Page 19 of Scandalously Yours

Hayley looked nonchalantly at me. “Maybe once or twice.”

“Once or...” I stopped the moment my voice raised. I looked down at Kaylee. “Do you mind going upstairs, so your mother and I can talk?”

“Will you read me a bedtime story tonight?” She looked so hopeful, so I kissed the top of her head.

“Absolutely. Go upstairs and get ready for bed and I’ll be up soon.” As soon as she bounded up the steps, I turned to my ex. “She’d passed out and you haven’t even thought to tell me about it? What the fuck?”

Hayley got up and walked to the window. She didn’t seem intent on answering me until I got up and walked over to her. Right when I touched her arm, she spun around in my grasp. “You’re always so busy. You were on an island vacation living it up while I’m here dealing with our sick child.”

She had no idea how much fun I had toward the end of the convention, but even then, I would’ve flown right home to be with my daughter, and she knew it. If there was something she could throw up in my face, she would, and this had been no different. “You know good and damn well that was work related.”

She threw her hands up after yanking her arm away from me. “It’s always work with you. It’s always been. You care more about your career than your own family. You—”

“You’re full of shit. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my children.” I had to take a step or two away, and once I did, I started to pace back and forth.

“For your children, but you never have been here for me.”

I raked my hand through my hair and took a deep breath before I spoke. “You know that is also a lie. I worked my ass off to provide for all of us, all while dropping everything for our kids. Karter and Kaylee are my whole life because there’s no longer room for you in mine.”

“Get out!”

I looked at her and shook my head. “I promised Kaylee I—”

She moved over to me and pushed at my chest. I allowed it once, but when she did it again, I grabbed her hands. “I’m not going to let our daughter down like you have her entire life.”

I damn sure didn’t like to play the blame game, but I wouldn’t let her keep me from my children, especially when they needed me more than ever. I was so sick and tired of the arguing and name calling. I was tired of the finger pointing and guilt trips. I had sacrificed the best years of my life with this woman that I had once upon a time loved, but that all ended years ago, and she knew it. The two of us were like oil and water. We didn’t get along and instead of providing the wrong example to our children, we needed to do what was best for them and separate once and for all.

“How dare you say that I’ve let her down, you fucking asshole.” Her voice had raised to damn near a shriek.

I wanted to tell her that leaving for days at a time and leaving them with nannies I also paid for wasn’t called being there for them. Not taking Kaylee to the doctor when she was obviously unwell was another example. I could then go on about the flings she’d had with both her tennis instructor and yoga teacher since we had separated. Until a week ago, I hadn’t even touched another woman, and when I did so, it wasn’t at the expense of my daughter.

“I’m going upstairs to read to her and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. If you care as much as you proclaim to, call her fucking pediatrician and get her a doctor’s appointment.”

I didn’t wait to hear her response. I heard some errant cursing, but I didn’t give a damn. I walked upstairs and when I entered my daughter’s room, she was sitting on her bed with a baby doll and running her brush through its hair. I stood in the doorway and watched her. She was so innocent and as thoughts of losing her entered my head, I pushed them away and moved over to the bed.

“Have you found a book, princess?”

“We like this one, Daddy,” she told me as she pulled out the one I had bought for her when she was much younger. She had the entire collection of Berenstein Bears books, and she always did love the one about going to the doctor. “Jenny needs to go to the doctor.”

“I think you are right,” I agreed, then picked up her doll. “Go ahead and get into bed and I will check her out.”

Kaylee quickly climbed under her blankets as I pretended to give her a check-up. “Uh-oh, I think she is scared. I’m scared too, Daddy.”

I arched my brow. “Why are you scared?”

“Because I don’t wanna be sick no more,” she stated, holding her head.

If Hayley didn’t schedule that appointment for her, I would do it myself. “There’s nothing to be scared about. Doctors are here to make you”—I pointed to her, then handed her doll to her—“and Jenny better.”

I then picked up the well worn book and opened the first page. It was about what children could expect when visiting their pediatrician. I read about temperature checks, eye and ear exams, as well as shots. Kaylee was well aware of needles being diabetic, and since Hayley was dead set against using an insulin pump, our daughter had to get manual injections. I wanted to revisit that conversation, and deciding I would be present at her next doctor appointment, I finished the book and kissed her goodnight.

Then, I moved down the hallway to Karter’s room, but he wasn’t home. I assumed he was over at Anton’s because our sons were practically inseparable. It was better that he be there rather than here with his vapid mother. I closed the door to the empty room and went back downstairs.

“I got her a fucking appointment,” she told me, evidently mad that she had been put out to do so.

“Very well. Message me the time and location and I will be there.” Without another glance, I made my way out the door and took the elevator to the ground floor.

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