I push myself away from the wall, run my fingers through my hair, and pace. “Unless you’re willing to tell me exactlywho this friend is, it isn’t happening. He doesn’t stay with anyone I don’t know.”
“I didn’t say you didn’t know them?—”
“Then who is it?” I ask, raising my voice.
“It’s none of your business.” She bats her lashes as if she has no idea what my problem is.
“It is my business if you’re taking my son there and, at this point, you’re still my wife.”
“In name only,” she spits.
I stop in my tracks and turn to face her. “I’ll repeat this, just so we’re clear. Ozzie stays here, and if you want time with him, you stay here too.”
“I’m not arguing with you, Tommy. Have your month and we’ll see what happens after that. I haven’t got time to go through this with you now. I have to go.”
The temperature of my blood rises. I thought I could keep it together, but Jesus, she pushes my buttons. “The way you’re talking, I don’t think you want him at all. Do you want to give him up? Is that it?”
She chews the inside of her cheek and shrugs. “I just need time for myself. I’m tired, Tommy.”
She didn’t say no.
I’m running out of patience. Ozzie needs a relationship with his mum, but not if she resents him. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t think you know what you’re saying, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt and some time to think hard about what you’re doing to our son. For now, let’s say you’ll see Ozzie in a day or so. He needs you to step up and keep things as normal as possible, just until we’ve sorted out how we deal with this going forward.”
Pushing her shoulders back, she stands as tall as her five-foot-eight frame will allow. “No.”
Looking up to the heavens, I beg whoever is up there togive me strength. “I’m bending over backwards to make this easy for you. You’ll regret it if you don’t keep up a good relationship with him, do you realise that?”
“Don’t give me your nice guy act. I’m bored with it.” Her eyes lock with mine as she stands her ground. “Stop acting like you care.”
She’ll reject anything I suggest at this point. It’s time to give up. “When you’re ready to sort shit out, call me. In the meantime, you can explain to Oz why you won’t be around for a while.”
The click of her heels stops beside me. “Actually, it’s better if I don’t say goodbye to Ozzie. It might upset him more.”
Now I give her my attention. I point towards Connie’s bedroom door. “Get your arse in there and say goodbye to your son.”
“Don’t make this into a big thing, Tommy. He won’t understand.”
My fingers run through my shaggy hair and I blow out a frustrated breath. Has this woman ever had a maternal bone in her body?
This is stupid. While we stand opposite each other, I’m mentally begging her to walk into Connie’s room, pick Ozzie up in her arms, and make him feel safe. Instead, she struts past me. I’m not letting her get away with it and block her with my arm. She has no choice but to stop in her tracks.
“There’s a little boy in that bedroom relying on you,” I grit through my teeth.
But she ducks under my arm and calmly walks towards the door. “See you around,” she says over her shoulder before walking out on her only child.
Connie carefully places Ozzie in his bed. He’s fast asleep, but his body jerks and wriggles into a more comfortable position. At least it is for him. He’s lying on his front, his bum in the air and hands by his side. I ask Connie to step outside of his room for a sec, so I can have a word and explain the situation before she goes to bed. I’ve got to say, she’s pretty cool about it and maybe a little relieved. I think Chelsea gave her a hard time.
I sneak back into Ozzie’s room and sit by his bed. He is the one constant positive in my life. I take his tiny hand in mine and contemplate my next move. Maybe it’s time I took Oz away for a while. We could both do with it. We haven’t been back to England for ages, and I miss Braebeach and our family. Oz loves Angie’s son, Josh, and he adores my mum and dad, his only grandparents. Chelsea isn’t in touch with her family, so Oz has never met them. Come to think of it, neither have I.
I quietly push up from the floor, then gently ruffle his hair. “Sleep tight, buddy,” I whisper, knowing that before I can contemplate some time away with my kid, I have business to sort out.
The guys called me earlier. Ash is in a state of shock, and Max is clearly angry, but both of them agreed to come over to my place tonight. We want to get our heads around this shit before our meeting with Dani in the morning. I mean, who leaves a band when they’re at the top of their game? There’s only one person who can answer that question, and we have no idea where the fuck he is.
I make myself a coffee, knowing it’s going to be a long night. As soon as the boys arrive, they’ll probably want something stronger.
I grab my phone, intending to call Angie. All I want is tohear a friendly voice, but then I notice the time. Jesus, where did tonight go? It’s the early hours of the morning with her, so I think better of it. I’ll see her soon enough anyway. It’s time to go home.
CHAPTER TEN
