That causes a small smile. “I love you too, Daddy.”
Then she’s gone.
I sit there alone again. Staring at my phone. At Jess’s contact.
The message Ben left is probably sitting on her voicemail right now. A five-year-old begging her to come back.
If that doesn’t work, nothing will.
Look at me, relying on my five-year-old to patch up a relationship I fucked up.
No.
The only way this will get fixed is if I do something.
Ihave to act.
My fingers move before my brain catches up. Typing out a text to both Jess and Ethan.
Dinner. Tonight. Neutral location. For Ben’s sake. Please.
I stare at the message. Delete the please. Too desperate.
Add it back.
Fuck it.
Iamdesperate.
Send.
The three dots appear almost immediately on Jess’s end.
My heart pounds.
Her response:Only if Ethan comes.
Fair. She doesn’t trust me alone. Can’t blame her for that.
I type back:Works for me. Valentina will send details.
Ethan’s response comes next:This better not be some bullshit power play.
I don’t respond to that. Just forward both messages to Valentina with instructions.Neutral café. Off the books. Seven pm.
I close my eyes. Lean back in my chair.
Something has to change.
Either I figure out how to put myself back together.
Or I lose everything that matters.
Tonight.
I start tonight.
Three hourslater I’m sitting in the back of the Range Rover outside some neutral café in Tribeca that Valentina booked under a fake name.
