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My lips curl into a smirk as I soak her in leisurely. It’s been over a month since I’ve heard her voice. That I’ve been able to lay eyes on her, and it’s the best fuckin’ moment of my life.
“Hey, Opie.”
“I see you haven’t been shaving.”
“Thought I’d try something new.”
Her smile brightens. “I like it.”
Baby, I like you. A whole fuckin’ lot.
“You stayin’ out of trouble?”
She lifts her shoulders in a yellow tank top with a long gold chain cascading down her chest. “I gave someone extra sour cream today so, you know, still livin’ that rebellious lifestyle.”
“Scandalous.”
“Oh, you know how I roll, boss man. I purposely scheduled that one chick who loved talking about her pet goldfish for you first thing in the morning.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because you called me Octavia.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head because I used to call her a lot of shit that came out of my ass. “I didn’t catch on to that one.”
“You didn’t catch on to my name for the longest time.”
I didn’t want to. Because if I did, that meant she’d mean something to me and that I’d get hung up on those blue eyes and luscious tits.
I did anyway, obviously.
Keeping her away would’ve saved us both all this. And that’s the hardest part about falling asleep every night. And even then, I wake up thinking she’s right beside me when the other side of the bed is cold. When she’ll be at work the next day, but reality is quick to slap me across the face and remind me that she’s not. Maybe our love affair was meant to be a short one, but I’ll never understand why I had to go through another emotional wave of turmoil when I’ve been through enough.
Except Liv did nothing wrong but have a child.
“Tell me everything you’ve done so far since you’ve been in California,” I press, unsure of whether whatever she’s going to tell me is going to sit well with me or not.
“Working,” she immediately replies. “And then the beach, like I said. Mia got a job at some corporate place with a CEO that’s an asshole but she makes bank. In fact, she’s an inside for the food truck I’m working for. I know their lunch and dinner breaks so we park over there if the beach is a little slow.”
“It’s good to have connections.”
“Mia is more diabolical than she leads on. She started school again to go into business and I’ve been back on my online classes. Since I’ve already done mine, I can help her. I actually helped her with a deal for her boss last week.”
“Really?” I ask with pride. “Just a little woman of all trades over there.”
Liv continues to look at me through the phone. “Just hustlin’ out here.”
“Have you gotten to see Rory’s dad?” It’s not so much jealousy that lines behind the question than curiosity. And the look on her face will tell me everything I need to know.
“Yeah,” she replies honestly, keeping her expression light. “He helped us move some furniture into our new place. We meet halfway so he can have Rory for a week or weekend. Whatever his schedule allows.” Her brows knit a bit as if she’s worried. “He is a good dad.”
“Why do you look like that when you say it?”
“Because…” She shakes her head a bit. “I meant what I said. I didn’t come here for Marshall. We’re just really good friends who are trying to be good parents for her. There is no underlying?—”
“I believe you, Opie,” I pledge wholeheartedly. And even if there was, it may be best for your daughter if she had both of her parents as a unified force to raise her.
But it sounds like they’re doing that without having to be together.
