“This is the time when you read the room and get the fuck out, sweetheart,” I seethed in her direction, steam billowing out of my ears.
“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I didn’t know.”
“You mean you didn’t see the pictures of him and me on the nightstand?” I pointed to the sterling silver frames that rested next to our bed dramatically. “You fucking slut! Get out!”
Seth tried to grab my arm as I started to throw some of my clothes into an overnight bag.
“Baby, please. Let’s talk about this,” he pathetically pleaded.
“The only time you are allowed to talk to me ever again is in regards to our baby.” I slid my engagement ring off my finger, tossed it on the dresser, and marched out the door that stupid bitch had left wide open.
I glanceddown to look at the time. “I need to go pick up Emma from her dad’s,” I complained, leaning onto Wyatt’s shoulder. I looked up at him with puppy-dog eyes, and he knew exactly what I was asking without another word.
“I’ll get my coat, but I am not going up to the front door this time. Your ex makes me want to cut his balls off right when I see that smug face.”
“Fair is fair. I just hate going over there alone.” I tugged my long dark curls into a ponytail, needing to do something with my hands as they started to shake.
“I cannot believe he married that slut after all that bullshit.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fuck, I couldn’t agree with you more.”
It had been a little over five years since I’d walked out on my ex and decided to keep the baby anyway. She was the bright light in all of it. If I hadn’t met my douche of an ex, I wouldn’t have my precious baby girl. I couldn’t imagine my life without her and wouldn’t have changed that little miracle for the world.
* * *
Taking a long breath,I willed myself to ring the doorbell at my ex’s house.
To my dismay, I was greeted by the round, honey-colored eyes of his wife, Brigette—a name I had grown to loathe over the years. Every time I saw her perky face and stupid smile, bile creeped up in the back of my throat. The awfulness of that night all those years ago attacked my brain, making me see red all over again. Why’d he have to marry the chick he cheated on me with? Why did he insist on being a part of his daughter’s life? Why couldn’t he have just left us alone and stepped out of our lives?
I knew my feelings were purely selfish. I was happy Emma had her father. He was good to her and treated her like a princess, as she deserved. I was just bitter that he hadn’t been a better man for me.
“She’ll be right out,” Brigette spit out quickly as I looked at my feet. Even after all this time, I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eye.
“Mommy!” Emma ran into my arms holding her favorite stuffed giraffe.
“Hey, sweetie. Are you ready to go? Tomorrow’s a big day!” I scooped up my kid, her fiery red hair dancing in the wind as waved goodbye to Brigette.
“Raven, hold on one second? There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Go wait in the car with Uncle Wyatt, sweetie. I’ll only be a minute,” I cooed to my daughter, watching as she skipped along without question.
I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring past Brigette, waiting for her to get on with it.
She cleared her throat. “I know this is a lot to ask and I know we don’t particularly get along, but since tomorrow is Emma’s first day at school and everything, would it be all right if I came with y’all when you meet her teacher? It would mean the world to me, and I think it would mean a lot to Emma if she could see us being civil out in public.”
It took everything in my power to not tell her to go fuck herself. At the end of the day, she was Emma’s stepmother, and playing nice was in the best interest of my kid.
“I guess that would be all right. We’re getting there at seven thirty. I can text you the classroom information when we get home.” My entire mouth went dry instantly. I couldn’t believe I was agreeing to spend more than two minutes with the dreadful woman, but I would do anything to make my child happy.
“Thank you, Raven. I really do appreciate it.” She forced a kind smile.
“Is Seth going to make it?”
She shook her head. “He left a little bit ago for a conference in Boston. He’ll be gone all week.”
Thank God!
“All right. Well, we’ll see you in the morning.” I waved as nicely as I could before hightailing it out of there.
