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He nods with a crooked smile. “Fair call. Anyway, after Wes, umm…gave Greg a touch-up, we got to talking. Wes and I. He’s under the impression that his brother is a low-life, brainless, piece of shit. They may have even been his exact words.”
“Okay.”I’m not going to argue.
“He’s not brainless, Lucy. Not even a little.” I suck in a breath as my eyes flash to his. “He kept you coming backforyears. He knew exactly what he was doing to get his own way, while still keeping you in his life. You never even questioned him. I don’t believe for a second that he didn’t know about you and Wes. After all, he sent you that article with the photos of you two. He’s calculated and manipulative and I’m worried about you.”
“I…I…I don’t know what to do, Joel. I can’t cut him from our lives. I tried that. It didn’t work.”
“Just be careful, Luce. Questioneverything. I don’t know his angle, but I don’t like it, whatever it is.”
I sag into the seat with a sigh. “Where were youbeforeI gave him unsupervised time with Katie?”
“What the fuck?” Joel’s eyes widen in disbelief. “That just proves my point. Calculating and manipulative.”
Running my hands down my face, I shake my head as my heart aches.
“I know that’s hard to hear, but remember you’re not alone in this. You have a lot of people on your side.”
“I know. But unfortunately, that may not help me.”
Joel walks me to my car after we’ve finished talking, making me smile when he heads straight to his motorcycle instead of back inside.Workout, huh?Leave it to him to always know the right things to say and do in every situation.
When I’m settled behind the wheel, I check my phone before I start driving. Like I always do, just to make sure Katie’s okay. This time I wish that I hadn’t.
Greg: Can you meet me at Bailey’s diner? We need to talk
That’s the last thing I want to do, but there’s nothing stopping him from turning up at my work or the house, so if he has something to say, it’s probably best to be out in public.
After letting Summer and Dylan know I’m running late to pick up Katie, I shoot Greg a text before showering and heading straight there.
Since I left the stadium as soon as the game ended today, it’s still early evening, so the diner’s busy when I arrive.
I spot Greg in a corner booth with a stack of paper in front of him, and bile immediately rises in my throat. This is it. He’s going to do it. He’s going to file for custody.
I walk slowly toward the table, as though I’m walking to my death because it sure feels that way. I shouldn’t be so worried about this but I am. Greg mentioned he has money, so he could probably hire good lawyers. And there’s the fact that I kept Katie from him for years. That’s not going to help in my favor.How did I not see this coming?
I’m silent as I sit down. I hate that he holds all the cards right now, and he’s getting his way, just like Joel said he does. I could have refused to meet him here and changed the location, but this isn’t a power play; this is about my daughter. I just want whatever this is over with.
Greg smiles, and it’s somewhat genuine.Fuck! He’s trying to do it again. To pull me back in.
“I’m going to get straight to the point,” he says immediately and I almost thank him for it. “This is a contract giving me joint custody of Katie, split fifty/fifty.”
I scoff and lean back in my chair, acting calm, while inside I feel like I’m being suffocated and unable to take in air. “Why would Ieversign that?”
“Because it’s either this contractorI file a police report against Wes.”
I laugh but it’s a little mechanical. “So you’re threatening me with reporting Wes?”
“Not exactly. Here’s the deal. Wes promised me a large sum of money ifIpromised to look after Katie and destroy the police report. I don’t trust him. So I had an idea…doyoutrust him? I need reassurance. A reason for Wes to hold up his end of the deal. Sign the contract, and I’ll rip up the police report, and even sign this agreement”—he waves a second piece of paper in my face—“stating there will be no charges filed in relation to this assault, now or in the future. You’ll have your own reassurance. Wes will be safe.” He pauses as if he’s letting that all sink in, so I nod. “Don’tsign it and we have bigger issues than your lack of trust in someone you seem to care so much about.”
I swallow a lump in my throat. This isn’t just a question of trusting Wes. This is about what I want for my daughter, and while I love Wes—shit, I fucking love him—it’s not enough.
I trust Wes, I do, but I don’t trust Greg. Wes never once mentioned giving Greg money, and he hates lying, even by omission. If he was going to hand anything over, he would have told me.Wouldn’t he?
This can’t be real. None of this is real. “What kind of person plays with people’s lives like this? You’re discussing the future of a four-year-old like she’s a possession. Isn’t it enough that I’m trying here? We’ve been working together to build a relationship between the two of you. This isn’t how you want to start your life with her. And you told me you’ve got money? Why do you need more?”
“That’s my business.”
No, I can’t do this. Joel’s right. He’s smart, but I’m smarter.
