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Logan never answered my calls, but I still had to try. I owed it to Cole.
Surprisingly, on the fifth ring, he picked up.
“Hello?” It was a question, like he didn’t have my number programmed into his phone. Maybe he didn’t; maybe that was the only reason he’d answered.
“Logan, hey, it’s Bex.” I tugged at a thread in the comforter, trying to calm my nerves. I wanted him to say he was on his way. I wanted him towantto take Cole.
“Bex.” He let out a sigh.
Why did it always feel like he was just tolerating me? Like I was the pathetic ex who clung to some idea of us getting back together? Had he forgotten why we broke up?
“Did you get my text about Cole?” I asked pleasantly.
I wanted this conversation to be a good one. Ineededit to be a good one. I knew Cole was listening near my door; he was always hanging around listening.
“Yeah…I’ve just been busy, haven’t had a chance to respond.” Logan shuffled something and I could hear a toddler babbling in the background. I was happy for him. Truly. I wanted him to be happy and move on with his life—I just didn’t want him to forget his kids while he did it.
“So, what do you think?” I held my breath.
He let out another sigh. “Can’t you take him? It’s closer for you.”
My heart sank. I could physically feel it drown. “Logan, he wants you to take him. It’s football camp—all the other kids will have their dads there.”
“It’s a two-hour drive there and back for me, Bex. That’s my whole day, and Dana needs help with Lucas,” he argued, and when he mentioned Dana, his girlfriend, needing help with their two-year-old son, I bit my lip so I wouldn’t say something mean.
“I understand that, Logan, I truly do, but Cole’s your son too. Heneedsyou too,” I reminded him. I knew the fact that Dana and Logan’s child was a boy was a huge part of why Cole was struggling with his emotions where his father was concerned. He was feeling like the baby replaced him, and honestly, I didn’t blame him.
“It’s just football camp, and some of the kids don’t haveanyparents to drop them off. He needs to learn that sometimes we don’t get what we want.” He muttered something to someone in the background.
“I’m not sure that’s a lesson he needs to learn right now. I think he just misses you. He was excited to start this season out with you being there.” I softened my tone, because as much as I wanted to lay into him, I had one other issue I needed to discuss with him.
“I’m two hours away, Bex!”
“No one told you to move that far away, Logan. No one. You knew your kids were here, you knew—”
“Dana was pregnant. I did the right thing.”
How could I forget? He’d knocked her up while he was still with me.
“Doing the right thing is being there for your kids. That includes Lucas, but it also includes Belle and Cole. You have three, Logan. I know that’s hard on you and on Dana, and I’m not trying to make it more difficult, but you can’t just forget them.”
He was quiet on the other end, and I hoped I’d struck a chord with him.
After a few seconds, he let out another heavy sigh. “Sorry, Bex. Can you put him on the phone so I can explain it to him?”
The lump in my throat made it hard to talk. How could he say no? How could he do this to Cole?
“Yeah…but, um, I have another quick question first. Your child support never came in this month…do you know what’s going on?”
Silence met me before his harsh, angry retort came through. “Put Cole on the phone.”
Fuck.My temper had ramped up enough to where I wanted to fight with him. I wanted an explanation as to why we hadn’t received a check this month or last. He worked at a consulting firm; he wasn’t crazy rich, but he made a decent wage, and we never tried to get more from him than what I felt he owed his kids.
“Logan, the kids need school supplies and clothes…I was counting on the check to—”
“Then get a job, Bex. Stop acting like you have me to take care of you.” His cold, angry tone cut through the phone. It hurt so badly it nearly knocked the wind out of me.
“Ihavea job, Logan.” I was seething at this point, so close to dropping a few F bombs.
