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“He’s got a free ride at Northwestern. He’s at the top of his class. And you’d have him give all of that up to start over at a lesser school?”
“Michigan is ranked higher.”
Why oh why am I even engaging this girl?
“If you knew anything about the field, which you obviously don’t, you’d know that Northwestern is guaranteed to open more doors for Simon. At least I care enough about him not to let him destroy his future.”
“I think you should go.”
“Look…Charlotte?” The fact that she’s playing it off like she isn’t entirely sure what my first name is laughable. I’d be surprised if she didn’t know my social security number as well as the color of the underwear I’m wearing right now. “I get that you want him to be involved in his son’s life. And he’s honorable, he’d never neglect his responsibilities where Ethan is concerned.” I can feel my face heating, feel a hatred that’s venomous. How dare she even speak my son’s name? “But he can do all of that and still stay at Northwestern. Trust me, you’d be doing yourself a favor.”
“Excuse me, but aren’t you the heartless bitch who failed to give Simon my phone messages? Who destroyed the letter I wrote to him? You lied to him. You never wanted him to know he has a son.” I advance on her. “How can you stand here and say that you care about Simon?”
Her confident stance and expression falter. “I do care about him.” She shakes her head, her pain evident. It feels like she’s pleading with me to understand when she adds, “I love him.”
I turn to leave because I’m shaking, and I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that this confrontation has rattled me to my core. I’m on the front porch with my back to her when she calls after me, “He was going to ask me to marry him. It’s true. He already has the ring.”
* * *
Simon
The lights are off when I pull up to the house. I check the time on the dashboard and then check my phone to make sure I haven’t missed any messages. Judge Michaels took today off, and being the good guy that he is, left instructions for the rest of us to head out by two. It’s not even nine o’clock now but everything is eerily quiet.
Are you awake?
It’s been like an unspoken thing these past few weeks that I no longer head to Lawrence’s cabin. I leave my stuff in a spare bedroom off the kitchen for Ethan’s sake and to be respectful to Lawrence, but I’ve been staying in Charlotte’s room.
A bubble appears, so I know she’s typing back, but then it disappears a moment later.
Is everything ok?
Another minute passes before I see a light go on in the living room. As I make my way from the car to the porch, I take her in as she stands in the doorway. She’s smiling but there’s something off. As I get closer I can see that she’s been crying, but for some reason she’s trying to act like everything’s good.
“Hey, what’s wrong.” I drop my duffle and close the door behind me before wrapping my arms around her.
Her arms feel like two spatulas as she extricates herself from my hold. “I’m fine.”
“Um, no, you’re definitely not. What’s going on?”
She lets out a tired breath and walks to the living room, taking a seat in the chair next to the couch. Doesn’t give me the option to sit next to her.
“Are you sure about this whole thing? About transferring, leaving Chicago, giving up the life you’ve built for yourself there?”
“Are we really doing this again? I thought we put this to bed last week.” I go to take her hand, to lead her over to the couch next to me, but she wraps her arms around herself before I can reach her. “Wait, areyouhaving second thoughts? You told me you were on board with me coming to Michigan. What’s going on?” She keeps her eyes fixed on the floor. “If you’ve changed your mind, I really wish you would have let me know sooner.” She gives me nothing. “Damn, Charlotte, I’ve already accepted my seat at Michigan.”
“And Northwestern? Have you relinquished your seat there? Have you met with Professor Westfield?”
“Yes to question number one, and what does Westfield have to do with this?”
“The Westfields,allof them, have been a big part of your life for the past four years.”
“I’m kinda sitting here baffled right now, babe.” And I’m growing impatient, but I’m not going to say that out loud. “Can you just say what’s really on your mind?”
“I asked you once before if you were engaged to her and you said no.”
I nod. “Because I’m not engaged and I never was.”
“And if I’d never reached out to you? What then?”
