“Say it.”
I didn’t answer, unsure of what he meant.
“Admit Kacey is my son.”
I swallowed, fighting against the fear closing off my vocal chords. Despite the pep talk and reassurances I attempted to soothe myself with, I was shaking. The unknown terrified me. Even I didn’t fully understand this situation. We would only be able to piece together the past if we worked together. The turmoil in my midsection told me this wouldn’t be a peaceful conversation where we compared stories. I forced calm into the truth. “He—he’s your son.”
Jack hung his head down, using the sill to support him as he leaned forward. His back, now clothed with a red t-shirt, collapsed on a deep exhale. “You know, I feel like a real idiot.Jules told me two weeks ago Kacey was mine. And I defended you. Said you’d never do something like hide my child from me.”
“Jack—”
“I thought I knew you.”
“You do! I?—”
“No, I don’t.” He turned to face me then, his eyes burning with anger. “Because the Miranda I fell in love with would never do something like this.” He gained volume. “I have missedfour yearsof my son’s life. While some abusive piece of shit has been taking care of him?” He motioned out the door, indicating Chris.
I blinked, clearing my vision. “There is so much you don’t und?—”
“What is there to understand? Nothing—nothing—makes this okay. You kept my son away from me and allowed him to be neglected and mistreated.”
“Allowed it?” My voice was a squeak of emotion.
Jack’s voice was uncomfortably loud for the small living room, his hand motions were jerky and broad. “I don’t know everything about your ex, but I know enough. You wanted me to drop you off at a homeless shelter for crying out loud!”
“I had no other choice!”
He scoffed at that. “Dammit, Miranda! How about comehome? Did you ever think of that? Did you ever consider that Jack—despite all the problems you said he had—wanted his kid?”
“I tr?—”
“If I recall correctly, I wasbeggingyou to stay. Begging you!”
He wouldn’t let me finish a sentence and I wanted to scream at him. But Ichoked on my tears. “Jack?—”
“Do you like him better? Is he so great you thought you’d nestle up there in Ohio withmykid? Pretend like a family?”
Indignation poured into me. “Jack! There are things you know nothing about!”
“Apparently! Because I have a three year old son I met three weeks ago.”
“I thought you knew!”
That stopped him for a moment and he scoffed in annoyance. “Oh, I see. This is another round of that game we used to play in our marriage. Where I have toreadyourmindand automatically know exactly what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, and have the perfect response in all situations in order to keep you happy.”
A sob escaped. How could he say that? “Jack, I haveneverasked you to read my mind.”
He fake laughed. “Oh yeah? How about the months that went by where we didn’t talk? Never spoke to each other and you had the audacity to claim I didn’t listen to you. Like, what the hell? You weren’tsayinganything!”
He was treading on a tender place. “No, it’s bec?—”
“I tried to be nice, even brought you flowers, and you threw them out the window!” His eyes were wild, his muscles taut. “Is Chris better at reading your mind, knowing your needs without you having to actually communicate them? Is that why you’ve been in Ohio for four years withmyson?”
Sobs shook my shoulders.
“Wait a sec.” He held his hand up, thinking. “I was the ‘one night mistake’ wasn’t I? A night with your husband, who loved you, and wanted a child, was the big mistake? Ilovedyou. I have never stopped loving you. All the time we’ve been apart, I wanted you here with me. The past few weeks, I thought we had a chance—a do-over where we could make things right…but this?” He shook his head, running his hands over it. Desperation edged into his tone. “We won’t be able to come back from this, Miranda Howard.”
Howard?
