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“Okay, Dad,” she said gently. “Good luck.”
That slice, opened and started to burn when he told her. “Thanks, Letty. Love you.”
“Love you.”
He disconnected the call and moved to the double doors. Once inside the foyer, he spotted the large wooden door where everyone was entering; he headed in that direction. Breaking the threshold, his eyes roamed the area. He caught the back of Tilly’s head in the third row and milled through the crowd to the right side of the auditorium. He stood in the back corner, leaning against the wall and putting a foot to the painted concrete blocks. He tapped at the screen on his phone.
Turn around. ;)
He hit send, looked up from the screen and watched Tilly.
Tilly checked her watch. Another concert Luke was missing. Justin was next to her, head in his phone, but at least he’d come to see Ashley’s concert. Her phone buzzed, and her heart jumped for Ashley. Maybe Luke was able to get away. What a surprise that would be for her. She reached for her phone and seeing it was a text from Gage, she couldn’t help the smile. Then she read it and her heart dropped. Like a wave, her body went numb. Her hands shook. Her head whipped around, her eyes zeroing in on the figure in the corner. Even shrouded in shadows, she’d know that body anywhere. She quickly turned back around, her eyes darting around the auditorium. Were people watching? Did they know who he was? She glanced over at Justin, his focus was still on his phone. Her heart was like a jackhammer. Somewhere deep down, she knew she was being paranoid, but her fear was genuine. She typed the first words that ran through her mind.
You’re here?
Gage’s smile fell when he saw the look on Tilly’s face when her head snapped back to look at him. When he saw her head lower, her hands moving over her phone, he waited. As soon as her message came in, he felt an uncomfortable squeeze in his chest.
Of course, it’s important to you, so it’s important to me. Plus, I thought I could steal you for a few minutes. ;)
Tilly read his text. She’d be lying if she said the idea of stealing a few minutes away with Gage wasn’t exactly what she needed, but Jesus, he was here, at her daughter’s Christmas concert. What if Luke showed up?
I love the idea of stealing some time, but a heads up would have been nice. What if Luke was here?
Gage read her message and looked up to the spot she was sitting, she was turned in her seat, eyes to him. He shrugged his shoulders in apology. She gave a small smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. She was pissed. He hadn’t given it much thought when he drove the two hours to be at her daughter’s Christmas concert. Maybe he should have. At one point during the drive, it should have dawned on him what he was doing was not only crossing the line, but putting them both in a position to get caught.
He smiled back at her, but when he caught sight of a man weaving through the people sitting beside her, his face dropped. The look on his face had Tilly cocking her head before she jerked it to the person who had touched her shoulder.
She felt the blood drain from her face. Where Luke’s hand rested on her shoulder burned. For the first few seconds, she just stared at him. Luke showed. So did her lover. If it was possible for the earth to open and swallow her, now would be a great time.
“You’re her… you made it.” Unease twisted in her gut, realizing she almost said the same words to her husband that she’d just texted Gage, the man with whom she was having an affair, who also happened to be standing at the back of the auditorium.
Luke waited for Justin to take the seat vacated as everyone moved down one to make room for him. “It’s important to Ashley,” Luke said.
Tilly watched her husband as he sat down; this new Luke who was taking a more active role in his family’s lives...she wanted that once upon a time. Now, she was finding his interest annoying as hell, and worrisome, because what had brought on the change? The answer was likely standing in the back of the auditorium. How a person could be hot and cold at the same time, she didn’t know, but she was. Chills raced through her, as her body started to sweat from anxiety.
“Ashley will be happy you’re here.”
Luke reached for her hand; her phone was in her other. She turned it face down so he wouldn’t see the message thread. Her hand was clammy, he could surely feel that, probably could feel her pulse racing too. If he did, he said nothing about that and instead asked, “Aren’t you happy I’m here?”
She was happy for Ashley, but she wasn’t happy. Especially not when she felt Gage’s stare burning holes into the back of her head. She lied to Luke when she smiled and said, “Of course.”
“Thought maybe we could grab some ice cream afterward,” Luke offered, then looked at Justin. “How’s that sound?”
“Sounds good to me.” Justin mumbled.
Gage watched as Tilly’s husband had everyone move down a chair, making room for him like he was fucking royalty. And when he sat, he didn’t even have the fucking decency to thank anyone for their consideration. Asshole. Then Gage’s anger grew as he watched him talking to her, the look on his face as if she was to bow to him that he showed. Similar to the one he wore at Hershey Park. Dickhead. Gage fisted his hands, threatening to crack his cell. When Luke grabbed Tilly’s hand, Gage put his foot that had been on the wall to the floor, ready to take a step. As much as he wanted to go to her…he couldn’t.
With all the conflicting emotions battering her from the inside, Tilly felt like she was going to come out of her skin. She couldn’t sit there, needed to get away from Luke, needed air, needed to talk to Gage. She stood, her knees giving a little, causing her to grab the back of the chair in front of her. “I want to use the restroom before the concert starts. I’ll be right back.” She didn’t wait. She walked up the aisle, passing Gage and meeting his eyes, and then kept on going.
Gage wasted no time in moving through the crowd, even bumping into people as he went, following Tilly. He got to the door, saw she was holding it for other parents coming and going. Passing her, he moved to the double doors leading outside and walked out them.
Tilly pushed open the doors leading outside, saw Gage and thankfully didn’t see any other parents strolling toward them. She moved farther down to where there was cover offered by the small courtyard tucked back from the main doors. She felt him right behind her. Turning to him, even being happy to see him, she wasn’t feeling too happy. Evident when she greeted him with, “What in the fucking hell were you thinking?”
Gage’s guard went up when he bit out, “Could have said the same when you showed up at my client’s house. Nice to see you, too, sweetheart.”
He wasn’t wrong, she’d done the same, but the situation was different. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down but this was her family, her kids. “I showed up because you’d stopped talking to me. I didn’t show up at Scarlett’s school carrying cookies and looking to socialize.”
Gage held his hands up. “Ain’t got cookies, baby, and really don’t wanna socialize with anyone inside there.” He tucked his hands in his pockets. “Just thought I was doing something nice, being here cause it was important to you, wanted to show you that.” He took a hand out of his pocket, stabbing his chest when he finished. “I’d be here no matter what, if I was the man in your life. Two minutes or two hours away.”
