Page 111 of Hot Four Teacher
“Look, Mich, I don’t know what she told you–”
“She told me she came here to spend the week with her dad, and her dad basically told her that his new family is more important.”
He rolls his eyes. “I see where Eve gets her flair for the dramatic from.”
My anger wells even further. “You know what I think? I think you felt bad about leaving Eve out of the loop while you started a shiny new family.I think guilt was eating at you, so you invited her over, took her to lunch, and bought her stuff, hoping to butter her up so that when you told her, maybe she would assuage your guilt. You didn’t bet on her calling you on your bullshit.”
He crosses his arms over his chest but doesn’t say a word.
“Danny, you are playing dad to your step-daughters.”
He cuts me off. “They don’t have a dad around. He ran out.”
My eyes about bulge out of my head. “Eve didn’t have a dad around! She needed you! I’m not saying don’t be there for them, but I’m saying be there for all of them!”
“Don’t you dare put this on me. If you had taken care of it back in the day, neither of us would have been teenage parents! Maybe you could have had a better life! Maybe you wouldn’t be living in a shitty little house living like a nun! You chose this!”
My lip quivers as I beg the tears to stay within my eyes. I don’t want him to have any satisfaction.
“When I got pregnant with Eve, I didn’t ask you for anything. I told you that you didn't need to stick around. I did pregnancy, labor, and the first few years of her life by myself. You’re the one who came back around.”
“Well, maybe I should have just stayed away. It probably would have been easier for everyone.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Our daughter is incredible. No matter what else I do in my life, Eve will always be my number oneaccomplishment. She will go on to do amazing things, and I will be behind her every step of the way. She has a ton of people who will be. I won’t have you making her second-guess herself or feel like she is unworthy in any way. Are you really willing to let Eve go?”
He thinks for a moment, and I’m convinced he’s about to change his mind and come to his senses.
He says, “Michelle, I’ve got a really good thing going here. I’m not going to let anything ruin that. Maybe a clean slate is better for everyone.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Danny’s been an ass but not like this.
“You know what, Danny? Go fuck yourself.”
He chuckles. “Real mature.”
“I’m raising the kid that I helped make, so yeah, Iammature.”
I walk out of the room and toward the door. I storm out and am almost to my car when I hear, “Michelle, wait!”
But it’s not Danny. It’s his new wife.
As she gets close, she says, “Sorry, I can only waddle so fast.” When she reaches me, she hands me a giant shopping bag.
“Here. This is what Eve got when she went shopping. She left it here. Daniel wanted to return it, but I thought she should have it.”
“Uh, thanks,” I say. “I’ll give it to her, but I’m not sure she’ll want it.”
She nods while instinctively rubbing her belly. “I wanted to have a relationship with her. I never meant to make her upset.”
“You’re not the one who made her upset,” I say.
“My girls’ dad ran out on them. It wasn’t until I found Daniel that I found a real father figure for them.”
“The problem is that he wasnotbeing a dad to his daughter. Look, you seem very nice. I have no ill-will toward you, and I hope your life works out. But I think a man who runs out on his responsibilities would be a huge red flag. Maybe he will be perfect for you and your girls. Or maybe he’ll leave when he finds something newer and shinier.”
With that, I get in my car and leave.
Chapter thirty-eight
