11:55 – If it was just me maybe I’dfeel differently. But I have Clara to think about…
She’s been through a lot.
She’s young and impressionable.
11:56 – I’m sure… She’s lucky to have a dad like you…
Have you dated at all since?
11:57 – Not really…
My fingers hovered over my phone as I felt a surge of hope. But before I could find the right words…
11:57 – I’m sorry, Waverly. There is no
easy way to say this…
I’m not afraid of introducing another
woman into Clara’s life…when the
timing is right.
11:58 – Actually, it is something I want
eventually. For her and me…
I’m sure you have changed a lot since we
were kids. But I can’t help what I feel…
You really hurt me and a lot of
others when we were younger… The fact that I
I waited for over a minute for him to complete his thought.
12:00 – That you what?
12:01 – It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve moved on.
And I’m stronger because of what I had endured as the outcast.
But I can’t lie or pretend…
I’m petrified of having you get close to my daughter.
17
The next daymy practically perfect attendance record came to a screeching halt. In a rare moment of weakness, after a sleepless night, I decided to call out sick. I’m not proud to admit I spent most of the day in bed crying.
I didn’t have a broken heart, but I felt broken. I was boiling mad at myself for disobeying one of my biggest self-set rules: never act without getting a thorough understanding of the facts. My diligence had always served me well at work. Why did I get my hopes up thinking I finally met a man who was nice and attractive, even though he had shown me a different side of himself more than once?
I never bothered to reply to Pete’s last message, becausereally? What was the point? If Mr. Cop an Attitude was too pigheaded to understand people grew up and changed, he could go handcuff himself to a lamppost in his tighty-whities!
And what in the world was hepetrifiedof? Did he think I’d be cruel to his kid? Or was he afraid my influence would transform his daughter into a mean girl?
My phone beeped alerting me to an incoming text message. I picked up the phone, tentatively. Another wave of guilt washed over me when I saw who wrote to me.
