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She narrows her eyes on me. “That’s a loophole, and you know it.”
I smirk with a shrug and pull out my wallet, drawing out my credit card and handing it to her. “It’s my spare, so it won’t cause me any issues. Take it, use it. Honestly, Zoey, I want you and Hailee to be comfortable.”
Her eyes glisten with tears that are threatening to fall. “How anyone can say you’re a hardass is beyond me.”
I chuckle. “Only at work. With you, I am a marshmallow.”
Zoey leans forward, pulling me to her in a tight embrace. “Thanks, Blake. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” As I hold Zoey, my eyes glance over her shoulder at Hailee, who gives me the thumbs up behind her mother’s back.
I can’t help but smile as I embrace Zoey. “You’ll never have to find out,” I tell her, feeling like maybe, somehow, things will turn out okay for us.
I can keep hoping, right?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Zoey
Day of the Wedding
As I sit in my living room, trying not to overanalyze the past two weeks of my life since this all started, I wipe my sweaty palms on my dress.
Hailee has been gone for hours to prepare for the wedding with Kyle’s parents and Tamara. They wanted only family to be there during the preparation stage, and apparently, I don’t qualify.
It seems I will get to see my daughter dressed up at the same time everyone else does.
I swear, sometimes this co-parenting thing is really fucking difficult, or maybe it’s made difficult by the frustration of an ex who constantly wants to one-up me.
Not to mention the fact that the man who said he didn’t want to marry me—the mother of his child—is now marrying someone else who’s barely past being a child herself.
I’m not annoyed that he’s getting married to someone else because Lord knows I wouldneverwant Kyle back.Ever!
Fuck.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.
My emotions are all over the place.
Blake is so freaking amazing, and he has stepped up to be here for me in ways I can’t even comprehend, yet there are roadblocks in our way. The fact we work together is the main unmovable factor. I am pretty sure that has something to do with it.
Kyle thinks Blake and I are together. He thinks we’re dating. And I wish more than anything we were. Going to my ex’s wedding with the guy I am fake dating feels like a step into theTwilight Zone.
Standing, I walk over to the floor-length mirror taking in my black ruffle hem, belted halter dress. It’s plain but elegant. Something simple and flowy for a summer wedding. Plus, I’m not a super glam girl. I’ll leave that to Tamara because I’m sure she will want to be the belle of the ball. My hair is down in simple loose curls, and my makeup is dark and sultry but not overstated. I want to look good, and hopefully, I do, but I don’t want to overdo it.
Suddenly, my doorbell rings, and I snap my head to my front door letting out a long exhale. “Okay, here we go.”
Making my way to the door, I pull it open to Blake, who is standing in his customary suit. He always wears them so damn well, but he’s gone black on black this time. I smile because I told him I was wearing a black dress, so he matched his attire to suit mine.
Blake eyes me up and down, lingering on me a little longer than normal as a slow smile creeps up his face. “Wow,” is all he says.
I roll my eyes as I gesture for him to come inside, but he pulls his hand out from behind his back and hands me a single red rose.
Smirking, I tilt my head. “For me?”
He chuckles. “I don’t see anyone else here worthy of something so beautiful.”
My stomach tightens, hearing him talk to me this way.This man.“We should get going, or we’re gonna be late, and God only knows what Kyle will say if I am late to his wedding.”
Blake chuckles. “God forbid.”
