Page 82 of Ruin

And I still need to talk to him about that, too.

The list of things that Zeus and I need to discuss is just mounting up.

But, when I did the grown-up thing last night and asked him if we could talk, I got…well, figuratively knocked out of the ring.

“Zeus…do you have a minute to talk?” I asked when he arrived to drop Gigi off.

“No,” he said without even looking at me. He leaned down and kissed the top of Gigi’s head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, baby girl. Love you.”

“Bye, Daddy. Wuv you, too.”

Then, he turned on his heel and walked back down the driveway. He got in his car and drove away without a backward glance.

And I was left standing there, feeling like a complete and utter tool.

“No.”

That was it.

Just no.

Not, I gotta be somewhere right now, but we can talk later. Or, I’m not in the mood to talk right now, Cam. Even, I’m pissed at you, and I don’t want to talk, would have been better. Well, not better. But a hell of an improvement on, “No.”

Not going to lie; it stung like a bitch when he said that. And, afterward, the more I thought about it, I started to feel a little annoyed. Okay, a lot annoyed.

I drain off my coffee and toss the paper cup in the trash.

Still feeling like death on legs, I grab some change from my purse and make my way to the vending machine to grab some chocolate in the hopes that the sugar might perk me up.

I’m walking down the hall toward the machine when I see Rich coming toward me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say, from the expression on his face, I’m the last person on earth he wants to see today.

But I’m not paranoid, so I won’t think that at all.

Okay, maybe I’ll think it a little.

“Hey, twice in two days. People will start to talk,” I gibe. Then, I realize what an awful gag that was in the current situation. You know, the guy I used to occasionally have sex with but stopped when the ex-love of my life and father of my child made a reappearance.

Lame, Cam. Real lame.

Rich smiles as he comes to a stop in front of me, but it’s a weak smile. Can’t say I blame him after that.

“Sorry.” I wince. “That was terrible. Scratch it from your memory. My brain’s not functioning properly today. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Why? Have you spoken to Zeus?” he blurts out of nowhere.

That gets my attention straightaway, triggering my internal bat signal to start flashing at a steady pace.

“Not since he dropped Gigi home last night. Why?” I question, my suspicion rising.

“No reason. Just wondered.” He tries to give a casual shrug and fails.

“Rich, what’s going on?”

He lets out a tired-sounding sigh. “Look, I know you and I aren’t”—his eyes convey the word he doesn’t want to say out loud in the station hallway where any ears could hear it—“at the moment and that we’re currently just friends. But I want to be straight with you. I like you, Cam. And I already wanted more from you…before Zeus turned back up in your life. I wanted to be with you. And I won’t deny that I was disappointed when you asked for us to slow things down…well, to stop doing that and just be friends until it calmed down for you with Zeus and Gigi. But I was still hoping that, going forward, we’d come back together and make a go of things. But, now, after thinking things through, I really think it would be best if we just stayed friends.”

Hang on. Am I getting dumped by the guy I am no longer sleeping with?

Well, if that’s not a knock to the ego, I don’t know what is.