‘Of course not, princess. Mammy can do it tonight, and I’ll do it tomorrow.’ And every night after that, until Teagan breezes in here again.
I’d never stop Teagan seeing Phoebe, but I wish she’d agree to more structured visits. A routine would provide Phoebe the stability every little girl needs.
I brush my lips over Phoebe’s forehead. ‘I love you, Feebs, sweet dreams.’
‘I’ll see you downstairs.’ I frown at Teagan pointedly as I barrel past her in search of a strong drink. If I didn't need one before, I do now.
Twenty minutes later Teagan drifts down the staircase like she hasn’t got a care in the world, which I suppose, she hasn’t. She lives off her ridiculously generous trust fund, flitting from place to place depending on who she’s dating. The woman is about as far removed from the real world as Neil fucking Armstrong when he set foot on the moon.
Teagan’s heels click across the varnished original wooden floorboards as she waltzes through the hallway like she owns the place. Thank God I didn’t cave to her demands and marry her, or she would. I tried to love her; I really did, but we were never compatible.
The truth is when she left it was a relief.
‘She’s asleep.’ My ex hovers in the doorway, gripping the thick architrave in her slim fingers for a second before heading to the crystal decanter and helping herself to my fifteen-year-old Redbreast whiskey.
I place my own glass on the mahogany coffee table in front of me and drop down to perch on the arm of the leather couch.
She turns purposefully, caressing the crystal glass with her thumb. Her jade eyes rake over my fingers as I remove my tie.
I wait with a stiff spine for whatever horseshit excuse she’s going to spout for dropping out of Phoebe’s life for the last six months. Though, none of it matters. What matters is Phoebe, and minimising the damage Teagan will cause when she disappears again.
‘A phone call would have been nice.’ I pick up my glass and gulp, eyeing the woman I made a human with over the crystal as the honey-coloured liquid slips down my throat.
Teagan’s answering smile is both victorious and flirtatious. ‘I knew you missed me.’
The alcohol splutters on my lips. ‘Oh, I missed you alright. Like a hole in the fucking head. Your daughter on the other hand, she cried herself to sleep every night for six weeks straight after you upped and left – again.’
Teagan’s symmetrical features wrinkle into a wince. She shrugs her bare shoulders, shaking the thin straps of her dress. ‘I’m sorry. I should have called. I meant to … then the longer it went on, the harder it became.’
Jesus, you’d think we were discussing an item at the grocery store that she neglected to pick up, not the neglect of her only child. Fury burns like fire through my veins.
She appears at my side, placing a palm on my bicep. ‘I’m sorry, baby.’
‘What the fuck, Teagan?’ I flinch and shrug her off.
‘Come on, Cillian. Don’t be like that. I’m here now.’ She shimmies against me, brushing her breasts against my chest. ‘Let’s have a drink. Catch up. Curl up, if you like.’ Her tongue darts out over her lower lip. ‘You’re still working out, I see. You know, you pull off a suit better than any man I’ve ever met.’ Her hand drops to my crotch.
‘Yeah – of which there have been many.’ I push her hand away and leap to my feet, desperate to put some distance between us.
The woman is delusional if she thinks there could ever be anything between us now. Hell will freeze over first. I wish she’d get it into her head. Phoebe might want a relationship with her. But I don’t.
Both scenarios can coexist in harmony if she’d just grow the fuck up and start behaving like a parent.
It’s been a long day. I exhale a weary breath. ‘What do you want, Teagan?’
The column of her throat bobs as she swallows hard. ‘I want you, Cillian.’
I suppose that explains the dress. She does this now and again, tries it on with me. She fooled me once; she’ll never fool me again.
Teagan mistakes my silence for surrender. Her pupils trail across my torso as she prowls across the room. ‘You never moved on …’ Her fingers trail across her exposed shoulder and she lowers the strap on her already revealing dress. ‘You still want me. I know you do. We still have a chance. We could still be a family.’
A bitter laugh hisses from my mouth. ‘Oh, I’ve moved on, sweetheart. You better believe it.’
I haven't but it has absolutely nothing to do with pining over Teagan.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Plus, by the time I’ve met every one of Phoebe’s needs, I haven't got enough energy to entertain any of my own.
