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JOSHUA
“Hey, Peaches,” I say, calling her the nickname I always called her. The name I’ve called her, even in my dreams. I give an air of nonchalance, but all I want to do is pull her into my arms and kiss the ever-loving shit out of her.
“Don’t call me that, Joshua.” She looks even more beautiful when she’s angry. I want to put her over my damn knee. She has no fucking right to be angry.
“That’s pretty formal,” I say, feeling like I am finally able to breathe after so long without seeing her. A weight has been lifted off of my chest, but at the same time, another one drops on me. Why did she do it? Why did she destroy us?
“What do you mean?”
“What happened to Joshie?” She always called me Joshie, never Joshua. It was us against the world until it wasn’t.
“He grew up.”
“Aww, Peaches, you grew up real good too.” She’s even more beautiful than she was in high school. She’s thicker, her boobs are bigger. The weight looks good on her.
“You have no right to call me that anymore.”
“I have every fucking right to call you that, March. You’re the one who left me.”
“Mommy! I’m ready to go!”
I look down and see an adorable little girl clinging to March’s shirt.
“Mommy?” I question.
“Yes. Mommy. Go make sure you have everything, baby. We aren’t coming back if you forget something.”
“Okay, Mommy.” The little girl flits off, leaving March standing in the doorway and me on the porch, my stupid fucking heart broken. Without thinking, I take a step toward her.
“You fucked another man?” I ask, harsher than I intend to. I see red. My blood boils, and I can’t believe it. When we were together, we made promises. I guess those were promises only I intended to keep. My mind reels as I picture her under someone else, moaning so prettily for him, giving him what was supposed to be only mine. My fist clenches involuntarily at my side. I want to punch something. The wall or something inanimate. Not her; I could never hurt her.
“What?” She seems appalled that I’d even ask that question, but I’m the wronged party here.
“I can’t fucking believe that you fucked someone else,” I say, my voice deathly quiet, but I don’t stop there. I can’t. “Jesus, March, I thought you were fucking dead. You disappeared without a trace. I grieved the loss of you in my life. You were my whole life, and then you were gone. Do you have any idea what that was like for me? I never got over you; I never stopped loving you but not you. You…” I can’t even finish the sentence. It doesn’t matter what she thinks she’s got going on here. Despite this soul-crushing revelation, she’s still mine. I’d die for her. We can get past this; I know we can.
We stare at each other. This is one staring contest I won’t lose.
Fighting for us is the only thing I can do.
CHAPTER THREE
MARCH
Is that what he thinks? I mean it is obvious she is about the age where she would have been conceived in high school. Is he saying he thinks I was cheating on him? Not to mention, she looks just like his mom. I imagine, though, that it must be so easy for him to think that of me when he has been doing it since college. “Look, we have nothing to talk about, and my daughter and I are going out of town. So, if you would kindly leave, I would appreciate it.”
“Well I just found you after years of looking for you, so there is no way I am letting you out of my sight.” I know I am looking at him like he is crazy because he is.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I suppose it means I am coming with you.” Alright, yeah, it is official: he has gone crazy since I saw him last.
“That will absolutely not be happening. I am not letting you come anywhere with me and my daughter. I don’t know who you think you are, but out here in Arizona, your family name means nothing. So why don’t get back in that fancy car and go the way you came.” I cannot believe I said all of that.
“It’s cute that you think I am going anywhere without you.” Then, my phone rings. I don’t look and see who is before answering.
“Hello.”
“Hi, March.” Oh crap, it’s Todd.
