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I tried to laugh, but it came out as a cry.
“Oh, honey. Should I come over? Wine and ice cream?”
“I’m sure you have plans with Rick.”
“I do, but I can break them for you.”
“No. You go. At least one of us should be blissfully happy.” She and Rick would marry, and I’d be the fun spinster surrogate aunt for their children.
“Want me to cuss him out?”
“Why? As you’ve already pointed out, I wasn’t important to him. Cussing him out won’t change anything.”
“It’ll make me feel better.”
“You’re a good friend. Now, go make love to your man and savor it.”
“I will, Ellie. I’m sorry, honey.”
You and me both, I thought.
And so went my life. I hid in my condo all weekend, and on Monday I was back at school. The children were the only bright spot in my life. Mollie was continuing to grow, which showed she didn’t really miss our time outside of class either.
In a couple of weeks school would be out, and then what the hell would I do? Most teachers I knew had summer jobs, many had second jobs. I’d been fortunate not to have student loans, and I was smart with my money, which is why I was able to buy a condo on the beach. But maybe I’d get a job just to fill my time, because living across the hall from Will, who worked at home, would be brutal on my poorly stitched together heart.
At the end of the school day on Wednesday, Mrs. Snyder visited me. I was finishing packing my things to leave for the day.
“Ms. Webb.”
“Mrs. Snyder.” What the hell did she want now?
“I wanted to check on you.”
“I ended things with Mr. Mathers, as you asked.” I didn’t bother to hide my annoyance. She’d basically made me rip my heart from my chest. It was hard to polite after that.
“I can tell.”
What did that mean? It wasn’t affecting my teaching.
“I know ending relationships can be hard.”
I put my bag over my shoulder. “He’ll live.”
“And you?”
“I have my job.” Then because I couldn’t be sure I wouldn’t start to rant and rave like a loon, I excused myself and headed home.
As I sat on my couch, eating ice cream and wine again for dinner, I wondered if this was going to be my lot in life. I’d be a spinster teacher, maybe with a cat, or ten. Angela seemed to think there was someone out there for me, but Will was the only one I wanted. The only one I’d ever really wanted. Would time really change that? I didn’t think so. Nope, I was destined to be alone. But at least I had my job.
Chapter 16
Will
I’d have thought, after a nearly two weeks, the burn of Ellie’s dumping me would have worn off. We weren’t really a serious couple. We were friends with benefits. Yes, the sex was incredible. She was fun to be around. And she was wonderful with Mollie, but we weren’t in love.
But if that was the case, why did I have a fucking hole in my chest? I didn’t have that even when Tiffany walked out. I was just as pissed, but not broken. What the hell?
Ellie fucked up all my plans. I was going to finish this marketing project and then put an offer in on the house we’d visited. Ellie and I’d already christened the bathroom. I’d already had visions of her spending time with Mollie and I there, and then making sweet love to her at night.
I shook my head. I had to get her out of my system, but hell if I knew how. I’d called Rick a week ago to go bar hopping. Maybe I could find some curvy woman willing to let me fuck her from behind – because anonymous sex was best if it wasn’t done face to face. But even as the words came out of my mouth, my gut roiled in disgust. It felt like a betrayal to Ellie, even though she was the one who ended things. Fortunately, Rick said he and Angela were back together so his bar hopping days were over again.
“Daddy?” Mollie interrupted my thoughts.
“Yes, sweetheart.”
“Are you and Ms. Webb not friends anymore?”
Fuck. I didn’t know how to talk about this subject with her, so I hadn’t said anything. I thought it had worked, but apparently, she’d noticed how absent Ms. Webb was from our life. Then again, she saw Ellie at school. Did Ellie say something?
“Why do you ask that?”
“Because we don’t see her anymore.”
“You see her at school.” I picked Mollie up and held her in my lap.
“It’s not the same.”
“She’s still nice to you though, right?”
Mollie nodded as she played with the buttons on my smartwatch making the display change. “Yes, but she looks sad.”
My first instinct was to be sad for Ellie, and then I remembered she’d brought this on herself.
