Everything he’d put into place had worked better than he even thought possible.
He couldn’t walk away without Temperance taking more money.
Even as every single part of him begged for him to walk away, he couldn’t do it. He kept on walking until he got to Temperance’s room.
She lay in bed, and his heart broke as he saw the tears running down her face. He cleared his throat, and she glanced up at him.
“You knew, didn’t you? You knew they were going to be there?”
“Yes.”
“Was this your plan? Arrange everything while you were away so you didn’t have to deal with anything.”
“The day I announced the vacation, I got the results. I had every intention of telling you, but I wanted time first.”
“Time for what?”
“Time to live the life I could never have.”
She was shaking her head. “That was a four-year-old boy. A little kid who had lost his mother, who believed that no one wanted him. How could you do that to him? You made him believe that you liked him.”
“I did like him.”
“Not enough. If you liked him enough you’d have already made the arrangements to be his caretaker, his guardian. What you were was selfish. You didn’t think about anyone or anything but yourself.”
He didn’t deny it. Every single action had been about what he wanted. “What’s done is done. Timothy wasn’t mine. He never was.”
“No. He was just a problem to you. An inconvenience.”
He hated that he was hurting her. She kept wiping the tears away, but more fell down her face.
All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her. He couldn’t do that either.
Holding up the file, he took a step closer. “The settlement figure is not for negotiation.”
“I won’t take anything more than what I’m due. I’m not taking five million dollars from you.”
“Our relationship was in the paper. I pursued you.”
“For a couple of days, we had sex, Wayne. I’m not a whore. I can find my own way. I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need fuck or pity money from you.” She glared at him. “Leave. Please, go away.”
“The doctor said you were free to leave tomorrow.”
“I know what the doctor said, and I know what I’m going to do.”
“I’ll pick you up.”
She shook her head. “I’ve already arranged it with Lilah. She’s going to pick me up, take care of me, and be there. I don’t want you there, Wayne. Please, leave … now.”
He didn’t like that she was dismissing him.
You broke her heart.
Give her space.
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” she said.
Her voice was breaking as she talked.
Wayne stared into her eyes swimming with tears.
“You’re just like everyone else. You’re no different. I loved that boy. I probably shouldn’t have, but I did, and now I won’t get the chance to tell him that no matter what, he’s strong.”
Wayne couldn’t bear it any longer. He left her room and the hospital. Climbing into his car, he went straight to his apartment. Even as he let himself into the luxury bachelor pad, there on the table lay several of Timothy’s toys.
They were lined up, waiting to be played with.
Ignoring them, he grabbed a beer out of the fridge, which still reminded him of Timothy.
Closing the fridge, he took a long swig of his beer. He had to clear his mind. The silence of the apartment was deafening to him.
His head pounded as if it was filled with so much crap and noise. There was no hum, no sound of the television, or the click of an e-reader changing the page.
He left his beer on the counter and moved down the long hallway toward the rooms at the back of his apartment.
Temperance’s door was closed, but Timothy’s wasn’t.
Entering the room, he flicked on the light and the pirate adventure room came to life. In a few days, the room had become that little boy’s.
He’d seen Timothy trying to be strong as the child services lady explained to him that he was going to a new home. To be passed to a new owner.
Wayne hadn’t for a second thought about what everyone else would think or even feel. He’d only ever had to care about himself. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he reached out to look at the picture.
It was one of Timothy and Temperance at the park, rolling down the slide. She’d told him it was a selfie as it was Timothy’s first time.
Putting the picture back, he wondered what the hell he was going to do with all the stuff.
An hour passed, and when nothing came to him on what to do, he made his way into Temperance’s room.
The moment he opened the door, he was hit by her scent. Comfort surrounded him, and he wished she was there, waiting for him.