Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
My head shot up, and I felt fire flooding my body. “What? A few days ago?”
He nodded. “Yeah, wasn’t sure where things were with you guys, but I asked her if I could get both your consents—she was asking if she needed to take you off first. But you are the primary on the account, so we need your consent.”
I glared at my friend. “So you are here asking for my consent?”
He smacked the table. “Dude, no! Hell no. I’m just sayin’ if she doesn’t have your consent, I thought maybe you never gave it. So I thought maybe you deserved to know.”
I calmed down, trying to soothe the embers fueling my anger. She really was making moves. Jerry was right. All this time, I’d been working on how to be better—nicer, even. But she’d been playing her hand under the table. “Thanks for telling me, Elroy.” I met his gaze and nodded toward him. “I really appreciate it. Really.”
The waitress returned with our food, and Elroy rose from his chair. He grabbed a napkin to nurse his bagel and extended his hand with a sigh. “I mean it. I got your back, whatever it is.”
I reached out to shake his hand and nodded. “Thank you. Same number?”
He smiled. “Same number.”
Before he walked away, I had to know, and he seemed to realize that because he didn’t move from his spot. “How did you know I was here, Elroy?”
He grinned with a mouthful of bread filling his lips. When he swallowed, he cleared his throat again. “I didn’t. Just came in for a bite. Always do.”
“Don’t you have to be at work? Like eight to four or whatever?”
“Yeah, and I’ll make it. It’s just around the block. But I saw you and—man—it’s been a while.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Sure has.”
Elroy left, and I was alone again, sipping my lukewarm coffee. I shook my head and tried to let the anxiety and fear swelling within me flush itself out. Elroy telling me what he did, and then telling me something that Darlene had lied about during our marriage—it hit me like a brick in the head. I wasn’t sure whether her hiding the fact that she saw him at the bank had ill intent behind it, but something in me knew that Elroy hadn’t told me that just to gossip. He never was a gossiper and didn’t usually talk much at all if he didn’t need to. Elroy was a good man; if he hadn’t seen any harm in what Darlene was doing, he wouldn’t have said anything.
I ate breakfast quickly, then decided to call my lawyer on the way to the office. I couldn’t let Darlene walk all over me. I couldn’t let Christie walk on me. No one. No one could walk over me like I was a moron.
“This is Jerry.”
“Jerry, hey, I just wanted to shout something to ya.”
“I have a meeting in about ten minutes. Will it take that long?”
I scratched my head. “No, not at all. It’s about that custody thing.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t know if I want to go through with it yet. But I wanted to know what the chances were of me getting my son.”
Jerry hissed through his teeth, and I pulled the phone from my ear so the sound wouldn’t be so jarring. “Been keeping up your visitations?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I’ve been busy.”
“You need to see your son, Ryan.”
“I know. I know. That’s something I’m working on currently. But that’s the thing. I’ve been busy. I’ve been taking on more projects and continuing with my expansion for one reason, and I was wondering if that reason could play in my favor. You know, if we do this.”
“Yeah?” Jerry seemed interested now. “What’s that?”
“The house is in her name, but we still have a mortgage. She only works part-time, and she doesn’t get much. She can barely afford groceries, but I pay for the mortgage, the car, the—”
“But that’s not part of the decree.”
I nodded. “I know that. But what if I didn’t? She wouldn’t be able to pay a dime for our son. He’d have nothing. Without my money, she’d lose that car. And the house. She’d lose everything.”
Jerry paused for a moment, and I hoped he didn’t interpret what I said as me deciding I really wouldn’t pay those bills. I’d do anything to make sure my son had what he needed. Even though it seemed like Duke was living there. The thought made my blood boil.
“Ryan, let me call you after my meeting. I have a lot to ask you.”
Chapter 13
Christie
After calling the office, I was told to wait for a call from Andrew Mayhew. It turned out he wasn’t the owner of Mayhew Industries, but as the owner’s son, he still had to have a lot of sway. He was basically the owner’s secretary and recruiter, along with whatever other job titles he held. I didn’t learn much else in my short conversation with the office manager—whose name I forgot—but all that information made me optimistic.