Page 102 of Catching Our Moment
She let out a sigh. “There isn’t anything you can do, Shaw. Especially not now. Just go back to Charlotte.”
It sounded like a dismissal. “I can?—”
She put her hand up to stop me. “I have to deal with this, and you being here is just going to make it worse. He’s going to do anything he can to gain leverage over me. You are the catalyst to all of this—just me being with you.”
What the hell?
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You exist. I almost replaced him with you.”
“He threw you away as soon as you became pregnant—like you were a burden.”
“And you are more successful than he could ever hope to be. His son worships you. He probably knows you would’ve been a better father than he is—though he would never admit it.”
“That’s his issue.”
“No, it's mine. Because until Aaron is eighteen and no longer a minor, James gets a say in Aaron’s life and, by extension, mine.”
“He’s remarried. He has his ready-made family.” She gave the smallest flinch, accentuating the point that I wasn’t helping, even now.
She stared back out the window, her hand over her mouth as if stifling what else she wanted to say—needed to say.
“What?”
“We need to take a few steps back. I can’t be involved with you—with anyone—until I can figure out a way to get James to back off.”
I gripped the wheel again, and this time, I felt the fancy leather wrapped around the steering wheel start to give. I bit out, “You are giving him exactly what he wants, you know that.”
She remained silent.
“Fine, I will stay away for a little while?—”
“It’s not going to work. You heard him. Even if I was able to maintain custody—or even joint custody—he’s never going to let Aaron move to Charlotte.”
“So, I’ll commute during the season—many players do it.”
She shook her head. “It won’t work.”
I glanced at the backseat to see if Aaron was awake. He didn’t need to hear me getting dumped on top of the drama his father and mother were fighting. I pulled into a well-lit parking lot and got out of the car. I walked around and opened her door, giving her my hand to help her out of the car, and closed the door, trying not to slam it.
She still wouldn’t look at me.
I paced and ran my hand through my hair. “It's like the universe is determined to keep us apart.”
Her arms crossed over her chest, and she stood with her back to the car.
I stepped up to her, fencing her in with my hands on the door behind her. “I love you. Do you get that? I love you, and all I want to do is make a home with you and Aaron.”
The gasp of air she let out was the only indication I was getting through to her. I tipped her head up. “Babe, look at me.”
“Do you—” She put her hand over my mouth before I could ask, Do you love me?
“Don’t. Don’t do this to me. I need to focus on Aaron and the nightmare his father is about to make his life. I don’t have the mental capacity to analyze our relationship. Not now.”
“Let me help you."
“You can’t.” She pushed past me. “I don’t need you to come in and rescue me.”
