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“But this isn’t like before,” I tell her. “Last time, Cathy left because she was dragged into court. This time, Cathy left of her own free will. She wanted to leave.”
“Let me guess. She told you that.”
“Yes.”
“And you believed her?”
“Of course,” I answer. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Ken draws a deep breath. “Seriously, you can be so stupid sometimes.”
My eyebrows crease. “What?”
What exactly did I do wrong?
“The day Cathy left is the day that Betty told you she was going to sue for custody of Maisie, right?” Ken asks me.
“Yes.”
“Cathy left shortly after you talked to Betty?”
“Yes.”
“And let me guess. Betty told you she was going to get Maisie because she didn’t want Maisie to live with Cathy because Cathy isn’t good enough for her. And then you told Cathy that, right?”
“Right.”
“And then she left?”
“Yes.”
Ken raises her hands. “You still don’t see the connection?”
What connection?
She sighs. “You told Cathy that Betty was going to get Maisie because Betty didn’t think she was good enough to be Maisie’s mother. Cathy left shortly afterward, telling Maisie to take care of you.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “You read Cathy’s letter to Maisie?”
“No. Maisie told me about it yesterday,” Ken answers. “Can’t you see? Cathy left because she didn’t want to be the reason you and Maisie have to live away from each other. She gave way.”
I shake my head. “I already told her before that I was going to keep them both no matter what.”
“But that was before Betty filed a case,” Ken says. “Can you honestly say that you can still keep Cathy if you would lose your daughter because of her?”
So Cathy sacrificed herself for me and Maisie? No. I don’t believe that. Cathy knows I don’t like sacrifice, not after what happened to Evelyn. She knows how helpless I felt. Why would she want me to feel that way again?
“Cathy left me because she doesn’t love me,” I tell Ken.
She lets out another long sigh. “There you go again, making lies out of self-pity.”
“It’s not – ”
“Cathy loves you. That’s why she left.”
“That doesn’t make sense. If you love someone, why would you leave them?”
“You would if you felt like that was the only way for them to be happy,” Ken answers. “Maybe that’s how she felt.”
I shake my head. “I still don’t believe you.”
“Fine.” Ken puts her hands on her hips. “I wasn’t going to tell you about this, because Cathy swore me to secrecy, but since circumstances have changed and you’re acting like an idiot, I think I have to break my vow.”
I look at her curiously. “What secret?”
“Cathy was going to arrange a romantic dinner for you at the restaurant,” Ken tells me. “She was going to cook herself.”
My eyebrows go up. “She was?”
“Convinced now?”
I don’t answer. I want to believe Ken. I want nothing more than to believe Cathy loves me. But I’m still afraid it might not be true.
“Fine. I’ll tell you the rest,” Ken says.
“The rest?”
“The dinner was just the means. She was planning it because she wanted to tell you something. Something important.”
I frown. “You’re keeping me in suspense here. I thought you didn’t want to waste time.”
“She was going to tell you she loves you and that she accepts your proposal!” Ken blurts out.
My eyes grow wide. No way.
“And she was also going to tell you that she was pregnant.”
“Pregnant?”
Ken nods. “Mm-hm.”
Cathy’s pregnant? The thought makes my heart skip. So that’s why she’s been feeling sick lately.
“Now tell me she doesn’t love you and doesn’t want to be with you.”
I look at Ken but say nothing. I can’t say that now, not now that I know what Cathy was planning.
“Are you sure she’s pregnant?” I ask Ken.
“What? You think she’d lie about that? You think I’d lie about it?”
No. They wouldn’t, which means that Ken is right. Cathy only left because she felt she had to, which is likely because of the custody case.
Well, right now, I don’t care about that. Yes, I’m still worried about losing Maisie, but I’ll find a way to keep her. I’ll find a way to keep her, Cathy and our baby. I’ll find a way to keep them all. I’m not losing anyone anymore.
I get out of my chair.
“Finally, you’re getting off your ass,” Ken says. “Where to?”
I grab my phone from the bedside table. “I’m going to go after Cathy, of course.”
~
First, though, I have to find Cathy, and right now, I can’t. Her phone is dead. She isn’t at her mother’s house – I can tell Nina isn’t lying about that – and she isn’t at her old apartment. I’ve called all the hotels for miles around and they don’t have her listed.
I slam my fist into the living room wall. Where can Cathy be?
Suddenly, I get an idea. Maybe I can ask my fans, my groupies to help me?
