Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“You don’t need to say it again,” I replied. My throat threatened to strangle my voice. The brick of love was still crammed down it, and the bitter aftertaste of resentment was in there, too. “It happened. Let’s move on.”
I tried to keep that neutral, forward-thinking attitude as we walked up to the custody lawyer’s office. The conversation was what I expected. I needed to back pay child support and start building a relationship with Emma before we started hammering out a formal custody arrangement. The calculation for what I owed came to what I expected. The only surprise was when the lawyer asked if we already had an arrangement in mind.
“I want full physical and legal custody,” Cami said immediately.
My eyebrows shot up. “That doesn’t work for me.”
She looked at me in surprise. Irritation thrummed through me. When would she get it through her head that I was going to be Emma’s dad, not just a sperm donor?
The lawyer made an unsurprised noise. “I know you planned to work this out through mediation, but if you can’t come to an agreement, you’ll each want to retain your own counsel.”
“We’ll work it out,” I said grimly.
“We will,” Cami agreed. For the first time in a while, we were on the same page. There was no way either of us were going to put Emma through an ugly custody battle.
As we left the office, I was glad I’d insisted she ride with me. I wanted to get started on this conversation immediately.
“I’m not going to ask for 50-50 physical custody,” I said without preamble when we pulled out of the garage. “But I do expect 50-50 legal. I want to be involved in all important decisions regarding her welfare.”
Cami looked out the window. The fingers of her left hand were playing with the ends of her long dark hair. I knew her well enough to imagine the pensive expression on her face. Dark brows knit, mouth pulled down in one corner in a frown. “I’ve always made the decisions for her.”
“Right, because I didn’t know she fucking existed. Now that I do, I get a say.”
“I’ve done a good job,” she said querulously.
I bit back a sharp response, took a moment to respond. Finally, I said, “No one is saying you didn’t, but it’s a two-person job. And those two people are her mom and her dad, not her mom and Elyna. Not her mom and Robert. Her dad.”
Cami didn’t respond but turned her head further so that I couldn’t even see the curve of her cheek anymore. The car was thick with tension as we navigated toward the park. My blood was pumping fast through my veins, readying for a fight I knew I had to avoid if at all possible.
I kept my voice level. “I’ll settle for 70-30 physical custody, though, and I know it’ll be a process to get there. I’m willing to be patient.”
“I think that’s best for Emma,” she said stiffly.
“That’s all I want.”
We were halfway to the park when Cami’s phone rang. I recognized the ring tone, “Nessun dorma” from the opera Turandot, as being Robert’s.
“Hi, I’m on my way to get my car now,” she said when she answered. “I’ll be at the hotel in about half an hour. Did she eat?”
I couldn’t make out Robert’s side of the conversation, but I heard Cami’s voice change when she said, “You had my car moved to the hotel? Why?” She turned toward me, but I was already changing lanes, getting ready to take the exit that would loop us back toward the Beverly Hills Hotel. She lowered her voice, as if there was any way I wouldn’t hear her in the car. “Robert, what’s going on?”
When he declined to answer, she pinched the inside corners of her eyes. “Okay, we’ll be there soon.”
“What did he say?” I asked when she hung up.
“Something is up, but he won’t tell me what,” Cami said, irritation and concern pulling her voice tight. “He and my mom want to talk to me in person.”
“It must be urgent then.” When I’d known them, Robert and Elyna had been protective of Cami–understandably so when threats to the family were coming in–but they’d never stopped her from driving her own car.
Cami lifted a shoulder and let it fall. Her face was pensive again. “Must be.”
When we got to the hotel, I surprised Cami by getting out of the car and handing off my keys to the valet.
“You don’t have to come in,” she objected.
I disagreed. I had a bad feeling about whatever had detained Elyna earlier. We had both chalked it up to disapproval, but after Robert’s phone call, I thought it might be something else. Something worse.
“Seriously,” Cami said, holding her ground, blocking the sidewalk. “I’ll call you later if it’s about Emma, but I’m sure it isn’t serious.”