She scans the room as if she’s expecting to find someone here.
Closing the door, I take a moment and count in my head before turning to face my ex. I didn’t have the energy to deal with Val today.
“How was my text bogus? I told you I wasn’t feeling well and that I’d get Jacob tomorrow.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and cocks her head to the side. “That won’t work for me. I’m going out-of-town today.”
“What the fuck do you mean, it doesn’t work for you?”
“Exactly what I said, Mitchell. I make plans on my breaks from Jacob, and you can’t just change those plans because you’re not feeling well.” She uses air quotes for the last two words.
Once again, I take a deep breath and count in my head. By the end of this encounter with Val, I might count to a million.
“One time,” I growl out once I’m done. “One fucking time, Valerie. I asked you to keep him an extra day and you can’t.”
“I have plans,” she shouts. “And I’m not changing those plans for you.”
“Not like all the times I’ve changed mine for you.”
She shrugs. “It was your choice. You could’ve said no.”
Just being on my feet now has my head swimming. I should be in bed getting rest. Instead, I’m up dealing with this bullshit. I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s almost 2 already, which means I had less time to prepare since I now need to get myself together so I can be ready when he gets here.
“You are fucking—” I shake my head as I let the words die down. Despite being pissed, I will never disrespect the mother of my child.
“I’m what?” she shouts, her hands dropping to her sides. “Please finish your statement.”
“You’re selfish.”
“Oh, fuck you, Mitchell. You swear you’re such a gotdamn saint. If you were so great, you wouldn't be trying to weasel out of your time with your son.”
My mind goes blank, and I take a step toward her. “The hell are you—”
“Is everything all right?”
Only her voice could pull me back from the rage I was feeling. Val had a lot of damn nerve. To insinuate that I didn’t want to spend time with Jacob was absolute bullshit. She knew it. Her tossing that line at me was just her way of being manipulative.
I turn to face my door to find Ella standing in my living room, her hands full of bags, and her pastel purple scrubs hugging her body perfectly. Her gaze bounces from me to Val.
“What is she doing here?” Val angrily asks me.
Ella walks further into the room, placing her bags on the coffee table.
“She can answer for herself,” Ella says facing Val. “I’m here because my friend is sick today. And although he doesn’t think he needs to be taken care of, he does.” Her gaze cut to me. “Why are you out of bed?”
Val scoffs. “Oh whatever. Please spare me. Mitch is a grown-ass man, he doesn’t need you babying him.”
“Taking care of someone when they’re sick is not babying. Especially when that person goes out of his way to take care of others.”
The two women face off. This isn’t the first time the two have bumped heads. Ella was a lot quieter about her dislike for Val when we were married. She often kept the peace and would hold her words when it came to disagreements with Val. But the moment we got a divorce, she stopped letting things slide.
Val folds her arms over her chest and raises a brow. “Tell me, Ella, did you baby Andrew? Is that why he left you?”
Despite her trying to hide it, I caught Ella’s flinch at that comment.
Stepping forward, I hold out a hand. “Enough,” I growl, but it turns into a coughing fit.
Ella reaches out and places her hand on my arm. “Have you taken anything?”
