Page 56 of We're Just Friends
I’m not sure how long I just sat on the couch looking out the window. All I knew was that it was getting dark when I glanced at my watch. It was almost time for me to go pick up Caley from Annie’s. I had never called to tell her I wasn’t working, and I had used the excuse that I needed to go pick Caley up so Jake would leave.
Since Annie didn’t know I wasn’t at work, I had decided to wait until the arranged time to go pick up my daughter. I didn’t want Caley here seeing me so upset. But I decided that would be impossible if she returned home this evening.
So, I went over to my purse, pulled out my phone, and texted Annie. The thought of having Caley see me in my current state broke my heart even more. She was too intelligent for her age, and I knew she’d sense something was wrong.
Knowing my daughter like I did, I figured she’d probably come to the conclusion that it had to do with Jake.
“Can you do me a favor? Can Caley spend the night?” I waited for a response, but nothing happened. My stomach began knotting up as I pictured Caley getting into my car and seeing her mommy’s face beet red. “The art show was so exhausting.”
I lied. If I told Annie that I needed to clear my mind, then she’d immediately begin asking questions that I wasn’t prepared to answer.
“Of course,” she finally texted back.
I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed my keys, and left.
I went for a long drive, not going anywhere specific. I just drove up and down the streets of River Valley, watching as children walked home from the park with their parents. I felt myself wanting to cry as I watched a father holding a little girl’s hand. She was looking up at him and talking, probably about everything she’d done that day in school.
It reminded me of all the times Caley had done the exact same thing with Jake.
Her Jakey.
I wiped the tears from my face and steered down another street. That one was much quieter. Every song that came on the radio reminded me of him. No angry breakup songs, just lovey-dovey ones about finding your soulmate and spending eternity with each other.
I turned the radio off as soon as I pulled up to a stoplight.
The one night that kept coming to mind was the one at the cabin. Jake had gone above and beyond to prove himself to me. He had everything prepared for when we sat down, planned the whole evening, and we even fell asleep underneath the stars twinkling through the skylight. The next morning at breakfast was wonderful, too.
The two of us, Caley, Annie, and Richard at the diner — anyone who’d seen us probably would have assumed that we were all a big family. Our dynamic just clicked.
I ran my hands through my hair and let out a huge sigh.
Our shower sex last night was, without a doubt, the best I’d ever had. Jake had taken complete control while still being a gentleman. As I lifted my shirt to my nose, I could still smell his cologne.
I had to fight the urge to rip it off and throw it into the street.
My stomach began growling, and I realized that I had barely touched my lunch. I made the decision to get a bite to eat at the next restaurant I drove past, regardless of what it offered.
Of course, it was the ice cream shop that Jake had taken us to after our first picnic in the park.
Just then, my phone rang.
I pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream shop and looked down to see it was Cam. I was in no mood to deal with him at that moment, but I knew it was better to just take his call and be done with him.
“What?” My tone was clipped, letting Cam know that he better make it quick.
“Excuse me? Having a bad day or something?” I could have laid into him at that moment, made him my virtual punching bag by screaming at him about not seeing Caley.
That would only pour gasoline on the fire between us, though, I reminded myself.
“What do you want, Cam?” I heard Lydia talking with someone in the background.
“I’m going on a trip with Lydia,” he said.
My breathing intensified as I pictured the two of them holed up in a hotel room, having sex the whole week and sightseeing.
“Where are you taking her this time, Cam? Paris? Milan? I bet your own daughter would love to travel with you, too, you know. Or would she be a burden on you two?”
Lydia suddenly stopped talking, and I realized he had me on speakerphone.
