“You waited for me?” she asked, incredulous. “Oh my God, Ford. You can’t do this.”
I had barely approached them, but Andrew had already stepped in front of Emzee, subtly shielding her from me. Poised to protect her. As if I’d ever hurt my wife.
That piece of shit needed to go, but I knew the best way to get rid of him was to make nice. I could pretend, at least.
“Actually, I was waiting for Andrew,” I said.
It wasn’t a lie.
“Really,” he said, eyeing me skeptically.
“Really. I wanted to apologize.”
“For what?” Emzee asked suspiciously.
“For making assumptions about your relationship,” I said, even though it was physically hard to actually say it out loud. I knew that Andrew wanted Emzee—I’d known it in my gut ever since the first time I’d met the guy and seen the way he acted toward her—but I couldn’t let my jealousy get the best of me now. “And for any trouble I’ve caused, and for barging into your place of business. Oh, and for the mess I made when I dropped the food up there. I’m happy to pay for floor cleaning and to cover anything else that may have been ruined. I’ve been an ass.”
That part was definitely true.
“Well,” Andrew said, clearly taken aback. I could tell he was surprised by the “bigger man” tactic. “I appreciate the apology.”
“I appreciate you taking care of her,” I said, nodding my head toward Emzee.
When I held out my hand, he accepted the shake warily.
Then he turned to my wife. “I have to rush to a thing. Will you be all right?”
Bristling, I kept my mouth shut. Turning a new corner and all that crap.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m just going to pick up Munch from the daycare and then catch a cab home.”
Andrew nodded.
“I’ll go with you,” I said. “So you’re not alone.”
I half expected her to refuse, but the look in her eyes said I’d just scored a few points.
“Okay,” she said. “That sounds good.”
We said goodbye to Andrew and then headed down the street.
I’d say it was a solid win for the new and improved Ford Malone.
Emzee
Chapter 13
The whole ride back to Brooklyn—with a freshly groomed Munchkin in my arms, and Ford at my side—I struggled. There was just too much…too much everything.
Too many tasks, too many people who needed me, too many goddamn lies.
But despite all that, I’d somehow miraculously managed to finish all mylookingglasswork in time for the magazine’s debut print issue deadline. And I’d done a damn good job, at that. I had somehow forgotten how buoyed I always felt when I did a good job on something that was important to me. When I made the magic happen.
I snuck a glance over at Ford, quickly looking away when he caught me and smiled. Things felt so upside down, with him doing all the chasing and me running. I was happy, though, that he had come to his senses and apologized to Andrew earlier. After him showing up at my office and making such a scene, I didn’t think there was any way he could make amends, but I had been pleasantly surprised by his apology.
Hopefully, someday, he’d find a way to be buoyed by something that was important to him, too. Though I suspected his constant need for his parents’ approval probably sucked out any real hope of that.
Then again, hewashere in New York trying to win me back, instead of in Chicago with his family doing whatever they wanted him to do. Maybe he’d carve his own path after all.
