Page 61 of Connected By Love
By the time we finish having dinner at a local pizza place, Max can barely keep his eyes open. I was surprised to learn they both love mushrooms as much as I do. It's just another thing to add to the list of things we have in common.
I have Travis drop me off at my apartment so I can grab a change of clothes, promising him I’ll be over soon. I watch them drive away, and I don’t stop smiling as I walk upstairs to my apartment.
I cringe when I pass a mirror and see the state of my hair. It’s windblown and salty from the water. Travis will be getting Max to bed, so I decide to take a shower before heading over, wanting to rinse the ocean and sand off of me. I shoot him a quick text, letting him know I’ll be a little bit later before stepping under the warm spray.
An hour later, I’m pulling up to his house. I’m already missing him, wanting to wrap my arms around him and breathe in his scent. I don’t even notice the other car in the driveway as I excitedly run to the front door. It’s locked, so I softly knock. A smile spreads across my face when the door starts to open.
My grin instantly vanishes and I feel the air escape my lungs like I’ve just been punched in the stomach. Addison Monroe stares back at me. I recognize her from the picture I saw of her and Travis.
Long blonde hair drapes down her back, and her perfect model body is in a skin-tight hot pink dress that shows way toomuch cleavage and barely covers her ass. Long-tanned legs end in the most gorgeous high heels I’ve ever seen. Her vivid blue eyes narrow as they roam down my body. My hair is still damp from the shower, and I have minimal makeup on compared to her flawless makeup job. My black leggings and crop tank top make me feel homeless compared to her.
Addy, Max’s mom, finally speaks. “Can I help you?” Her question shakes me out of my thoughts.
“Travis is expecting me.” I force myself to stand taller and keep my voice from shaking. Dread fills the pit of my stomach. Why the fuck is she here? Anger and jealousy surge through me and I want to shove her to the side and demand Travis give me answers. A bigger part of me, though, is locked in fear and what this means for us. For Max.
“Sophia, right? Travis told me you would be stopping by. He’s in the shower now, but he told me to tell you that he would call you tomorrow.” Her eyes look at me with pity, like she feels sorry for me.
The reality that this is happening hits me, and I have trouble processing what she’s saying. I’m looking at her, but I still don’t believe what I’m seeing. No words seem to want to come out as I stare back at her.
“Look, woman to woman, I’m going to tell it to you straight so you won’t be waiting for his phone call all night. Whatever you think you have with Travis is nothing compared to what we have. I’m Max’s mom, and I’m back now. We have a bond you won’t ever have. We’ve been talking for the past hour, and he realized he still has feelings for me. I’m sure he will explain all of this to you tomorrow, but we want to try to make this work for Max. He deserves to have his mom and dad together. Don’t you think? As a family?”
She’s lying. She has to be. I feel the bile rise in my throat as the knot in my stomach continues to grow.
“Did you really think Travis would be happy with a teacher from a small town like this? He’s way too talented to waste it here.”
Her words finally sink in. She knows my name…she knows I’m a teacher. They have been talking. Panic starts to set in as my chest squeezes painfully.
“I’ll let him know you stopped by, but if I were you, I would try and move on.” She shuts the door before I can get another word in. I think about banging on the door until Travis gets out of the shower, demanding that he tell me what the hell is going on, but I don’t want to wake Max up and cause a scene. It’s going to be hard enough for him to see his mom for the first time. He doesn’t need to see me upset, too.
I’m flooded with emotions as I try and comprehend what just happened. Hurt, anger, and jealousy fight a battle in me as I walk back to my car. I look through my purse for my phone to call Travis and remember I forgot to grab it off the charger in my bedroom.
My heart feels like it’s breaking in two, the pain becoming unbearable. Even if what she says is a lie, the fact still remains that she’s here. If I wasn’t in the picture, would Travis want to try and be a family? Would I be able to live with myself if I stood in the way of Max having both of his parents together? As much as it would break me, I would walk away if it’s what is best for Max.
I drive aimlessly around, trying to clear my head before I realize where I’m going. Tears I’ve been fighting silently fall down my cheeks as I pull into the park. Our park. The last time I was here, I gave my heart completely over to a man to have forever. Little did I know that forever would come far too soon.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Travis
One hour earlier…
I grin as I pull away from Sophia’s apartment and head back to my house, eager to get Max to bed so I can spend the night alone with her. I almost told her I love her several times today, but I didn’t want Max involved with the first time I said it. I want it to be special, so when she mentioned going home to grab her things, a plan formed in my mind of lighting some candles and getting some of those flowers she likes from the backyard to toss all over the bed. It will be the perfect way to tell her. I’ll show her just how much she means to me until there won’t be an ounce of doubt in that perfect body of hers.
Max is sound asleep when I carry him inside. His bath will have to wait until tomorrow. I change him into his pajamas before kissing his forehead and shutting his door softly. My phone dings and a text from Sophia comes through.
Sophia
I’m going to shower while I’m here so I can get all of this sand and salt off of me. I’ll be over in about an hour. xoxo
Travis
Sounds good. Drive safe on the way over here. I’m missing you already, so don’t be too late. xoxo
I laugh at the thought of my brothers seeing my sappy text messages. They would tease me forever but also be happy for me.
I glance at the clock and decide to take a quick shower before I get my surprise ready for Sophia. Ten minutes later, I’m throwing on grey sweats when I hear a knock at the door. Shit. I won’t be able to do the setup I wanted to do. Knowing she couldn’t wait to get over here, though, has me grinning when I open the door.
My heart stops when I see Addy standing there. My grin is wiped from my face as I stare at her. She dressed to the nines like she just came off a photo shoot.
