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That made me forget all about the shame. “What? You want to go together to pick Jesse up from school? Why?”
“You’ve been bitching at me to make an effort. This is me making an effort.” Leaning back on the couch and stretching his arms out along the back, he ran his eyes down my body. “Please tell me that you’re changing out of that school marm get up and into something remotely sexier.”
I didn’t dignify his second statement with a response. “This is your effort? No hidden agenda or intent?”
“What the fuck do you want from me, Olive? I’m skipping a lot of shit tonight in hopes of hanging out with our kid.”
I didn’t trust him or like him being near me, but if that’s what it took to get Jesse time with his dad, I’d deal with it. “Okay. Thank you. Jesse will be super excited to see you.”
“I figured we’d have dinner in tonight, but… Does this place have working appliances?” He waved his hand. “Nevermind. We’ll order in pizza. I brought my games so we can play.”
Breathing in slowly and forcing it out just as slowly, I shrugged. “You and Jesse can decide together what you’d like to do tonight.”
“Sure. Whatever.” He pulled out his phone and started texting. “Go ahead and do what you need to do. I don’t want to be late picking him up.”
Annoyance bit at me but I kept my mouth shut and shut and locked myself in my bedroom so I could change. Barely a few seconds passed before I heard a light knock on my door. I gasped and gripped the dress I’d just ripped off to my chest. “What?”
“What’s the deal with you and Andrew?”
“Can we talk about this later?” I hated the way my voice shook and the way I silently started searching for my phone. I hated even more the panic I felt when I realized I didn’t have it.
“Just tell me.”
I pulled the dress back on and tugged a pair of leggings on under it. “It’s none of your business, Taylor.”
“He’s a prick, Olive. All three of those guys are.” He knocked again. “Can you let me in so we can talk about this?”
I yanked open the door and slipped under his arm. I grabbed my purse from the counter, knocking the rest of the noodles onto the floor, and hurried to pull open the front door. Only then, when a little bit of the outside world felt like it was seeping in, did I feel like I could breathe again. Still, I walked to the front of his truck and wrapped my arms around myself.
Taylor walked out a minute later with a smile on his face. “Should I lock up?”
I nodded. “Please.”
As he walked towards me, he looked at my outfit and frowned. “Did you add more clothes? Jesus, Olive. It’s a hundred degrees out here.”
Even as sweat pebbled over my lip, I shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Whatever you say.” He unlocked his truck and nodded at it. “Get in.”
I reminded myself that it was for Jesse as I climbed into his front seat and buckled myself in. I rambled off directions and clenched my hands in my lap. “I don’t think we should talk about personal things between the two of us, Taylor.”
“Shit. You’re really bent out of shape about Andrew, huh?” He laughed. “I’m just trying to warn you. Andrew’s a player. He’s not the loser you remember from high school.”
“I don’t care. I just don’t want to discuss it with you.” I looked out at the campus and wished I was anywhere else. “The only thing we need to discuss is Jesse. Can we agree to that?”
“No.”
I stared at him in shock. “What the hell, Taylor?”
“You don’t make the rules. If I want to talk to you about Andrew or Jack or Caleb, I will.” He laughed. “You don’t just get everything you want. I’m here, making an effort like you asked. Once I’m here, though, I do what I want.”
“No, you don’t. Taylor, this isn’t a game. You’re a father.” I ran my hands through my hair and turned to face him. “You need to be here for Jesse. He needs his father. That doesn’t mean you can barge in and question my life and do whatever the hell you want to. There are boundaries.”
He shrugged. “You want me to spend time with the kid, or not?”
I pressed my fist to my mouth and looked out the window. I didn’t know.
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