Page 70 of The Sacrifice
“Perfect.” I jam my index finger onto the screen.
“That’s risky.”
“You don’t have to go home to an empty house and miss your future wife because she’s too stubborn to listen to reason.”
“Fine. But I didn’t overhear this conversation.” Spencer stands and rests his hands on his desk. “What has he found out?”
“Likely escorting or prostituting.”
“Not a surprise.”
I fill him on everything else they’ve discovered during their investigation and that two of his agents are going to Vegas to dig up more dirt on her. “This is Roxanne we’re talking about. She doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. She screwed a different customer every night. No one is going to give her custody over me. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I’ll file the paperwork with the court tomorrow as a backup plan if they can’t get her to sign over custody.”
“You’ll file it now. And I don’t care how late you have to stay. You’re not leaving until the petition is ready and I’ve signed it. I’ll be in the gym working out with my daughter.”
“I’m sorry.” He has the nerve to look chagrined over ruining my day.
“Bite me.” I stomp across the floor and slam it behind me. Slamming doors is safer than curling up on the floor and crying. Or punch my attorney in the face. Hadley needs me to be a mature adult. And that’s the only thing holding me together.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Mia
As the elevator takes me to the bottom floor, my shoulders shake, but I hold back the tears. This is Jackson’s workplace. I’m not about to embarrass him and cause a scene. Besides, everyone I met during the tour was kind and respectful to me. They don’t deserve to witness the epic waterworks I’m holding back like a dam is about to rupture from too much pressure.
The elevator bounces to a stop, and the door slides open.
Tony smiles and waves his arms to the side, motioning me forward. “After you, ma’am.” His brows raise. “Where’s the little lady?”
“She’s with Jackson.” I brush past him. If I say anything more, I’m not going to stop. He’s going to have a blubbering mess on his hands.
“Jenna and I enjoyed meeting you the other night.”
“Tha–” My voice cracks, and I keep moving.Go. Get outside. Take a deep breath. And call Jackson’s mom.They’re going to be fine. It’s not like you’re the only thing in the world that’s keeping them together. My shoulders convulse, and I bite back a sob.
A group of men wearing shorts and T-shirts walks past me without a backward glance. They’re too busy talking about the game on Sunday to notice anything else. The game I was supposed to bring Hadley to so we could watch Jackson play.
Fuck.I slam my hand on the bar on the door and shove it, not having the patience to wait for the automatic sensors to recognize my presence.
I’ve only lived with them for a few weeks but leaving feels like the end of the world.Stop. You’re doing the right thing.
Jackson must get full custody of Hadley. There’s no other possibility. Then….
Who knows what happens then? It could be next week or next year. I clutch my chest and moan, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk as the sun beats down on my head. A year? What if it’s a year? A year from now, he’ll have moved on. There will be someone else–some other woman–in his life. In his bed. Holding and rocking Hadley to sleep.
Why not? I dumped him in front of his attorney as he begged me not to. Of course, he’s going to move on. I’m foolish to think he still loves me.
Was it all too fast? Maybe it wasn’t real in the first place. I was convenient because I was there caring for Hadley. Was it forced proximity and nothing else?
Oh, my God.My head hurts. I rub my forehead to ease the tension.
Don’t be stupid. Everything was real. He loves me. He’ll straighten everything out in court, and we’ll live happily ever after.
Fat tears slide down my cheeks as I gasp for air. One after another, hot tears slip down to my T-shirt. I turn and stare at the darkened doors. Go back. Apologize. Sneak around for the next year. It’s not a big deal. No one will know a thing.
No. No, you can’t. You won’t do anything that hurts Jackson’s ability to get full custody of Hadley. No matter what.