Page 14 of The P Arrangement

Quickly but gently, I moved Paxton away from me and kissed his forehead with a whispered, “I love you, little man,” before slipping out of bed.

When I stood, the cold air hitting my skin reminded me that I didn’t have a stitch of clothing on, and my eyes immediately went to the corner chair. It was the kind of chair people had in their bedrooms to throw their clothes on, and—wouldn’t you know it—there was my skirt, my blouse, my bra, and my underwear. Just like when I used to live there.

Preston had gone downstairs and brought my clothes up. Was it another sign he wanted me to leave as soon as possible, or was he just being nice? Maybe both. Either way, I wasn’t sticking around to find out.

My bra was in one piece, as was my skirt, but the crotch of my panties had been torn in two while my shirt was missing a few buttons. I put my skirt on, sans underwear, and shrugged on my bra before going to Preston’s T-shirt drawer. Pulling out the first one that was on top, I saw that it was his favorite T-shirt, and I smirked. It served him right after ruining an expensive pair of underwear. Since he might wonder what had happened to his tee, I left my ruined panties for him in the drawer and laughed. It probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do, but I wanted him to know it was his own fault I had worn his beloved Linkin Park shirt home. I suppose a fair trade would have been my blouse, but I was pretty sure I could find someone to replace the buttons for cheaper than it would be to buy a new one.

Once I was presentable enough, I couldn’t help but kiss my baby boy good-bye again before I went downstairs. I panicked for a moment before realizing my purse was still in the kitchen, where I’d left it last night. When I entered, it seemed like picking up my clothes wasn’t the only thing Preston had done that morning because the pot of coffee smelled delicious and was calling my name.

Telling myself I needed to get out of there before my ex was out of the shower and that I could stop at a drive-through on the way home, I snatched up my bag and went back the way I’d come. I reached the door, where I paused to put on my heels, and was outside a few seconds later.

As the door closed behind me, my shoulders slumped. My whole reason for going in the house last night was to ask Preston to switch weekends with me, and I hadn’t even gotten around to it. Instead, my going inside had complicated everything.

SEVEN

PRESTON

“Yoo-hoo. Preston dear?”

I sighed and let my head fall back against the couch I was sitting in front of while I played on the floor with Paxton.

Was the sound of one’s own mother’s voice supposed to grate on one’s nerves? I didn’t need to actually ask someone to know the answer was no.

“In here,” I answered and stood.

I wasn’t fast enough though because I looked up as Rebecca St. James walked into the living room, saying, “Preston, you shouldn’t be sitting on the floor like that. It’s not a gentlemanly thing to do.”

Taking a quick glance at Paxton, I made sure he hadn’t heard his grandmother berate me for playing with him. And rather than rolling my eyes at her for her remark about me sitting on the floor with my son in the comfort of my house, I said, “Pax, your grandmother is here. Do you want to say hi?”

“No.”

I stifled a laugh.Yeah,me neither, kid.

My mother gasped.

“I play trucks, Daddy,” Paxton explained.

I had to fight back the grin that threatened to show itself at my mother’s horrified face.

“Well, I never…”

“Mom, he’s not even three yet.” I already knew she was thinking something along the lines of how my son wasn’t acting appropriately.

But as someone who’d grown up hearing how I was supposed to be and how I was supposed to act my whole life, it wasn’t something I wanted for Paxton at all. He was a kid and only young once. He had his whole life to conform to society’s standards. If he even wanted to. I wasn’t putting any of the pressures my own family had put on me on him.

“Preston, it’s never too early to start teaching him—”

I put my hand up.

Since my divorce, my patience for my mother had worn thin. Until I’d become a part of Delaney’s family, I hadn’t known what it was like to be part of a family that was loving and welcoming. Being married to her had helped balance out spending time with my mother, and without them, it made me less tolerant of my mom and her bullshit.

I thought my mother sensed the change in me because she wisely shut her mouth. But she couldn’t stay quiet for long.

“Preston, that isn’t what you’re wearing tonight, is it?”

I sighed again. “No. I am putting Pax to bed before I leave, and then I plan to change.”

I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. I thought most people would just assume I wasn’t wearing it out on a date. Although I was very tempted. The woman I was going out with tonight was the daughter of one of my mother’s friends. I couldn’t imagine she was going to be much fun to be around. And after last night, it was taking everything in me to muster up the energy to go on a date tonight. The only reason I wasn’t canceling was because it wouldn’t be fair to my date and because it would avoid a fight with my mother if I went.

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