Page 52 of Keeping His Babygirl

“Nothing, my ass. Tell me what happened. Last I heard, you were keeping things low-key and casual…”

Before I can worry about Pelar judging me or telling me she told me so, I blurt out the whole thing. Everything.

“And that’s it,” I finally say, feeling deflated.

“Jesus. You really like this guy.”

“That’s your takeaway? Really?” I ask.

“Don’t get me wrong, the rest of it sucks. I’m sorry that you’re hurting so badly. And we will circle back around to the whole failing Henry nonsense, but you seriously like this Axel guy.”

“I do. He’s so good to me, and Henry likes him too.”

“But you’re going to break it off with him?” she asks sounding perplexed.

“I have to. He deserves so much more than what little I have to offer him. How could I ever be enough for him while grieving William? It’s just not fair to him.” It all sounds totally reasonable when I say it aloud, but then why does my heart ache in a whole new way at the thought of letting him go?

“Shouldn’t that be his decision?”

“Mommy,” Henry calls from the next room, saving me from having to answer that complicated question.

“Henry needs me. I have to go.”

I throw my phone on the counter and head to Henry’s room. “What’s up, buddy?”

“My train broke,” he says with tear-filled eyes.

“Oh no. Let me see.” I take the train from his hands, and sure enough, the wheel is broken. I try to push it back into place, but there’s no hope. It’s beyond saving. “I’m sorry, buddy. I can’t fix it.”

He cries in earnest at that. I pick him up and sit with him on the bed while he cries it out. “We can go to the store and get a new train,” I say, trying to cheer him up.

He sniffles. “We can?”

“We sure can. Let’s get our shoes on and go find a new train.”

Crisis averted. Well, one of them. There is still the minor detail of my breaking it off with Axel to deal with.

Later.

I’ll deal with that one later.

* * *

I tuckHenry into bed for the night and decide it’s time. I can’t put it off any longer. Axel will be off work soon, and I definitely can’t break it off with him on a call. If I hear his voice, he’ll be able to talk me out of it, and that can’t happen.

Axel, I’m sorry, but it’s over between us.

I read the message ten times before I finally hit send. It’s a dick move to break things off with him via text message without telling him why, but I have to do it this way. I’m not strong enough to do it any other way.

Now I just have to hope he doesn’t fight me over it.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Axel

Axel, I’m sorry, but it’s over between us.

I readthe message from Addy again, but it doesn’t make any more sense than it did the first time. Everything was fine when she left me last night. Finally, her walls were down, and she opened up to me. This doesn’t make any sense.

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