Page 41 of Enemy Daddy Next Door

I check my watch and realize I’m running out of time. It’s almost time to walk up to Amy’s front door and get her. Thank god she lives next door. For once it’s a blessing, not a curse.

“Besides, you’re not without a paddle if Amy’s not the one. You can always…go back, you know?”

Gillian snaps at him again. “What? I’m not saying he should, I’m saying if!” Axel replies defensively.

There’s a skirmish over the phone and then my ear is greeted with Gillian’s voice. “Hunter? It’s Gillian.”

“Hi, Gillian,” I say. Now I’m sweating. Talking with a Solace sister about this is more terrifying than I could have imagined.

“If you like my sister as much as you say you do, you’re going to delete all those girls in your phone right now.”

I am at a loss for words. The numbers in my phone are like a security blanket. I haven’t used them since the night I kissed Amy. And that night was the first time I’d used it since she called me out in her bikini. And even that girl got sent packing. I know I just want Amy, but it is comforting knowing they’re there. If I get rid of them, who knows what can happen to me.

“Did you hear me?”

“Y-yes, but –”

“Nope! No buts. If you don’t want to be a playboy, you need to act like you’re not a playboy,” she says firmly.

I’ve never heard Gillian be so direct with me. Usually, she’s tenderly walking me through some parenting advice and patting me on the shoulder. “Okay,” I squeak.

“Okay?”

“Y-yes. I’ll delete them.”

There’s another struggle over the phone; Axel is once again the one in my ear. “Yo, don’t listen to her, she’s a biased party in this.”

“It’s okay, I think she’s…” I take a deep breath. “I think she’s right.”

Axel doesn’t reply.

“If I’m serious about this, then I have to act like it.”

“Whatever works for you, man,” he replies cautiously. “Just remember, you’re great. You’re Hunter Ricks. Just be yourself, and if it’s meant to be…”

It will be.

I check my watch once again. Gametime. “Hey, thanks a lot, man, but I have to go.”

“Of course. Let me know how it goes after.”

“Sure. And thank Gillian for me too.”

“Don’t give her too much credit, it’ll go to her head!”

I hear Gillian’s laughter through the phone. Fills my chest with warmth to hear the two of them together. Gives me some sort of hope for myself.

We say our goodbyes, and as soon as I hang up, Jessica skips through the kitchen. “It’s time, Daddy!”

“Give me just one second, Jess,” I say, but she’s off like a bullet, out the front door, down the steps, and over to Amy’s.

Shit.

I don’t have much time. It’s now or never.

I pull up my contact list and one by one, work through all the mononym contacts. Brianna…Caitlyn…Jessenia…Molly…

Each one I delete. No second thought. All gone.

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