed. If that’s really the case, he had several chances to keep me even after we separated, but he made his priorities clear. He didn’t choose me. Ace did—and I choose him right back.

“I’m done.” I place my hands on my hips. “All this time, you were worried about me embarrassing your family by moving on as Lark Dawson. But I just realized that the only person who should be embarrassed in this situation is me. Gail,” I say, looking her right in the eye, “you’re a miserable woman. You spend so much time and money trying to guilt Ryan into picking you because you know nobody else can stand to be in your presence for longer than a few minutes.” Her jaw drops, head rearing back as if I just slapped her. As much as I wish I had, her reaction to my words is just as empowering.

“And you.” I turn toward my ex-husband, feeling much sassier now that I’ve given his mother a piece of my mind. The floodgates that have been holding back my anger and resentment are now wide open, and I’m not taking any of it with me after this. It’s not my burden to bear anymore. “I’ll never say I regret marrying you because I learned a lot about myself and what I deserve—but fuck if I’m not happy to be divorced. I have someone who goes out of his way to make me feel wanted, and I can’t believe I settled for being dismissed by you as long as I did. Good luck finding someone who doesn’t think your Oedipuscomplex is disgusting and enjoys long walks on the beach with you and your mother.” He drops his chin, his gaze burning into the pavement under our feet as if I’ve embarrassed him.Good.I train my attention back on her once more, pointing an accusing finger. “Call off the investigation and update Ace’s graduation status.”

I turn and walk back toward my car, but can’t stop myself from delivering one last blow to the woman who made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of her son. Spinning on my heel, I look at Gail. “That shepherd’s pie you always made on Christmas Eve?”

“What about it?” she snarls.

“Grossest shit I’ve ever tasted. I tried feeding it to the dog once so I didn’t hurt your feelings, but even he wouldn’t take it.”

She gasps, pressing her hand to her ugly-ass shirt as I turn one last time and walk away, proud of myself for leaving all the things that were weighing me down right here in this parking lot.

THIRTY-THREE

ACE

“Where’s my girl?”I yell, barely making it inside the door before kicking off my shoes and heading toward the living room in search of Lark. After spending entirely too long away, I need to get her in my arms.

“In here!” she calls out, and I round the corner to see her snuggled up, watching one of the reality shows she said she wanted to binge while I was on the road. She looks all cozy and warm, and I can’t stop from launching myself onto the couch, enveloping her in my arms. She giggles, cuddling into me as I press kisses all over her face like I haven’t seen her in years.

“Fuck, I missed you,” I say, continuing my assault. “I’m sneaking you into my luggage next time.”

“I missed you too, but you couldn’t pay me to live in random hotels for half the year. I don’t know how you do it.”

I sit up, lifting her into my lap. “Okay, fine. But can we at least make it so you’re always here when I come home?”Better yet—just never leave.I know it's fast, and I’m sure she isn’t ready to move in with me yet, but if she was, I’d absolutely want her to. Now that we're moving things forward in our relationship, it's only a matter of time before we take that step.In a perfect world, we’d live together while she went back to school, so she wouldn't have to worry about extra bills and could focus on her classes. It's definitely something we'll need to discuss, but I want to support her in every way I can as she works to achieve her dream.

“That can be arranged,” she says, and my heart does somersaults in my chest at the thought of never having to walk into an empty apartment after a road trip. If I have to be away, knowing I'm coming home to her sweet smile will make it a hell of a lot easier.

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