Chapter 8
Raquel
I hate Sundays. Or any day that I have to see Dean and his girlfriend. Am I crazy for feeling like it should be illegal for parents to bring random women around their kids? They should at least wait a couple of months… right? Yet, he did even wait a week. This only proves my theory that he was having an affair. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
“I wish there was some way around having to see him every weekend. It dampers my whole damn day,” I say to Tessa.
After last night, as I thought, my phone started ringing at nine in the morning. Somehow, she found out about the date, and wouldn’t let up until I agreed to meet her. She doesn’t know about our complicated situation.
“Girl, divorces can be brutal, but don’t let him get to you. Believe me, I had plenty of problems with Emily’s dad.”
The sun is beating down on me and even this little sun dress isn’t keeping me cool. Why couldn’t we meet up somewhere that has shade? Emily is climbing up the stairs to go down the big red slide again. We should petition the city to plant some trees out here. I don’t know how anyone can sit out here for hours while their kids play. At least, there is a slim breeze today.
“So, enough about your ex. I wanna know about Jeremy,” Tessa says.
I’m interested to see her reaction when I tell her about what happened yesterday. Either she will think I’m out of my mind or smart. Things can be harder than they seem, and sitting across from him last night in that booth, well, it made me want to rethink my decision. Yet, I know it is the right one for now. Hell, am I even ready to date someone after all the chaos with Dean?
“There’s a lot to tell you since the party. We were all set to go on a date last night, but… then he showed up with his dad at the memory center and he’s going to be my resident.”
She looks at me and then rolls her eyes. “And?”
“How the fuck am I supposed to date a man that is related to one of my patients? Especially, after all that nonsense that happened when I first got hired, remember?”
Tessa shakes her head. “I don’t think you ever told me about that. But do dish.”
“The old nurse slept around with a patient’s son and when she broke it off, he came up to the center and made a scene, calling her a slut and some other things. Once the higher-ups found out, she got fired.”
Emily comes running up to us to get a drink of water. “The red slide is fun.” She takes a sip and runs back to the playground.
“They need to mind their own business. We are all human and sometimes, love finds itself in odd places. Here’s what I think; go with your gut, not the employee handbook.”
I wipe the sweat accumulating on my forehead and lean in to her. “But what if it goes sideways? My job means a lot to me, and I just don’t know if it’s worth it.”
“Let’s just say I overheard some girls at our wedding talking about him, and they seem to think he is. In many unique positions,” Tessa says, winking.
A chuckle escapes my throat, and I look around to make sure no one else heard her. Tessa isn’t a prude by any means, and sometimes she can be inappropriate, but I love it. Harper is even worse, but I don’t judge. That girl can get down and let’s just say she has some kinks that Liam happily obliges.
I pull up Jeremy on my phone and go to type a message, but do not know what to say. Things went well at the diner, and he seems like an amazing guy. Kudos points for wanting a family, too. Men don’t bring that up in casual conversation, but he did.
Does his family know about me? I think back to yesterday, and none of them seemed bothered by it, but they could be in the dark about him knowing me prior to their visit. Will his family be okay with this? They say don’t let fear guide you, and I’m trying not to, but it’s building.
“I’ll talk to him about it, and we will see how it goes. It’s kind of nice being just friends with no pretext.”
Tessa slugs me on the shoulder and then goes in for a hug. “Let’s just say, if you decide to go out with him for real, I don’t think he will disappoint. He’s nothing like Dean.”
It’s time for me to head to get Lily from Dallas, and I want to do anything but go to his damn house. He gets off on making my life a living hell. After he asked for the divorce, Dean demanded that I pack my things and get out. Who the hell does that to the mother of their children? The person they are supposed to love and cherish for all eternity? Our marriage felt like we were both walking on eggshells when around each other, so it’s not like I can say it surprised me.
The next day, I booked a hotel room and packed most of my things. And the worst part of it all, having to go back to work and face him. After a couple of days, I decided for me to get the hell out of dodge, and that’s when I reached out to Eli and let him know I’d be moving to Grapevine. It’s close enough to where the drive to see her dad isn’t too bad, but far enough, I won’t ever run into him. I knew I would not stay at the hospital, so I put in my two weeks’ notice. My brother mentioned the center, and it didn’t take but two days for them to call me in for an interview and hired the same day. My plan to move to Grapevine was a go.
I put the car in reverse and head out of the parking lot and straight for the interstate to swerve through traffic to Dallas. The best thing about the drive is knowing that my Lily is coming back with me. She has loved school since coming here, and I think the main reason is there doesn’t seem to be a bullying problem in this town. The kids seem to be friendly, and her previous school that was not the case. So, it’s nice to see her opening up to new people and make friends.
I connected the Bluetooth and I turn on my 90s playlist because you can never go wrong with that era. I’m talking about Spice Girls, TLC, and Monica. They helped me through the anger of my divorce, and damn, did they do a stellar job. Lately, I’ve been into another genre like NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. Their songs hit me differently now that I’m in my thirties.
My fingers are tapping on the steering wheel and I’m blurting out the lyrics to Barbie Girl when the exit approaches, and it’s only a few blocks until I’m at Deans. It always takes mental preparation when going to his house, because Lily doesn’t deserve to see or hear the hostility between us. She’s a child, and I would never put her in a position to choose one of us. He might be an asshole, but he is her father.
I could’ve asked for the house in the divorce, but with moving out of Dallas, there was no point except to piss him off. When we got married, he let me pick out the house and decorate how I wanted it, and I can already see that bitch has made some changes. Not pretty ones, either.
When I pull up to the curb of the street in front of his house, Lily is already waiting outside, her bag sitting on the steps. Why do they have her outside by herself? I keep forgetting he has always been this way. Things aren’t like they were when we grew up. Convicted child molesters overrun Dallas and even in this rich neighborhood, he should never be too careful.