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“Fuck me,” I groan, but I’m laughing too now, the tension cracking just enough to let a little air in. It feels ridiculous and awful all at once, but the shared absurdity eases something in my chest.

“Is Simon taking Theo tonight?” she asks, still chuckling.

“Uh, no. No, it’s my night. He has him this weekend.” I pause, rubbing my forehead as I try to remember what day it even is. This whole month has felt like time doesn’t exist—between work, Theo, Simon and his overbearing girlfriend. “Wait. Oh crap, never mind. Yes, Simon is supposed to have him the rest of this week. We switched days around so my parents could get all the grandkids for some trunk-or-treat thing.”

“Okay, perfect!” Jamie’s voice brightens. “Hudson is with my mom this weekend for a thing too. How about we go out—talk, get drunk, scream into the void a little? Just us.”

I let out a long breath of relief at the idea, the tension in my shoulders loosening for the first time all day. “That sounds great.”

“Good. I’ll text you details once I check the calendar. And Blaire? Cut yourself some slack. This’ll all work out.”

Chapter seventeen

Simon

“Theo, be careful!” I yell, tossing both boys’ shoes into the basket by the door.

“I’m careful!” Theo shouts back from down the hall, followed immediately by the sound of two small bodies jumping onto the bed.

Maddox is here to shoot the shit, his stepson Henry in tow. Henry’s a good kid—quiet, polite, all gangly limbs and shy smiles—but every time he and Theo are together something in my house ends up broken. Maddox hands me one of the beers he brought, the bottle cold and sweating, and drops onto a stool at the kitchen island.

“Want me to wrangle the boys?” he offers, already cracking his own open.

I shake my head and take the beer. “Nah, they’re fine. Just don’t want Blaire freaking out if he gets hurt more in that cast.”

“How long’s he got left in that thing?”

“Another four weeks.” I lean against the counter, rolling the bottle between my palms. “Blaire’s treating him like he’s made of glass. I keep having to tell her to relax—she wants to bubble wrap him.”

Maddox takes a long pull from his bottle, throat working as he swallows. “And how’s all that now? Veronica finally out of the picture?”

“Blocked and gone.” I raise my beer in a mock toast. “Haven’t heard from her in over a week. Plan to keep it that way.”

“Good. She seemed like fun for an evening, but not the type you settle down with.”

“Definitely wasn’t.” I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I let that shit drag on too long. Was being stupid, thinking anyone else would be enough to get over Blaire.”

Maddox’s grin turns smug as hell. “Oh, so you’re finally going to admit I was right?”

“Fuck no,” I scoff, taking a drink. The beer is cold and bitter on my tongue.

From Theo’s room comes Henry’s muffled yell and then a heavy thud that rattles the walls. Something—sounds like the lamp on the nightstand—hits the floor.

“Stop breaking shit!” Maddox bellows in their direction, voice booming down the hallway.

“Yes, sir!” both boys answer in unison, even though another thud follows a second later.

Maddox shakes his head, muttering, “Fuck, am I glad I got that vasectomy. Love that little shithead and I love his mom, but kids are too much.”

I smile into my beer. “I want more.”

Maddox blinks at me. “Thought you were done?”

“That was before I figured out I might get another shot with Blaire, never saw myself having another kid with anyone but her.”

“No shit?” He sets his bottle down, eyebrows climbing toward his hairline.

“We’ve been talking. It’s not like… that. Not yet at least. But it feels like she’s opening a door.”