Page 127 of Against All Odds

Catherine answers on the second ring, and I put the phone on speaker. “Violet, I’m so sorry.”

I wish I could believe her, but for years she would urge me to do things I didn’t want to do, in service to Dylan. I would ask her for another way, and while I could see she was uncomfortable, she was doing her job.

My nerves are frayed, and I honestly don’t have the patience to weigh my words. “I want to be honest, Cat. I really struggled to call you.”

“I understand that. I’d like to say that I no longer represent your ex-husband, and while he will undoubtedly state that he let me go, I want to be clear that isn’t the case. Once I heard the news of what he’d done, I released him from my client list. I was unwilling to do what he was asking and felt it was in my company’s best interest to part ways. While I can’t take you on as a client, Ican, as a friend, hopefully, offer guidance and suggestions.”

Everett looks to me and nods, but I have one major worry. “I can’t afford?—”

“Violet, friends don’t charge friends,” Catherine says quickly. “Hypothetically, if you asked me what I would do, I could ... offer some advice.”

The feelings I had about Catherine start to dim. “You’re sure?”

She’s quiet for a heartbeat. “I know that I wasn’t your favorite person. I could see how hard the adjustment to Hollywood was, and I hated that. You were thrown to the wolves, and I was part of the pack. My job was to help him always, and I knew that would sometimes make you uncomfortable, which was not my favorite thing. I’d always thought that maybe, after a while, you’d find your footing. Please know there are some parts ofmy job that I hate, and this is one. Ana can tell you, I will do anything to help my clients and their families, and in this case, I’d like to help you.”

The sincerity in her voice is what causes me to cave. I don’t know what to do. Everything feels like the wrong step. My lawyer has been on the phone with Dylan’s, demanding answers on how we went from one extreme to another. It seems his lawyer is also trying to get those same questions answered.

Right now, all I can do is stay hunkered in the safe harbor that Everett offers.

“Thank you for that. It never felt like you enjoyed asking me to push outside my comfort zone. This, though, it’s not even in the same orbit as what I wanted or thought. I honestly don’t know what to do.”

“Let’s start from the top,” Cat says softly.

I go through it all, from when I left California, to coming here. I go through all the ways I found out about each new layer of hurt Dylan inflicted. She has me give dates, times, tiny details that I can remember about what was said and when paperwork was exchanged. After I’m done with the story, I’m surprised I can even talk. It feels as though I’ve been through a war, and I’m so battered that it’s a miracle I’m here to tell it.

Catherine sighs heavily. “I hate that you’ve been through all of that and that you’re pregnant, which I remember all too well how freaking emotional that makes you. Okay, well, the good thing is that I can help.”

“You can?” I ask.

“Yes, but I’m afraid you’re not going to love the options.”

I laugh once. “I’m pretty used to that.”

“You’re going to have to come back to California, without your boyfriend.”

I look at Everett, seeing the pain in his eyes, and now I really know what heartbreak truly feels like.

thirty-one

Violet

I’m standing at a private airport as Analeigh’s plane is being readied to take me back to hell.

“You’ll be back in my arms in a week or two,” Everett says, and I’m not sure whether he’s trying to tell me or himself.

The reality is, we don’t know that.

We have absolutely no fucking idea what Dylan’s intentions with all of this are. Catherine and my lawyer agreed I needed to say nothing and return to California to handle this. With him across the country, it’s painted me as the villain who is trying to keep his child from him.

Never mind that he cheated, got engaged, and drew up dissolution of paternal rights paperwork. Of course no one looked into any of that.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I promise. I fix the collar on his shirt and leave my hands there, trying to keep my voice steady and fighting tears. “We meet with the lawyers in a few days. After that, I’ll know more.”

This is everything I worried about. That if Dylan wanted the baby, I’d have to be semi-close to him so he can have a place in the baby’s life. When he walked away, it was easy for me tolet my heart release what it was holding back, to let myself love Everett. That against all odds, we could be together again.

Seems I was counting my chickens before they hatched.

I should’ve waited until I had the paperwork signed.

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