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Maddi and I missed you tonight.
I missed him and Madeline, too. But I had promised Abby I would have dinner with her after shopping, and I didn’t want to cancel. It was also nice to catch up with her, even though I see her every day. We don’t always have time to just chat.
Missed you both, too. Dinner tomorrow night? I’ll cook.
I send the text and try to wait for his reply, but before long my eyes grow too heavy to keep open.
The next morning, I open up my text messages and fight back a frown when I see that Lucas still hasn’t replied. I tuck my cell phone back in my bag and try to forget about it. I figure he probably just fell asleep last night and then spent the morning running around getting Madeline ready for school.
When I get into the office, I don’t even have a chance to set down my purse before Abby tells me that we have a meeting with a new client.
Sitting down to lunch with Abby later in the afternoon, I pull out my phone for the first time since the morning. Relief washes over me when I see that Lucas has called twice and texted a few times. My heart sinks and my stomach twists when I read his texts, though.
Sorry I didn’t message you back last night, Eva showed up and ended up staying over.
Eva as in Madeline’s mom, his ex-wife?
She left her boyfriend and is in the city, planning to stay with a friend of hers that lives here.
She wants to see Maddi tonight, so we’ll have to make plans for later this week.
I’m sorry, baby, I’ll call you this afternoon when I get a chance.
“What’s going on?” Abby’s voice pulls my attention away from my phone.
I try to mask my emotions so she won’t read how upset I am. Lucas has never given me a reason not to trust him, but Tom never gave me a reason not to trust him, either. I know that Lucas is not Tom, but I also know that it would cut me deeply if something like that ever happened between us. As much as I thought I loved Tom, I’m realizing now that I might have just latched on to him because it was comfortable.
“It’s nothing.” I shrug and tuck my cell back into my bag without sending a reply to Lucas.
“Your face is saying something else.”
Thankfully, the waiter comes over to ask for our drink orders, giving me a few minutes to get my emotions under control. When he leaves, I study the menu like whatever I select will be cooked for us tableside by Gordon Ramsay himself.
“Okay, seriously. What’s going on?” Abby demands.
Apparently, I should never, ever play poker.
“Lucas’s ex-wife broke up with her man and stayed with Lucas and Maddi last night. She is also having dinner with Lucas and Maddi tonight. She’s moving back to the city and is going to be staying with a friend of hers.”
I bite my lip when I finish speaking, wishing I had a glass of wine to wash down the bitterness in my throat.
“Wait. What?” Abby’s eyes grow concerned.
I lean back against the leather booth. “Like I said. Lucas’s ex is in the city, and Lucas and Maddi are having dinner with her tonight.”
“What the actual fuck?” she whispers.
I’m glad she’s using her “inside voice,” because the restaurant is really nice and they would probably frown upon her using that language in here.
Not having an immediate response, I shrug. I look toward the bar and mutter, “Is it too early to start drinking?”
“Babe,” Abby calls to get my attention. My eyes move from the bar to her. “Please don’t worry about this.”
“I’m not.” The lie tastes bitter as it leaves my mouth. “She’s Maddi’s mom. I’m glad she wants to spend time with her daughter,” I lie again.
Eva and Lucas have history. They have a daughter together. They are connected. They will always be connected because of Maddi. If I’m honest, I’m jealous—and a little worried.
What if she wants him back? What if he’s willing to try to work things out because of Maddi?
Shaking her head, Abby sighs, looks across the room, and lifts her chin. A moment later the waiter appears. When he asks what she needs, she orders us a bottle of wine. We drink a lot—so much that I’m drunk by the time lunch is over. I don’t go back to the office. Instead, Abby gets us a cab and takes me home before walking Merida. I don’t remember much besides getting into bed and falling asleep with Abby running her fingers through my hair and telling me everything will be all right.
My head is pounding when I wake up. It takes me a minute to realize that the pounding is only getting worse—because there is a loud banging coming from my front door. I get out of bed and head across my apartment. When I open the door, my stomach turns with nausea.
