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When I pull up to the site, I park my truck on the dirt lot, and I can’t even get my door open before Jessica is stomping over to me.
“Where the fuck where you last night?” she points at me as I hop out.
“Jessica, lower your voice please,” I say as I close the door and turn to face her.
She’s wearing some too-tight yoga pants that flare at her feet, flip flops, and a crop top. Her yellow hair is thrown into a messy bun on top of her head and her sunglasses take up her whole face.What did I ever find attractive about her?
“Don’t tell me what to do, Nolan. I tried to get a hold of you last night. I had an emergency and needed you to watch Aria, but you never answered. So where the fuck were you?” Her tone is screechy and loud. Purposefully too loud.
“Is Aria okay?” I ask in concern.
“Yes, she’s okay. That’s not what this is about. Answer my question.”
“Honestly, I don’t think where I was last night is any of your concern, Jess.”
“So, being on a date is more important than my daughter, is that right, Nolan?” Her accusation of me being a carless parent is infuriating. Like she has any right to make assumptions, considering she’s asked me to pick up our daughter on her days more than once.
I move my eye contact over to Mitch who is in fact watching us, but once he realizes that I’m side eyeing him, presumably because he’s the one who told her I was on a date, he jumps up and moves quickly.
I take Jessica by the elbow and move her behind my truck so no more listening ears can overhear this conversation.
“First of all, she’sour daughter. Secondly, don’t you dare fucking say shit like that again. Aria is my main priority.” I take a deep breath to calm my nerves before I say shit I don’t mean to say. “And yes. I was on a date. But what I do in my spare time is absolutely none of your concern and I suggest you consider your next words carefully, Jessica. You should not be causing a scene like this.”
“Are you threatening me?” Her question is asked in an overtly high pitched tone.
“Get over yourself. What is so important that you thought making a fool out of yourself was a rational decision today?” I lean against my truck.
“I had something come up last night and needed someone to watch Aria.”
“So who watched Aria? What did you need to do?”
“No one, I took her with me.” Her tone is a tad calmer now, but I see something in her eyes. She’s not being fully honest with me.
“You’re lying,” I reply.
“Excuse me?” Her tone is angered. “That’s none of your business.”
“Well, it is my business when it comes to our daughter. And what was the point of all of this commotion if it wasn’t that serious?” I let my question linger in front of her while she watches me with her blue eyes. I think she’s realizing that she overreacted here.
“Well, it’s of no relevance now, is it, Nolan?”
“It is if you feel the need to come cause problems at my place of work.” I respond.
“Who is she?” Jessica looks down at the ground before taking her sunglasses off her head and then meeting my eye contact.
She looks tired. I almost feel bad for her. I can imagine how hard this parenting thing must be for her, to go from being a stay at home mom and wife, out with her friends most weekends, never having to worry about a damn thing to now having to work most nights to make her way, all while taking care of a whole ass human being. But then I realize that she has to suck it up and figure it out for Aria. She’s not a bad mom, but sometimes she doesn’t realize that it’s actually a job she needs to do every day. I blame myself for that, because I enabled her and allowed her to take advantage of the fact that I wanted a family.
“I’m sorry?” I ask.
“Your date, do I know her?” Her eyes stay on mine as I try to find a way to tell her to mind her own fucking business while being nice about it. I was not planning on telling her about Dakota. How the fuck would she take that? I’m not worried about hurting her feelings, I’m worried about how she’ll act.
“No, you don’t. And I’m not discussing my love life with you.”
“You know I miss you, right?”
“That’s crossing a line, Jessica.”
“You’re right. I did lie. There was no emergency last night. I just really wanted to see you and—”
