Page 32 of Trading Yesterday

“How’d she react to Chase?”

I hesitated to tell him the truth because I knew it would sting. “He does well with her and she adores him.” I stuck the index finger of my free hand into my ear to muffle the background noise. “It’s like she’s always known him.”

Jensen sighed heavily. “Figures. Chase always gets the breaks,” resentment laced his tone like acid.

I was in the kitchen as far away from the cleaning crew as I could get. My heart plummeted in my chest. Not one of us had it easy. We were all in hell. “You know in your heart that isn’t true.”

“Right. Keep telling yourself that.”

It hurt when Jensen was angry or jealous of Chase’s professional success, but I could understand it. If only he wouldn’t have told my dad he was the father of my baby… if only it hadn’t hit the news, I might be living a completely different life; we all would. “I shouldn’t have married you, Jensen. It wasn’t fair.”

Jensen ignored my comment and pushed on. “It doesn’t hurt that you paint him as a saint. Its no wonder he seems perfect to her.”

Bam. I was damned, no matter what I did. “I did it for her, you know that.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” His voice sounded as weary as I felt. “You did it for you and him! Remi has always been happy until she got sick. She has everything she needs, and I love her. You’re the one who needed to keep the door open with Chase.”

I closed my eyes, refusing to get sucked into another argument. “Considering the circumstances, I’m glad I did.” Everything was such a mess and I was tired of this conversation. We’d had it a hundred times after he discovered I was telling Remi about Chase. Even though it was part of our agreement from the beginning, he was still hurt and guilt hit me like a tidal wave again. I couldn’t deny everything Jensen had sacrificed to stand by me and take care of my child. And, he’d treated Remi as if she were his since the day she was born. “I know this is hard for you, and I’m sorry. All I’m doing lately is crying and saying I’m sorry.”

“Well, it’s one fucked up mess.”

It was, but he didn’t have to do what he’d done. “Chase is doing his best to come to terms with things and deal with the here and now. He wants to help Remi. Isn’t that what we all want?”

“Yes.”

I rushed on with the details, keeping emotion out of it. “The marker test has been done and we’re waiting for the results, but Chase is moving forward with the doctors on the remaining tests so, we can move forward as soon as possible if they match.”

“That’s something, at least. What are his plans?” He asked stoically.

“I don’t know that much about his schedule. He has a game this weekend and he’s planning to make arrangements with his club to take a leave of absence for the transplant and recovery.”

“Has he made any threats to take her, yet? Because if not, you’d better get ready.”

Sadness washed over me that Jensen would be so suspicious of someone who used to be his best friend in the world, and wished he would concentrate on what Remi needed and leave it at that. “He hasn’t mentioned anything close to it. Do you really think he’d do that?”

“You never know. A lot of shit has happened and he never was one to let anyone roll over him. He has the money to sue for custody if he wants it. There’s no way I can lawyer up like he can, Teagan.”

I was staring out the back door into the yard, a streetlight illuminating the modest swing set that was there next to a small sandbox Jensen had constructed out of one of those baby pools he’d sunk into the ground and filled with sand.

We’d discussed all of the adverse things that could happen if, and when, Chase found out about Remi and it had been a big part of the fight we had before he left. He was scared. Jensen couldn’t love her more if he were her real father, and I understood how he felt, but I couldn’t let emotions change what was being done for Remi. She was my first and only concern right now, and getting her well had to take precedence over custody. Even if I lost her to Chase, it would be better than losing her to cancer.

It wasn’t as if I hadn’t thought about all of this already. Chase might want revenge and use custody of Remi as a hammer. It was a concern, but deep down in my heart, I couldn’t believe that he would. “I don’t think he’ll do that. He just wants to see her get well.”

“Well, don’t think it’s beneath him. He’s not as perfect as you think he is.”

“I can’t think about it right now, Jensen. He’s here and he's doing what we need him to do for Remi. He’s struggling like the rest of us, and to be fair, he’s been blindsided. Please… just don’t antagonize him.”

Jensen let out a disgusted grunt just before the doorbell rang. The sound was faint over the din of the carpet cleaners and I ended the call on my way to answer it.

“Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you as soon as I have news, but I have to go help the cleaners finish up.” The minute the words were out, I regretted them. Money was a sticky subject for Jensen and he’d never want to accept anything from Chase, for any reason.

“Cleaners?” I could already hear the accusation in his voice.

There were five workers milling through the house cleaning the bathrooms; wiping down every surface with disinfectant besides the man running the carpet cleaner. Three of them were men, and the furniture was left askew as it was moved to vacuum and then shampoo the carpets and floors beneath. I was grateful for their help. I wouldn’t have been able to get it clean enough by myself, but I was afraid to look at the bill.

“Yes, Remi is being allowed home for a few days. It was last minute and I wasn’t ready. Don’t worry about the money—”

He cursed under his breath. “Of course. Chase, right? Mr. Amazing sweeps in and takes over.”

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