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The look of relief on Jacob’s face was priceless. “He won’t … be there?”
“You won’t be there,” David corrected him gently. “You’ll be here with me.”
Chapter 57
If David thought he’d wake up feeling less fucked up about Paige than when he went to sleep, he was quickly robbed of that notion when he received a text from her the next morning. Immediately feeling a sense of anxious dread at seeing her name, it took him a moment to open the text.
PAIGE: How are you doing this morning?
Such a benign—yet loaded—question, to which the real answer pained him greatly because he knew Paige was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. However, at the same time, he didn’t know how to be with her right at the moment, in any way, shape, or form.
He knew that was mostly due to guilt—guilt that in the pursuit of forging a new life with her, he’d seemingly lost sight of his son’s welfare, and Jacob had gotten hurt.
He’d never felt so discombobulated in his life, and he hated it.
What if this feeling didn’t go away? This inability to think about Paige without thinking about the cost of his mistake? What if he felt like this weeks from now? Months?
It would tear them apart. Taking a deep breath, he replied with a lie.
DAVID: I’m doing okay. You?
PAIGE: Good enough.
PAIGE: How did it go at your mom’s last night?
DAVID: Not too bad, considering.
PAIGE: Did you talk to Jacob about Liam?
DAVID: A little. I basically said that Liam wasn’t going to be a part of Jacob’s life ever again.
PAIGE: I’m sure that made Jacob feel better.
DAVID: It did.
DAVID: Now I just have to make good on my promise.
PAIGE: You will.
PAIGE: I have to go, but I hope you both have a good day!
Friday wasn’t any better, starting off with another solicitous text from Paige.
PAIGE: Good morning. How are you and Jacob doing?
DAVID: He’s doing pretty good, but I haven’t been sleeping very well. I was even awake before my alarm went off, so I’m tired as hell.
PAIGE: Well, given how much stress you’re under, I’m not surprised you’re having trouble sleeping.
PAIGE: Melatonin should help. Also, you could put some lavender essential oil in a diffuser near your bed, and set an amethyst crystal on your nightstand. That’s my favorite, but celestite and angelite also work, too.
DAVID: Okay, good to know. Thanks.
PAIGE: I’m a little confused. Shouldn’t you be making a ‘rock’ joke right about now?
DAVID: You’re right. Clearly, I’m off my game, which I blame on a lack of sleep.
DAVID: Otherwise, I’d have asked where the nearest quarry was.
