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I shoot him a look.

He shrugs. "You called your ex-girlfriend to come pick you up."

"The mother of my child." I spit out, too defensively.

"The ex-girlfriend who's also the mother of your child."

"Veronica's making it a bigger deal than it was."

Maddox finally looks over. "Is she?"

I take a drink from my water bottle. “Blaire went on a date Friday.”

He laughs under his breath. “You called her to pick you up drunk because she went on a date?”

“When you say it like that, I sound insane.”

Maddox smirks immediately. “You’re still in love with her.”

I increase the treadmill speed again instead of answering.

Maddox sighs beside me. “Crane.”

“What?”

“You realize everyone knows that except apparently you and Blaire?”

"I just don't want another guy around Theo.” The words feel like sand in my mouth. I can’t even convince myself that that’s what this is really about, so I know Maddox isn’t buying it.

My phone alarm saves me from whatever else Maddox was going to say. I slow the treadmill down and grab my towel. “I gotta go get Theo.”

Maddox watches me for a second before shaking his head. “You’re a dumbass, Crane.”

“I’m aware,” I grunt, hopping off the treadmill.

***

I completely forgot about T-ball.

Luckily, my three-year-old never forgets anything important to him, and it’s the first thing out of his mouth when I pick him up from preschool.

“Mama packed my glove!” he announces at top volume while I buckle him into his car seat.

“I heard you the first time, buddy,” I say with a sigh.

“And Coach says I get to hit first!” he adds, kicking his legs excitedly. “I need my ceets!”

“Cleats,” I correct automatically. “And I’m sure Mama packed them. We’ll get changed when we get to the field.”

“Okay.”

I shut the door and walk around to the driver’s seat.

The second I climb in, he’s talking again.

“Mama coming to T-ball?”

I glance at him in the rearview mirror.