Page 59 of The Sacrifice
Roxanne: He doesn’t want her.
Caught you.One second later, another message blows up on my phone.
Roxanne: He didn’t want her but changed his mind. He wants her too. So I think it’s best if I come and get her.
Money grab. I’ve seen this played out too many times to count. Football locker rooms are notorious for women trying to pull one over on a new player. This was what I suspected at the start, but I was thrown off by the non-ask. This was her play all along. Get me to take her. Bond with her. Then comes the screws. Demand the baby to go back to her. Well, let’s get all the cards out on the table.
Me: What will it take?
Roxanne: I don’t know what you mean.
A bead of sweat drips down my forehead as Tony brushes past me. His eyebrows go up in question. “I’ll fill you in later.”
“We got you if you need us.”
“Thanks.” Between the non-stop showering and this conversation, it feels like I’m sitting in a sauna.
Me: I mean, how much money are you asking for?
Roxanne: She means the world to me. I can’t put a price on that.
It’s time for her to sweat. I slide my phone into my pocket and march straight to Spencer’s office.
The second he sees my expression; he motions me inside. “What’s up?”
“Waiting out a shark.”
“I see.” He leans back in his chair, causing it to squeak under his shifting weight, and steeples his hands together on his desk. “Tell me what’s going on.”
In the six minutes it takes me to give him the lowdown, my phone beeps five times with each message coming quicker.
“I’ll need to download the messages you’ve received from her. It’s too much to ask her to throw it right out on Front Street.”
“We’ll see.” I retrieve my phone from my pocket and scan the missed messages.
Roxanne: She means the world to me. It was a mistake. I want her with me. Both of us do. Maybe she’s not even your child.
Two minutes later.
Roxanne: Why aren’t you answering me?
Thirty seconds later.
Roxanne: Listen, asshole, I was going to offer birthdays and holidays, but now, I’m not. She’s my baby. Not yours. I should have taken her to social services like I wanted, so you never had her.
Ten seconds later.
Roxanne: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I miss her so much. Leaving her with a stranger was a mistake. She probably cries herself to sleep each night, missing her momma. Are you going to answer me?
Five seconds later.
Roxanne: Fine. You’re her father. I’m sure of it. And if you want her so bad, I’ll consider giving up my rights for a million dollars.
Bingo.“Here.” I shove the phone in front of him. “Just so you know. I’m not paying her one dime.”
His eyes widen as he scans down the screen. “I wasn’t expecting this. She’s managed to paint herself in a bad light. It’s not a slam dunk by any means. Any custody battle is contentious, and this one will be no different.” He runs his finger over the screen and views the previous messages. “This will put things in your favor with the judge.” He glances over his glasses. “You haven’t gotten the DNA back, have you?”
“No.” I shove my hands into my sweatpants’ pockets. Without my phone in my hand, I feel uneasy.