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“I just . . .” She shakes her head and tries to go past me. I pull her to me and cup her cheek. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but please stop. I didn’t know she was coming or why she’s here. I haven’t spoken to her since her friends pulled that shit with the gala.”
“You spoke to her about that?”
Shit.“Not exactly. She texted me and I told her to tell them to knock it off.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think it mattered. I can show you the text messages. I don’t make speaking to my exes a habit. They’re an ex for a reason.”
“But you said yourself that the breakup was hard on you.”
“Are you seriously throwing something I said months ago, on our first date, in my face right now?” I step back from her and shake my head. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it.”
“Well, I don’t like it either.”
“I’m talking about you too, Kelsey. You’re acting like I’ve done something wrong.” I point toward the wall. “I didn’t invite her, and I certainly didn’t know she was pregnant.”
“Because if you did, you’d be with her?”
I don’t answer her. I don’t know how to.
Kelsey pulls her phone out. “My Uber will be here in five. I’ll go wait outside.”
“Stop!” I say as I try to reach for her, but she steps out of my way. “Kelsey, this is ridiculous. I didn’t know.”
“I get it, Alex. I do. But it sounds like you need to figure some shit out. I’m going to go out the door here, I don’t want to meet her.”
I don’t even know what to say and let her leave through the slider in my bedroom. She doesn’t slam the door or run through the yard. I watch her until I can’t see her anymore. I don’t know how long I stand there until I move. After I change, I head back into the living room and find Maggie lying on the couch with the television on.
“Is it mine, Maggie?”
She mutes the TV and sits up. “I don’t know, Alex.”
TWENTY-ONE
KELSEY
Ilose track of how many minutes or hours pass since I left Alex’s in haste. I had to get out of there, knowing Maggie—a very pregnant Maggie according to Alex—was sitting in the living room. It doesn’t take anyone with any common sense to figure out what Alex was doing in his room, and I swear she saw me ducking tail through the backyard.
But she didn’t come out and stop me.
My intercom rings and I know it’s Alex before I even answer it. He came for me, which I didn’t expect him to do, but hoped he would. Still, I think I need some space from him and . . . well everything. Being with him should be easy, but our relationship seems everything but.
Everywhere I turn, Maggie is there. The other wives and girlfriends talk about her in front of me at the games. The media loves her, even though she’s not here, and broke his heart. Everyone misses her. Now she’s back . . . at his house . . . and she’s pregnant.
I go to the wall and press the button, trying to sound as normal as possible but my voice breaks. “Hello?”
“Hey, Kels. It’s me.”
Those words break me. I don’t care how many times I’ve heard them, they affect me the same way each and every time, only now they hurt because I don’t know if I’ll ever hear them again after this moment.
“Kelsey,” he says my name again and I shake my head even though he can’t see me. “Honey, I need to see you. Please.”
I look to the left and see the auto generated code blinking. I repeat the numbers to him, although fairly inaudibly and then release the intercom button. He either heard me or he didn’t. I’m not sure I’m in the right mind to care.
After a minute, I open the door and walk the few feet down the hall to meet the elevator. I pull my sweater tightly around me when the number pauses on my floor. The doors open and Alex steps out. He’s not the usual Alex I’m used to seeing. He’s wearing jeans and a hoodie, and his eyes are red rimmed. It pains me to keep my hands to myself and not reach for him, to collapse in his arms, but he’s not mine, and I’m not sure he ever has been.
Alex steps toward me, but I step back and shake my head. He sighs. “I’m sorry, Kels.”
