AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Bree. You’re happy?”
He looks down, and there are a few minutes of silence before he looks to me again. “Bree and I just happened.”
“Taking in a dog that shows up on your doorstep is the sort of thing that just happens, Landon. Not meeting a person, getting married, and having a baby.”
A peek of his tongue comes out, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. “You’re right. But Bree and I are separated.”
Oh. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it. It’s none of my business, anyway. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“I said you could ask me anything, and I’d answer. It’s fine.” He holds on to my hand when I try to lean back, looking into my eyes. “We try to make things work between us as Jackson’s parents, but other than that, no, we are not together. I met Bree at the lowest point in my life. I was aimless, angry at the world for everything that happened. I didn’t give a fuck about anything, and I was doing too much of everything.”
“Landon, we don’t need to talk about any of this. It’s your life; I was just curious.” I swallow, not certain what I should feel or think after hearing him tell me about his broken marriage.
“You wanted to know how I could move on so quickly with another woman and have a child just months younger than Jacob. You, out of anyone, have a right to the answers to your questions. If you were another person, I wouldn’t give a fuck. You’re not. You’re Lacey. Always the sixteen-year-old girl I fell in love with.”
Oh, God, I shouldn’t have asked. The way he says my name...he’s always been the boy I fell in love with. In truth, he stole my heart and never gave it back. I squeeze his hand, and he squeezes back. Every feeling we ever had is right here between us, but things are different now, and we can’t change them back.
“Bree and I hooked up. She got pregnant. Eventually, I saw Jackson as a turning point in my life. I could be a shitty dad, or I could straighten up and get help, be a father my kid could be proud of. That’s what I did. I married Bree to make sure my kid could have it all, and it gave me something to come home to at night. You know me and my commitments. I take them seriously. Marriage.” He shrugged. “Can’t get any more committed.”
“Maybe you guys will work things out,” I say softly, as if I know what I’m talking about.
“Bree is a great mother and a friend.”
“Like me. Look at our friendship, starting again.”
He gives me a faint smile, almost sad. “No. Not like you.” He sweeps his thumb over my hand, setting off those pesky flutters to the bottom of my stomach.
“Mom!”
“Dad! Come play with us. We’re playing teams.”
“Coming,” I say. Our hands come apart as we get up and go to Jacob’s room.
Four games and sixty minutes later, the boys win three games to the parents’ one. I help Jackson and Landon pack up Robin and their stuff in the truck. Landon walks me back to my door. Before I close it, Landon gives me a kiss on the cheek, taking me by surprise and sending my heart racing faster than Jacob’s race car video game.
“Thanks, Lacey.”
“For what?”
“For nothing and everything.”
With that, he slips back out the door, into his truck, with Jackson in the back. I watch him drive away with my heart in my throat and my hand on my cheek, understanding exactly what he means.
