Page 13 of July
10
Charity
I’m gawking at Garrett with wide eyes, unable to believe my ears. When he had rushed to set me down, yanked on his pants, and went running outside, I’d had absolutely no idea what was going on.
My mind is sluggish as I work through what he has just told me. Blood drains from my face as comprehension fully dawns. “You mean to tell me that the first time your ex-wife saw me was with my bare ass in the air?!?”
“I’m afraid so,” he answers solemnly.
“Did Silas see us?” My voice is barely more than a squeak as the full horror of this situation sinks in.
“I don’t think so. Jillian covered his eyes,” Garrett assures me.
Just as I begin to sag with relief at that small bit of good fortune, Garrett adds, “But she is pissed. She’s going to sue me for full custody of Silas, if I don’t stop seeing you.”
“What?” I ask, going numb as the world begins swirling before my eyes. Concerned that I might pass out, I fall back onto Garrett’s sofa. I’m wearing nothing but his long tee-shirt that I tossed on after he ran out of the apartment chasing Jillian, but sex is the furthest thing from either of our minds right now.
He gives me a grim nod to confirm the alarming statement. Desperate for this to not be true, I ask, “But why? How can she do that? You’re allowed to have a life after divorce.”
His voice is quiet and emotionless when he answers, “She knows it was you. You’re a sensitive topic for her because she’s aware of my feelings for you, and she always has been.”
My heart burns as the full weight of this situation presses down on my chest. I finally have the man I’ve always loved within my grasp, but I’m losing him––again, and it will be for good this time. I can’t handle it.
Needing to place the blame elsewhere, I say, “The two of you are divorced. She can’t just come over here unannounced. This is as much her fault as anyone else’s.”
He retrieves his phone from the pocket of his pants and looks at the screen. “She texted to let me know about the schedule change, while we were…”
I nod because he doesn’t have to finish the statement for me to know how we were occupied when she notified him about the early-morning drop-off.
This is an absolute nightmare. It can’t be happening just when we were so close to living the life of our dreams together. Tears burn my throat and threaten to emerge as I shake my head, unwilling to believe this horrific turn of events.
Even though I know in my heart that Garrett loves me, it isn’t enough. He can’t turn his back on his son.
Proving that, he says in a tone that’s heavy with emotion, “I’m so sorry, Charity. I love you with all of my heart, but Silas is my son. I can’t take the risk of losing custody of him. I’m afraid we can’t see each other anymore.”
And just like that, Garrett Flynn breaks my heart for the third time.
