“Mia, you’re going to look hot in your wedding dress,” Melissa continued.
“If I wasn’t pregnant,” I said, pushing the cart toward the diapers, “then maybe I’d look hot … but my stomach will be huge in it. It fit so tightly in my last fitting. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to get the thing on.”
“Ugh,” Melissa said, playfully rolling her eyes. “Stop putting yourself down. He’ll love it.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket as I grabbed three boxes of diapers, knowing that it wasn’t enough but that we had time to come back. I pulled the phone out, thinking it was Michael.
Dad: Sorry for being a shitty father, Mia.
My eyes widened at the text message, and I gnawed on the inside of my cheek.What is wrong with him? Why apologize after years of ignoring me? Why care after not giving a damn during the hardest times of my life?
After deciding not to answer, my phone buzzed again.
Cam: Have you decided? Party Friday night? Chelsea is asking.
Melissa looked over my shoulder. “Is that Cam from the guys’ frat?”
I pushed my phone back into my pocket. “Yeah, he invited me to a psych grad party on Friday. I don’t know if I wanna go though. Parties have not been my forte.”
“I think you should go,” Melissa said, looking through the variety of strollers on display. She turned back to me. “Live a little. You’re not going to have time to go out that much after you deliver. It’ll be a nice time to relax and chat about what you love, especially if everyone going is doing psych.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
I’d never been much of a partier. I kind of hated it, especially the frat parties that Mason would drag me to when we first started dating. I had agreed to go to a couple to please him and Melissa, though not more than a handful. But this wasn’t going to be a frat party. This was a party with a bunch of people I knew and liked from work and school. It wouldn’t be that bad, right?
“Girl, yes,” Melissa said. She pointed out a stroller. “You like this one?” I nodded, and she continued, “I think you should go. Dad asked me to get ice cream on Friday night, so he’ll be busy anyway. Go to the party. Enjoy yourself.”
Enjoy myself …
I didn’t know if I would, but I’d go anyway. In a few short months, I knew I’d be begging to have some free time again even if it was just a few moments. I didn’t want to regret passing up a fun night.
Me: Sure, I’ll be there, Cam.
CHAPTER8
MIA
I’d said I’d be at the party, and I was quickly regretting it. It was Friday night, and I wanted to go home and sleep in Michael’s arms. Okay … that wasn’t the only thing I wanted to do with him. I wouldn’t mind if he locked me in the bedroom for a few hours and refused to let me leave.
But he had gone out with Melissa, and I had come to this stupid party just to stand around awkwardly in the corner, like I always did. Cam had talked to me a few times already, but he talked to everyone. He was more social than I ever hoped to be, which was probably why he’d joined his frat to begin with.
Pulling out my phone to try to look busy, I saw a message from Mom.
Mom: If your father contacts you again, let me know.
Me: Did you talk to him?
I didn’t have to wait long for her reply.
Mom: Mmhmm.
Mom: Had a forty-five-minute chat with him. Made me want to hurl. LOL.
My lips tugged up into a smile, and I let out a small laugh. Forty-five minutes was a long time to talk to your ex-husband after not speaking to him for years. I wondered what they’d talked about the entire time. If it was a regular conversation with Dad, it was probably more like him asking for money. But … Mom wouldn’t take that, not anymore.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know. I didn’t want him in my life anymore, and that included my headspace. Merelythinkingabout him put me into a shitty mood.
Mom: I screamed at him for the first time, and it felt so good.
