Page 28 of The Biggest Secret
“Why don’t you start with dinner?” Jackson suggests. “Go out. Talk. Get to know each other again.”
“We tried to talk last night, and it got heated. Quickly.”
“So don’t talk about heavy shit. Just catch up. You know, date.”
I give him a questioning look. “Date her? I can’t stand her!” Myvoice carries and I notice a couple guys on my crew turning their heads toward me. I can’t even care right now, I’m so enraged. “She left me without so much as a text. She moved away when she knew she was pregnant. Sheknewit was mine. Then she had the baby. Celebrated abirthdaywith that baby. Suddenly she decides to come back? We were together for years; only half of which were solid, so how could we possibly move forward now?”
“Calm down, Adam.”
“No! She’s living in my house with my son, while I’m across the street,alone, and I’m not supposed to be mad?” I slam my fist down on the tailgate wincing at the pain it brings me and begin to shake it out. “Fuck!”
“This is some real Jerry Springer shit. I’d say we need to get Maury involved but it’s pretty clear to anyone with eyes who that baby belongs to.”
Clenching and unclenching my fist, I rub it with my other hand. I can’t believe the turn my life has taken in the last seventy-two hours.
Billy jumps on Jackson’s bandwagon. “Listen, you never dated your baby momma. Maybe it will be different.” He says it so proudly. Like it’s the best idea he’s ever had.
“That’s a stupid idea.” I shake my head, taking a step back from the guys. “I need to just be a father to Dominic. Chelsea and I can’t happen. I can’t play this roundabout game with her anymore.”
“You sure about that? From my perspective the only thing you were ever sure of is that she belonged to you.” I lift my eyes to a matching set of mine. Billy is drilling me with a know-it-all look and continues giving voice to something I never thought I’d be considering again. “So no, it’s not a stupid idea. And yes, you need to be a dad, but you’ll also have to deal with CJ for the rest of your life. Obviously, things have changed, a baby changes everything. You’ve got years between you guys now.Anda kid. You’re both different people now. Give her a chance to explain. Let her get to know the new you, and you learn about the new her and maybe once you do, raising a kid between all of that may become a little easier.”
“When did you become so relationship savvy?”
He laughs. “I read.”
I grunt. It’s my only response.
“I need to talk to Grace.” I’ve been avoiding her since the football game. “I need to explain things to her, cut it off and start this dad thing with a clean slate.”
“Dad thing,” Jackson snorts.
I check my watch, not wanting to discuss this any further.
“Back to work!” I yell to my crew.
I slap hands with Jackson. “Thanks for the grub. And the advice.”
Billy pushes at me then shakes hands with Jackson too. “Good thing you got us, man. Maybe you won’t be a lonely old man after all.”
He laughs then ducks away as I take a swing at his jaw.
Date my baby momma? I scoff at the thought. Last night it was the last thing I wanted. How could I possibly go back to her after she left me? Took my child with her? This is a betrayal I may never get over.
Chapter Nineteen
CHELSEA
“Where are we going to put all this shit?” my sister eloquently asks as she falls onto the couch in the living room, surrounded by a ton of boxes.
“And this isn’t even everything! You still have a lot left in storage and I left half of my stuff at mom’s.”
I shrug, surveying the mess that is my house. And my life. They go hand in hand these days.
“Mommaaaa!” Dominic comes tearing around the corner, dragging his stuffed puppy by his ear behind him, then skids to a halt. “Whoaaa,” he says making me chuckle at his wide eyes.
“Hey baby boy, we sure have a lot of stuff, huh?” I scoop him up, plastering kisses all over his face as he giggles. He squirms, so I steady him on his feet while he takes off for the kitchen.
Dominic is a perfect child, sweet and loving, cute and funny. But he never tires out. I’ve been doing it myself since day one. Yes, I know, by my own choice, but I’m exhausted. I don’t know any other way butmine. I wonder how I can adapt to letting someone help? To letting Adam change the way we do things. Or allowing Francesca to babysit. Will she be the cool aunt and want to give him candy before bed? Adley has always respected my rules for Dom and follows my schedule with him to a tee. I know I need to be a little more forgiving and bendable. Children need structure but not rigidity. I have to learn how to go with the flow.
