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twenty-four
GIDEON
It’s been a long time since I had someone care enough to drop everything and come running for me.
Literally, running.
Sydney jogs into sight just a few minutes after her text, looking stunning in black leggings and a burnt orange tank top that brings out the strawberry notes in her hair. Heads turn as she cuts across the grass to join me on my bench, but she doesn’t notice.
Her focus is all for me. Despite the shitty way things ended with Adrian, I can’t help feeling lucky. And so damned grateful to have someone to talk to.
“Hey,” she says, voice breathy from her run as she slides onto the bench beside me.
“How did you know?”
“Adrian stopped by my place to get Ben and he was…clearly not happy,” she says diplomatically. “What happened? He seemed open to connecting when I spoke to him this morning. I thought this was going to be a good thing for you two. I mean, as good as things could be considering the situation.”
“Considering my son is making the same mistake I did?” I ask with a sigh. “Yeah, I guess I should have known what to say, seeing as I went through the same thing, but I didn’t. Or I did, I guess, but my advice wasn’t what Adrian wanted to hear.”
Her features tighten sympathetically. “What did you say?”
“I told him not to propose to Gigi.”
Her brows shoot up. “What? I didn’t realize that was even on the table. He didn’t mention about proposing this morning.”
“Yeah, well, apparently, he and Gigi talked again before we met up. She hinted they should take the baby as ‘a sign’ and think about making the relationship official. He was already looking at rings.”
“What? Is he insane?” Sydney squeaks, the fact that she’s as shocked by this as I was making me feel better about my less-than-supportive reaction. “He and Gigi have only been dating for a few months, and she’s cheated on him at least twice. That we know of! The baby might not even be his. I didn’t want to bring that up when we spoke because I knew it would put him on the defensive, but someone needs to say something before he marries a woman he barely knows and absolutely can’t trust.”
“Agreed, but I doubt that conversation will go well.” I drag a hand through my hair. “My suggestion that he wait for the results of a paternity test before making any big decisions was the beginning of the end. He stopped listening to anything I had to say after that. He accused me of projecting my issues with his mother onto other people’s relationships and dragging everyone down with my negative vibes.”
Sydney rolls her eyes. “Ugh, the toxic positivity in his new friend group drives me crazy. Sometimes the vibes are bad. That’s just reality. Bad vibes are part of life! And that’s okay. Negative experiences help us grow and appreciate good things more than we did before.”
My lips curve. “Well, at least we’re on the same page.”
Her shoulders slump. “I’m sorry. I was hoping this would be a fresh start for you two. But I probably should have known better. I think Adrian needs more help than even the most supportive father could provide.”
“I’ve offered to pay for therapy at least a dozen times. I even offered to go with him if he thought that would be helpful, but he wasn’t interested. His mom thinks therapy is a waste of time and ‘destructive to the artistic soul,’ so…”
Sydney hums judgmentally beneath her breath.
“Agreed.” I lean back on the bench, until my shoulder brushes hers. “But I tried, that’s all I can do. At least I managed to convince him to put off proposing until he has proof the baby is his.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen. “How did you do that? I thought you said he stopped listening after the paternity test suggestion?”
“He did. But he listened long enough to hear that my continued financial assistance is dependent upon him remaining single until he and Gigi get the results of a DNA test.”
Sydney exhales a breathy laugh. “Wow. No wonder he’s pissed.”
“You think I went too hard on him?”
She shakes her head. “No, but…I know Adrian. He likes to be in control. Nothing makes him angrier than feeling like someone else is calling the shots for him.”
I grunt. “Yeah, I can see that.”
She rests a gentle hand on my knee. “But he’s not a kid anymore. You aren’t obligated to help him financially. If he wants control that much, he should be paying his own bills.” She wrinkles her nose before adding, “But maybe that’s entitled of me to say. I’ve never had to worry about finances. Even if my father cut me off, I have a trust fund from my mother and another from my maternal grandmother that I’ll have access to when I’m twenty-five. I’ll never have to worry about money so…I should probably keep my opinions about things like that to myself.”
I shift on the bench, studying her face for a beat. “You’re an extraordinary person, Sydney Perry-Watson.”
