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Nick
I’ve been trying to respect Leigh’s wishes of giving her space. But at the same time, I’m worried about her. And I’ve given as much space as I’m comfortable giving, especially considering the fact that she hasn’t returned one phone call or text from me today. I didn’t go crazy, but I haven’t heard from her at all. Not even to tell me to fuck off.
I knock lightly, then stick my head in the apartment door. “Hello?”
Abuelita appears in the room, looking worn. “Oh, hello, mijo.”
“Hey, Abuelita. Is Leigh here?”
She shakes her head as she wanders into the kitchen. “No. She’s not. She moved out.”
I blink at her. I can’t possibly have heard that correctly.
“Moved out? When? Where?”
“She left this morning,” Abuelita sighs. “She was angry with me and she said she was leaving. She’s at Veronica’s house. Not that she told me. Veronica sent me a text.” She shakes her head. “She didn’t tell you?”
“No.”
The fuck? She moved out of Abuelita’s and didn’t bother to frigging call? Well, fuck that.
“I’m sorry, Nick. She’s… struggling right now.”
Clearly.
“Are you okay?”
“Not really. But all I can do is keep moving.”
I walk over and give her hand a squeeze. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Good luck. This is the darkest I’ve ever seen her. I’m not sure what it will take to snap her out of it.”
Well, I’m damn sure gonna try. She’s the love of my life. She’s having my baby. She doesn’t get to decide this relationship on her own.
I leave Abuelita’s and make the drive to Veronica and James’s house—not the place I was expecting her to be.
It’s Veronica who opens the door. She gives me a soft smile, but her eyes are hesitant.
“Leigh, there’s someone here to see you.”
She comes to the door, body rigid, and her strongest face on. But I see through it. Just like always.
“Let’s talk outside,” she says, basically shooing me onto the porch. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? I was worried about you. I went to see Abuelita only to find out that you moved out of her house. You didn’t think that was worth telling me? You couldn’t have returned one of my texts? Let me know you were… okay? Or that you moved out? Something? What happened?”
“I didn’t return your texts because I didn’t want to talk. Idon’twant to talk. What happened doesn’t matter. I don’t need you to worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you at all.”
She crosses her arms over her chest like she’s proud of herself for pushing me away, for trying to hurt me. It’s bullshit. I’m not stupid. I know what she’s doing. I’ve been through the abandonment shit. She’s pushing me away out of complete and total fear that I’ll walk away from her. Better to leave me first, right? Well, too fucking bad. It’s not going to work that way.
“I know what you’re doing. I can see right through you. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m never going anywhere. I will never leave you or our child. I’ll always be here.”
She shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t need you to be here. I don’t need to rely on you.”
I step in closer. “Tell yourself you don’t need this if you want—hell, maybe you don’t. But you want it. You love it. Love us. Me. The family we’re going to be. And I’ll be right here waiting when you figure that out. Whether I’m standing on this porch or not, I am not giving up on you, our family, or our future together. Not for a goddamn second. I’m still yours, Señorita. That won’t change.”
She stares me down, but I don’t move. Iwon’tmove. Not while she’s still on this porch.
