Page 77 of Bad Love

“You would’ve saidno.”

“It was during the school year!” He shakes his head as if I’m the one being unreasonable. “And even if I’d agreed, you left before you could make good onit.”

He groans. "I got a new job out of state. I couldn’t exactly tell them, ‘Give me a month first to play hooky with mykid.’”

I bite my tongue because I’m too tired to rehash old ground, and I know it serves no purpose. The fact that he’s behind on payments. That he hasn’t sent Rory so much as a card in ayear.

"I know exactly what it’s like to juggle responsibilities, Blake. I’ve been doing it for eight years. Now, I need to get home. You can see Rory in a few weeks when we’re herenext."

I don’t say, “If you’re stillhere.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Blake shifts off the car door and lets mego.

* * *

When I get homeafter eleven—after returning the car I rented and taking the subway from the rental place—I'm exhausted. I drag my heavy feet up the stairs and unlock my front door. I'm ready to passout.

What greets me is a disasterzone.

In my kitchen, pots and pans are everywhere, piled high in the sink. “Whatthe…?”

Hunter appears in the hallway, his dress shirt rolled up to the elbows and unbuttoned halfway down. His hair’s flattened from its usual mussedperfection.

"What happened here?" I ask, bewildered. "It looks like a hurricanehit.”

He looks around as if seeing the mess for the first time. "We got a bit carriedaway."

My next inhale seems to take every ounce of energy left in my body. "It’s fine. Thank you for keeping my sonalive."

“No problem. Better than poker anyway.” He crosses to the kitchen, stacks a few of the bowls before meeting my gaze again. “How’s Orange? I had to look it up after you told me that’s where you were from. Still don’t know shit aboutit.”

“Not much to know.” It’s a cop-out, and we both know it. The decent thing would be to talk to him, but I’m drained and I’m shutting down. “Thank you for tonight. I should let yougo.”

He looks as if he’s going to argue, but he doesn’t. “Sure.”

Part of me wants to go to him, to ask him to fold me in his arms. Instead, I force myself down thehall.

When I crack the door, Rory shifts sleepily in his bed. "Hi,Mom."

"Hi, sweetie.” I perch on the corner of his bed. “Grandma had an accident, but she's going to be fine. I'm sorry I wasn't here for youtonight."

“We hadhomework.”

The reminder makes my chest twinge. I press a quick kiss to Rory's cool forehead. "We'll figure it outtomorrow."

"We already figured it out. Me and Logan." He's slurring hiswords.

"Okay. Go back to sleep,honey."

I sit with him a few minutes, stroking his hair until he driftsoff.

When I go back out to the kitchen, I head for the fridge to see if I can scrounge up something for dinner but pull uphalfway.

The dishes are sitting on a clean towel next to the sink to dry. Hunter must’ve done them while I was with Rory. Gratitude washes overme.

I open the fridge. Inside is a casserole dish filled with pasta. Pipe cleaners are wound around the handles, and stickers decorate the outside.Whatthe…?

My gaze cuts to the counter, landing on a slip of paper with the school’s logo on it.The school assignment that didn’t getdone.

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