“You know nothing,” Shaw snarls.
“I know your daughter has four or five different social media profiles, and one says she was in Claudia’s sorority —”
“She was in a sorority,” he snaps.
Costello makes a buzzing sound. “Not KET, and if her socials need to be subpoenaed, they will be. I also know she made a choice when she was too damn young, and you, motherfucker, signed off for her to have a hysterectomy. Now she wants to play mommy and —”
Aldridge roars, “You have no right to?—”
I slam my fist on the table, “You have no fucking right! You don’t get to throw your fucking name around and think you can get whatever you god damn want for that little bitch that you created. I'm fucking done with this conversation. No court in this whole country is going to agree to this.” I feel my hands shaking and look at Dean. “End this now.”
“You better keep your God damn mouth shut. Or I'll run campaigns to ensure the fans remember why the Bears were always the laughing stock of the organization, and now with you running the team, it’s even more so.”
“Bitch please, I bought a team so I could still be involved in a game I love while I run a billion-dollar corporation. I recruited men with hearts and got rid of all the shit that was dragging it down. Save your fucking breath, you,” he pauses and then finishes with, “Ballless prick.”
Then Dean ends the fucking call.
“Well,” Drew clears her throat and stands. “That went…”
“Baby, I almost called him a cotton-headed ninny muggings,” Costello says. “What the fuck?”
I hear a slow start to a laugh and turn and look at Claudia, whose hand is over her face.
“See, you broke her,” Drew laughs and then hugs her.
I have no idea how they can laugh; I am ready to lose my fucking mind. I look at Hugo Vale and tell him, “If this goes to court and you think for a second that they are going to get any sort of visitation, I need a heads up.” I turn and look at Claudia, “You and Savannah will love Italy.”
Vale looks at me, then at Claudia, who is still hugging Drew. “I'm going back to my office to try to unfuck this situation.”
Drew asks, “Did we do?—”
He cuts Drew off, “No, all the information that you gathered is useful, but I still don't want it to come to that. That asshole doesn’t want it either. I need to think. In the meantime, all of you need to be the kind of family you said you were.”
When he leaves, I walk over to Claudia, “Savannah’s going to be fine, and so are you.”
“You two will figure it out,” Dean says and grabs Drew’s hand. “Let’s head to Blue Valley.”
When the door shuts behind them, I pull Claudia into a hug. “Tell me you're okay, or at least that you trust that I'm going to do everything I can to make it okay.”
She leans into me, and her body starts shaking.
“I'm sorry if you feel like I fucked this up. I don't mean to make you cry, I just wanna see you smile.” She looks up at me, and I see that she is not crying, “Are you laughing, Claudia Holloway?”
“I thought poor people’s problems were the worst; I was wrong.”
“Money doesn't buy you class, common sense, or a conscience.”
“It sure doesn't,” she sighs, as her phone vibrates in her pocket. But she doesn't look away, she’s looking at me, eyes going from left to right, trying to read something in me that she has not seen yet.
“You’d better get that; it could be about Savannah.”
She looks at the screen, “It’s not, but I do have to jump onto this call.”
“What I said earlier, about us getting engaged. It may have seemed reactive or situational, but it really wasn’t. I've never wanted that until you. So think about this, we get engaged, we show them we’re serious, they know what we have on them, and they'll think a little bit harder about what the fuck they're doing.”
“I’m not going to marry someone because it's convenient and it sells a narrative that I shouldn't have to sell.”
I kiss the top of her head and step back, “Then don't. When I ask, say yes and marry me because you know damn well I'm not going anywhere. Know that every step you make, I’m going to have your back.” I hold my hand to my chest, “I'm falling, Claudia Holloway, I have no doubt you would be too if life weren't so messy. But it won't always be that way.”
