Tires crunched over gravel and Tig started barking. “Quiet,” I instructed, and Tig fell silent, resting his head on his paws with a heavy sigh, like he felt unappreciated.
I made my way to the door, watching as a black minivan pulled up beside my truck. Cheryl stepped out, her eyes red like she’d been crying.
My defenses fell, concern replacing the usual aggravation I felt when I had to deal with my ex.
“Cheryl? What’s wrong?” I moved toward her, concerned. She subconsciously placed her hand on her stomach, her lip trembling as she stared at me.
“I can’t sleep.”
I cocked my head, my feet halting. “I’m sorry?” I questioned.
She wiped at her cheeks, looking away before her eyes darted back to me. “I haven’t been able to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I think about what you said…and I’m not trying to push you out, I swear.”
“Sure feels like it,” I retorted.
She bit her lip, releasing it to speak again, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. I guess I…I wanted to punish you.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“At first, when you told me you were moving, I thought you were coming after me.” She admitted, shaking her head.
“You cheated, Cheryl. I didn’t.”
“Yeah, but I never really had you, did I?” she asked, smiling sorrowfully. I said nothing—she already knew the answer to that. She nodded, lowering her gaze before drawing it back up to my eyes.
“I know. I’m sorry,” I told her, meaning it. She nodded again, dragging her eyes back up to me. The broken look in her eyes made my heart ache. I got the sense that there was more coming, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I didn’t want to include you because you never loved me the way I needed you to, and having you show up was—is—just painful. I know it shouldn’t be. Mason looks at me the way you never did, and I love him, but it still stings. So, I’m sorry for punishing you.”
“It doesn’t just punish me, it punishes Sawyer, too. She should get us both, Cheryl, regardless of how we feel about each other.”
“I know that,” she said, sorrow in place of her usual spite. Maybe she finally saw reason. Hope bloomed, and I wondered if we’d finally be able to move past the bullshit. “Mason tells me I'm irrational when it comes to you. He thinks I need to let you in more.”
“What do you think?”
She nodded, her eyes welling over with tears. “I think he’s right,” she managed. She heaved a breath, wiping at her cheek before she continued. “I’m sorry I freaked out when I heard you were seeing someone. I just didn’t like the idea of being replaced.”
“Feels shitty, doesn’t it?” More tears slipped down her cheeks, and I sighed. “You won’t be replaced, Cheryl. I won’t do that to Sawyer.”
“But I did that to her and to you. I made it hard for you to be there. I was just…I was so angry, Alaric. You let me walk away without even fighting for me. You fought for Sawyer, but not me. I guess I just wanted you to feel a little bit of the anger and hurt I felt.”
Hearing it from the source didn’t make it hurt any less. I inclined my head, absorbing her words. “Mission accomplished.”
She shook her head, more tears spilling over. It was crazy that I felt any amount of sympathy at all for her, after everything she’d put me through over the last six years.
She dried her eyes on her sleeve and drew a breath. “When I have the baby, Sawyer can stay with you. If you’re still up for it.”
“What about Mason’s mom?”
“She can still help us out, but…Sawyer should be with you if she can’t be with me.”
I smiled, nodding. “Okay.”
Gravel crunched beneath tires and headlights flooded the garage. We both watched as a red Mazda pulled up, parking behind my truck. Gwen killed the ignition, and the lights went out.
She stepped out of her car, her smile fading a little when she noticed Cheryl standing in front of me. Her eyes shot back to me, wide with unease, her grip tightening on the door like she wanted to bolt.
“Who’s this?” Cheryl’s voice was tight, and I tilted my head, encouraging Gwen forward with my eyes. She backed up, closing the door, and approached warily. “Cheryl, this is Gwen. Gwen, this is Cheryl.”
