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I thought about my own child, still so small and fragile inside me. Sure, I will know them the longest of anyone in the world. But did that mean I would know them better than they would eventually know themselves?
Dad patted the seat between him and Mom. “Come here, sweetheart.”
I begrudgingly did so. They leaned into me with a hug. I felt suffocated.
“We’re gonna make it all better. Promise.” Dad kissed the side of my head.
“You betcha. In fact, when Katie told us about things going sour with Wesley, I rang up Mrs. Morden…” Mom began.
I visibly cringed but didn’t respond.
“I know Danny would love to take you out. And we think you should give him a chance. You know, the Mordens are like family.” She rubbed my arm encouragingly.
Dad was excited to add his support. “Yes, Danny would know how to take care of you, Cara.”
I thought about our meeting a couple days earlier. How utterly done I was with Danny’s ongoing attempts at flirtation. I couldn’t even fathom going out with someone while still so freshly heartbrokenandnewly pregnant — even though that was still a secret.
Danny, however, was a pro at putting his foot in his mouth. It wouldn’t take much for him to show his true colors on a date. Then I could come home, say it was awful, and I’d never have to hear about Danny Morden, the perfect golden child, ever again.
“Okay. Yeah…maybe you’re right. Maybe I should give him a chance.”
Mom and Dad gasped excitedly. I bet my mother was already planning the wedding in her head.
Katie, who had been silent through the majority of the conversation, sighed heavily, interrupting their revel.
“Have something to say, Katie?” Mom asked with a raised eyebrow.
My sister glanced at me. I knew she wanted to argue and tell me not to give in. But I shook my head softly.No fighting. Not now.“Nothing. Just tired.”
I knew the feeling. I was so tired and turned around that I was numb the rest of the evening. It wasn’t until our parents were asleep and Katie and I were curled up in her bed that I was able to explain myself to her.
“Fuck it. If they want me to give Danny Morden a chance, I’ll give him a chance. Then it’ll be my chance to say ‘I told you so.’”
Katie laughed and pulled me close to her. “Fuck yes, sis.”
At least I’d always have her on my side.
Chapter30
Wesley
One of the benefits of being a billionaire is that everyone comes to you, no matter who they are. That included my custody lawyer, Nelson, who had been my divorce and custody lawyer since the moment Lisbeth wanted out of the marriage. Nelson had agreed to come to the townhouse first thing on a Monday morning. I’d decided to take the day off from work so I could think without MediaDeck and Readly hanging over my head. I needed room to think. To strategize.
“You gotta relax, Wesley. I swear to God, I’m getting an ulcer just looking at you.” Nelson had an intense Brooklyn accent, born and bred in the area.
“Sorry. I can’t help it, I’m scared.”
Nelson had a habit of never sitting down. His jumpiness only added to my anxiety. “Don’t be nervous. There’s no reason to be nervous.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, there’s a little reason to be nervous. But we’re not bringing a knife to a gun fight or anything.”
I pursed my lips. I'd barely been sleeping. The night before meeting with Nelson, I hadn’t even been able to lie down. I was exhausted, so it was fortunate I’d already planned to be off work. But it was extremely unusual for me to take any time off, especially with the impending release of Readly.
Readly and MediaDeck were the last things on my list of problems, though. The first was Lucy’s custody followed very closely by Cara’s heartbreak. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw one of two images. The first was Lucy screaming as Lisbeth snatched her away from me. The other, Cara’s eyes as she realized I was about to hurt her.Again.
It seemed that wherever I turned, I was hurting someone. Maybe Cara was right. All I did was use and abuse.
