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"Zach, what are you doing?" she questioned, watching as I ignored her.
"Oh, I am just checking to see why I never saw the email where you gave me notice that you’d be stopping by. Remember, like you were supposed to. Yet again, I find nothing here," I said, holding up my phone. "In fact, you haven't messaged me for a long while, and you certainly didn't call and leave a message, because I just checked the machine."
I shoved my phone back in my pocket when Valerie began sobbing. She covered her face with her hands and cried. I rolled my eyes at her outburst. I really didn't have the patience for her today.It had been one thing after another with Grace, and things had gone sideways with one contractor.
"Zach, I need to talk to you," she cried.
I looked over my shoulder and up the stairs to see if Grace had heard anything. When she didn’t come out of her room, I stepped out the front door and led her over to my truck, where I opened the passenger door for her. She climbed in without complaint, so I shut the door, made my way around the vehicle, climbed into the driver’s seat and shut the door. I didn't need Gracie or LuAnn to hear anything.
"What is it?" I questioned with a huff as Valerie sat there crying into her hands.
"Zach, my life is falling apart. Ever since we divorced. I don't know how to fix this between us."
I gripped the wheel with my hand, my knuckles going white. I'd heard this sob story a million times before and I wasn't interested in hearing it anymore.
"Valerie, you are going to have to live with the consequences of your actions. I'm sorry, but I am not interested in hearing how tough life has become for you. I'm also not interested in hearing the things that have changed for you since Grace and I left."
"Come on, Zach, don't you have any feelings left for me at all? The mother of your child? Your wife?"
I shook my head. This was just like her. No doubt she'd had a falling out with whomever it was she was seeing now. Perhaps he too had denied her the funds she wanted to spend on something silly, just like I had.
"No, to be honest, Valerie, I don't."
"Zach, surely you don't mean that?" she said, placing her hand on my arm.
"I do," I replied.
The car grew quiet, and Valerie went back to her sobbing, while I sat there listening to her. She continued, while I only grew more and more irritated. "Valerie, what exactly does this all have to do with?" I questioned.
She sniffled and continued to cry.
"This certainly has nothing to do with me, let me tell you. It has to do with the money I won't hand over, doesn't it?"
The crying stopped, and she shook her head but said nothing, which meant I'd hit the jackpot with my question. She answered me without answering me, just like she had the night I’d finally confronted her about her affair.
"Alright, I'm going to say this one more time, so make sure you hear me. I am not, and will not, give you money. I do not want to get back together with you, and please, for the love of everything, just call me next time."
I turned my head to meet her eyes to make sure she understood me, but she surprised me instead. In the blink of an eye, her hand was on the back of my head and her lips firmly planted on mine.
I shoved her away. "Stop it. That is enough!" Instead of listening, she grabbed me again and placed her lips on mine. "I said, stop!" I shouted, pushing her back away from me.
I climbed out of the truck, slammed the door, and made my way up toward the house.
"Zach, wait," I heard her call behind me and shut the car door.
As I continued walking away, she started sobbing again, loud enough to turn the heads of the people walking by.
“It’s serious. I really need to talk to you!” she yelled.
I waved at my neighbors, but none of them waved back. Instead, they stopped walking and began looking in our direction.
"Why don't you want me anymore?" Valerie cried, putting on a full display of theatrics for everyone to see.
"Valerie, go home," I gritted between clenched teeth, doing everything I could to avoid any more of a scene being created.
"This is just like you, Zach. Ignore the needs of me, just like you do our child."
The woman was crazy. The child lived with me, and the last thing I needed was someone thinking I wasn't looking after Gracie the way I should be. I walked back to the truck, gripped her arm, and pulled her in close.
