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Simon closes his eyes briefly like this situation physically pains him.
I straighten up immediately. “Hi. You’re Veronica, right? I’m Blaire.”
She sneers before walking over and grabbing Simon’s arm possessively. “Why are you here?”
“I, uh—” I glance at Simon instinctively, suddenly very aware that I have no idea what story she’s been told.
“You uh?” she repeats mockingly. “What, you showed up here to try and get with my boyfriend?”
“Ronnie,” Simon groans.
“Don’t ‘Ronnie’ me.” Her grip tightens on his arm. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
“I was just—” I start at the exact same time Simon says:
“I called her.”
Veronica goes still. “You called her?”
The parking lot suddenly feels way too crowded.
“I was just making sure he got home safe,” I say quickly, already stepping backward. “I’m not trying to start anything.”
I don't even know why I feel like I have to defend myself.
He called me.
That's the part I keep wanting to say.
Simon called me.
I was on a date, minding my own business, enjoying my night out when my phone rang. I didn't come here because I wanted to interfere with his relationship or stake some ridiculous claim on him.
I saw his texts and knew immediately something was wrong, and apparently there is still some deeply ingrained part of me that responds to Simon needing me before the rational part of my brain gets a vote.
So I came, because he's Theo's dad and if something happened to him, I'd have to explain it to our son.
That is a perfectly reasonable explanations.
“Blaire—” Simon steps forward like he wants to follow me, but Veronica catches his arm and yanks him back before he gets more than half a step.
Something inside me twists.
It shouldn't.
She is his girlfriend. She is allowed to touch him.
I’m his ex. I'm the mother of his child.
That's it.
“He has a ride,” Veronica snaps at me. “I’ve got it handled.”
My face burns. I shouldn't have come.
No—that's not fair.
He called me. I didn't do anything wrong by coming when someone I care about sounded completely fucked up on the phone.
