Page 72 of My Boss's Sons

Noah put the phone down gently and stood up. “And the rest? He lied about every part of it?”

“I saw an email between him and that so-called PI. There was never an investigation. No money was ever stolen. That PI is one of his golf caddies, apparently.”

I got up and walked to my room. I could hear Mom calling after me, but I couldn’t make out her words. I only had one thing on my mind. Sophia.

57

***Sophia***

“Alright, Lily. Get ready. I’m going to throw the ball to you.” I watched her bring the bat up and grin at me. “Here it comes!”

She swung and her bat connected with the ball perfectly. I was too busy cheering to worry about trying to get her out. As she ran the makeshift bases, I jumped up and down and screamed her name like she’d just won a gold medal.

“She’s a natural!” Davis had stopped by to see Lily and he was leaning against his truck and grinning just as big as I was. “And you’re a great teacher.”

Lily passed the home plate and high-fived Milo. “I did it! Did you see?”

“How could I have missed it? You could go pro, kid.” He nodded at Ava, who’d just gotten back from running errands. “Should we quit making art and just turn into those nightmare parents who live vicariously through their kid?”

“You know she’s not our kid, right?” Ava stuck her tongue out at Lily. “No offense.”

I saw that I was losing Lily to an argument with Ava so I walked over to stand next to Davis. “She told me she wants to play this year. Can you believe we’ll be sports parents? I always hoped she’d be into inside things.”

He shook his head. “She’s going to take after me. I was a championship winning ball player, if you recall.”

I snorted. “I saw a trophy in your mom’s basement one time. Is that what you wanted me to recall? I’m pretty sure it was a little league trophy, at that.”

“Okay, okay. Stop busting my balls.” Laughing easily, Davis watched Lily debating with Ava. When he turned to face me, I could tell he had something serious on his mind. “How are you doing?”

I groaned. “Don’t. The last thing I want is my ex-husband feeling pity for me.”

“I’m asking as a friend.”

“Is that what we are now? Friends?” I sighed and shrugged. “Fine. I’m okay. Some minutes suck. Some minutes are okay. There’s really no other way of putting it.”

“Still counting time in minutes, huh? That’s rough. I remember that stage.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It gets easier.”

“Ava and Jack have been keeping me busy. Same with Lily. If I don’t slow down, I don’t feel the overwhelming fear as much.” I forced a laugh and looked back at Lily. She was holding me together. I couldn’t sit around and cry all day because I didn’t want her to see that. “I got an interview for a job similar to my position at Anderson. If Gerald hasn’t blacklisted me, I have a good chance of getting it.”

“I know you know this already, Soph, but I’ll help with whatever comes up. I have enough to support you and Lily while you’re handling all of this.”

Shaking my head, I tipped my face up to the sky and let the sun warm my skin. “Nope. Thank you, but…just nope. I’ve got this. It was touch and go there for a few days, but I’m okay. I’m going to bounce back. And then I’m going to ruin Gerald.”

“So this was your villain origin story?” Davis laughed when I shot a glare at him. “Hey, I’m not judging. If you want to pull on a spandex bodysuit and start plotting to rule the world, that’s cool with me.”

“Shut up.” I found myself smiling and looked over at him. “This is nice. Being friends, I mean.”

He looked away and nodded. “I’m doing my best. As fucked up as it is to admit this, seeing you so hurt over someone else has helped me get over my shit. I didn’t make you feel the same way they did. Honestly, Soph, I never even realized you could feel shit that big.”

I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I watched you come alive for them in a way you never did for me. I’m not the one for you. No matter how much I wanted to be.”

I rolled my eyes. “You weren’t the one for me because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants, Davis.”

He smiled and nudged me with his shoulder. “Yeah, there was that, too. I mean it, though. These guys may not be the right ones for you, but now you know what you can have. Don’t settle for some asshole who doesn’t know what he’s got until it’s gone.”

“The thought never crossed my mind.” I smiled at him and then pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you, Davis.”

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