me. And I knew I’d have to tell him. If I didn’t, he’d push me, and I’d cave. I always did, and I didn’t
feel too bad about it because he was only pressing me for my own good.
As I exited the highway, the differences in our lives came into stark contrast. He lived the life I
wanted, a place of his own in a quiet neighborhood with a yard. When I let my guard down, I’d even
caught myself picturing Willow playing in the yard between his apartment and his sister’s house.
That was dangerous thinking. I couldn’t let my imagination meld these two pieces of my life
together.
No matter how I wished it were different, this was my life. Rundown gas stations. Rows of
identical, brick apartment buildings with cracked steps leading to the door. Shuttered storefronts that
hadn’t seen life in years.
But it was affordable and not as dangerous as it looked at first glance.
You’re doing everything you can to take care of your family.If I said it often enough, maybe I’d
believe the words.
The streetlight flickered as I turned into the parking lot. I rolled down my window, pointing to the
guest parking spaces, but who knew if he saw me because the lights were out. Again.
After parking, I turned off the engine and closed my eyes. I could do this. There wasn’t anything to
worry about.
I jumped when William rapped his knuckles against the window. My cheeks flushed. I knew I was
being stupid, but I couldn’t stop myself now that I was on this downward spiral.
What if he didn’t approve of where I lived? That would both crush me and piss me off. I was
doing the best I could for Willow and me. I was fucking killing myself to make sure we had a safe
apartment close enough to Lisa that my daughter’s life wasn’t in constant chaos.
Cool night air blasted me when William got sick of waiting and opened my door. He crouched
down, slowly rubbing my thigh. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I lied. I didn’t want to have this conversation while I was hiding in the car and I knew
it wouldn’t be long before his knees started to protest. I yanked the keys out of the ignition and stuffed
them in my pocket. “Let’s go inside.”
“That’s a good idea, but don’t think you’re getting off that easy,” he warned me. “If you’d rather
go up and grab your clothes so we can head back to my place, that’s fine. Or if you’ve changed your
mind and want to be alone, that’s not a problem, either.”
