Page 72 of The Sacrifice
Mia
I stand motionlessly in front of Hadley’s crib with my bags packed and my heart in my throat. The night we put her bed together was the first time we kissed. Will the one at the football stadium be the last?
I’m too numb to cry. I straighten my shoulders. It was the right thing to do. Jackson will get full custody of Hadley, and when he does, we’ll see if he still feels the same about me as he did. It’s just a few weeks or a month. It’s not the end of the world. His mom was right. Jackson’s not going to let things drag on. That’s not like him. If he could resolve it today, he would. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. What if it’s out of sight is out of mind?
Go before you prove you’re a weak person and stay. She’s never going back to Roxanne. No matter what. I drop the blanket and spin on my heel.
Grown-ups make grown-up decisions.
***
Thirty Minutes Later
I twist the doorknob for Andrew’s front door and stop. He’s not expecting me. The scent of fresh-cut grass tickles my nose. What if he has someone over? That’s not something I want to see. A pickup down the street backfires, causing me to jump.
I knock and wait. And wait. My luggage straps cut into my flesh, biting and digging into me. Oh, for Pete’s sake, hurry up. I smash my index finger into the doorbell and bang on the wood.
“I’m coming,” he mutters from the other side as his footsteps near the door. When he swings the door open, he glares. “I gave you a key.”
“Well, I didn’t want to see anything I wasn’t supposed to see.” I brush past him, dropping my gear at my feet and snapping the door shut. His living room is cluttered with empty Chinese cartons and pizza boxes. “I hope those are empty. There was a guy who ate left-out Chinese noodles and had his leg amputated. Or his foot. Or something. The details aren’t important. The key is not to eat food that’s been sitting out.”
“I’ve been busy.” He shrugs as his eyes travel to my feet, where my bags have toppled over. “Why is your stuff here?”
“I’m staying here for a bit.”
“Son of a bitch. I knew it was a bad idea for you and Jackson to sleep together. You’re too different of people. Even if he’s ready to settle down, he’s bound to do something to ruin it.” He rakes a hand through his hair, leaving the strands standing on end. “This is what I was afraid was going to happen. And now, I have to choose sides.”
I tilt my head sideways and study him. He’s wearing black athletic shorts and a gray T-shirt. “Who wins you?”
“It’s not funny.”
“I didn’t say it was,” I sigh as my shoulders sag from trying to stay upright. It’s too much effort. I’d do it if I could flop to the floor right here. Who says I can’t? It’s not like someone will arrest me. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You did?” His eyes widen as he stares in shock. “You cheated on him?”
“Seriously?” If I could give him a wedgie like I used to when he’d sneak into my room and pop the heads off my Barbie dolls, I’d do it. “That’s not the only reason people decide to take a break.” I march past him and fall onto the sofa. It’s softer than the floor. A cloud of specks floats into the air. “You need a house cleaner. Hadley’s DNA results came in today. She’s his.”
“Did you not want her to be?” He smacks his hands on his hips. “What? You can’t handle he had a child with someone else? You two hadn’t even dated, so why is it a big deal?”
“Dude, get off your high horse and let me get a word in edgewise. His lawyer said he should be single during the paternity case. If he wants full custody, he must present a pristine image to the court. He didn’t want to go along with it, but I couldn’t ruin his chances of getting her. Hadley’s future is more important than mine.”
His expression softens, and he lowers into the recliner opposite me. “How did he take it?”
“He was angry. But it’s what I had to do. She can’t go back to that woman.”
“You’re right about that. So is this permanent or temporary?”
“I hope temporary, but I don’t know. He’s angry that I broke up with him and who knows how long the custody case could go on.”
“Sometimes, these situations go on for months.”
“I realize that.”Don’t fall apart. You’re stronger than that.I shrug as I struggle to keep it together. “What else was I supposed to do?”
“Are you going to leave town?”
“I don’t know.” I close my eyes. “It’s going to be hard to be in the same town with them and not see them, but I also don’t want to leave. I don’t feel the same desire to see the world that I used to. At least, not without them.” I want Jackson and Hadley. That’s it. I don’t want anything else. The need I had to have a biological child has disappeared. They’re all I need to be happy.
“Where are they?”