After careful thought, I return an easy nod and a tiny smile. What can I say? Maybe nothing. Maybe the right words don’t exist. “Thank you for telling me that.”
She smiles. “Thank you for loving my daughter.”
Outwardly, I keep a soft smile. Inside? It feels like a jagged piece of metal being shoved into my heart.
“Yell if you need anything. I’ll be going to bed soon, but I’m a light sleeper. And Dorothy should be home soon too.”
“Thank you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Fuck the Truth
Dorothy
Yes!
Barbecue jackfruit sandwich and apple pie leftovers in the fridge. It’s enough to keep me from taking a walk. With it getting darker earlier, I find it less appealing to take walks on the nights I get home close to nine from the hospital.
After throwing the leftovers on a plate, grabbing a fork, and a glass of water, I make my way to my game room.
“What the fuck?” I flip on the light to the room, seeing a figure in my chair.
“Hello to you too.” Eli pushes the button on the side of the chair, bringing it to an upright position. Then he shuts off the TV before I can register what he’s watching.
“What are you doing here?”
He grins. “I’m here to see you. Is that apple pie?”
I glance at my plate. “Yes.”
“I love apple pie.”
“So?”
Eli chuckles. “So get your ass over here and share some with me.”
“It’s only one piece.”
“Hence the word share.”
My nose wrinkles.
“I won’t go down on you until after we share the pie.” He winks.
I squeeze my legs together.
“I’m joking. Do I look sexually active yet?” He gestures to his cast.
“How’s Romeo?” I sit on the arm of the chair, with my plate on my lap.
“You mean The Flash? Because that’s who he is now that he has his Halloween costume early.” Eli brings up a photo of Romeo Flash on his phone.
“Oh my god, he’s so adorable.” I tap the prongs of the fork against my lower lip while grinning at the picture.
Eli sets his phone down on the other arm of the chair and exhales an audible breath. “Julie wants me back.”
Ugh. My appetite begins to wane. Not because I wasn’t expecting the conversation, I just thought he’d wait until I ate my sandwich and made him beg for pie. “She’s smart. Even if it took her unusually long to come up with the right answer.” I shrug. “All that matters is that she did.”
“The right answer?” he asks.
“Duh. You and Roman. Choosing your family. Of course it’s the right answer.”
“For whom?” Eli’s eyes narrow.
“For Roman. And maybe for you and maybe for her too, but definitely the right choice for Roman.”
“And what about Dorothy Mayhem?”
“What about me?” I take a bite of my sandwich.
“You said you thought you loved me too.”
“So?” I mumble over cold barbecue jackfruit.
“And Roman likes you. A lot.”
I swallow and nod. “True. But I’m not his mom. Dr. Hathaway is his mom. And she should get to see him every day. So should you. And now that she’s back in the game, it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
“What if I choose you?”
“Then you’re an idiot.”
“Why?”
I hate his line of questioning. It’s stupid and completely pointless. “Because you have the chance to be with Roman every single day. Nights too. All the weekends and holidays.”
“But I want you.”
I stand and slide the plate onto my entertainment console, making a loud clank. “You are a stupid fucking idiot!” I grab the back of my neck with both hands, digging my fingers into the muscles along my neck to ease the tension. “If I could choose Roman over you, I would in a heartbeat. Does that make you feel better? Does that ease your decision? He’s three, and smart, and funny, and he says all the cute things. And that smile …”
I wipe my cheeks, narrowing my eyes at my hands, a little confused and surprised to see tears. The sting of my eyes and the trickle down my cheek went unnoticed amid my anger. “That smile is life.” I wipe my hands on my pants. “So why in the hell would you choose to live half a life when you can have it all?”
Eli pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Doing what?”
“Making me feel like a terrible person.” He rubs his eyes and looks at me. They’re red.
“I’m not,” I whisper.
“You are. Because you’re using my son as leverage to take yourself out of the equation. But this isn’t an equation or a poll where everyone gets a vote. This is my goddamn life!”
I jump, hugging my arms to my chest. I’ve seen Eli slightly upset before, like when I agreed to go on a date with Warren or when I suggested Eli and Dr. Hathaway take Romeo to London. But those were nothing compared to Eli’s clenched jaw and tear-filled eyes taking me hostage in my own home. I can’t move. Not a single muscle.