“Sometimes relationships don’t work out, baby. Some people just aren’t meant to be—” at that I tune her out, because I will never believe Nya and I aren’t meant to be together. I wouldn’t still want her so badly after all these years if that were the case.
“She’s gonna be okay, right?” Nya asks as she slinks back into the room after tucking Ellie into bed, looking positively defeated. She swiftly takes the procured glass of wine from Hannah before plopping into the chair across from mine for what has become a routine Sunday night card game.
“Sure.” I nod before taking a pull from my beer. It’s hard to keep the mood light, but the last thing this woman needs is me acting like a petulant child. She’s well aware of how much I still want to be with her. From the day we split, I’ve made that no secret.
“I mean,” she adds, fanning her cards in front of her face and arranging them in her hand. “We’re doing the right thing…right?”
“Oh, yeah,” Hannah agrees, while I practically bite my tongue off. “You’re great parents. Don’t ever doubt that. Tons of kids grow up in broken homes these days and most of them turn out just fine.”
Ouch. Probably not the best way to support her endorsement. Internally I cringe as Nya balks at her words.
Drinks are flowing more heavily tonight than usual as we play a few rounds of poker. I’m thankful for the empty chair that Ryder’s occupied the past couple of months when Nya makes me an offer I’d be a fool to refuse.
“What if we gave it another shot?” she asks, almost inaudibly. Her tan cheeks are flushed crimson. “That’d be stupid, right?” She glances from Hannah to me, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.
“Why not?” I interrupt when she starts backpedaling.
“You could always try it out for say…a year.” Hannah pushes her unruly cropped blonde curls behind her ears, and her emerald eyes glow with excitement. She’s always been a fan of Nya and me. “And if you don’t want to be married when the time’s up, you call it quits.”
Nya slinks out of her chair, pacing the kitchen. The room falls silent as we all await the verdict. “Six months,” she counters, looking to me for approval. Insufferable woman always has to have everything on her terms, but she’s finally handing me some terms I can work with.
“What?” Hannah shrieks. “Are you serious?” Bounding out of her chair, she rushes to wrap her arms around her best friend’s neck. “This is the best crazy idea you’ve ever had.”
“Right now,” I suggest, pushing back from the table, before she has the time to change her mind. I look over to Hannah, who’s practically bursting with excitement. “Call the sitter?”
She nods and immediately begins scrolling through her iPhone.
“Vegas?” Nya proposes with something suspiciously close to a twinkle in her eye.
“Vegas!”
Nya
Out with the old
“So, you know how your Mommy never breaks a promise?” Liam pulls the ring I returned to him only yesterday on the ride home from Sin City out of his pocket and reaches for my left hand. “Surprise!”
Ooooh, he’s smooth.
“Shut up!” Ellie’s mouth falls open as she brings a hand to her chest. Her blue eyes—her father’s eyes—shimmering with unshed tears. “So, we’re gonna be a family…like a real family?”
“Already done, sweet pea. Mommy and I got married on your birthday after you went to bed.” His hand motions are big and expressive, like he’s fucking Oprah Winfrey, handing out cars like candy bars. Like this isn’t the world’s greatest disaster unfolding right before our eyes.
Ellie’s brows shoot up to the sky, her hands lifting to cover a scream. And damn it, her excitement almost rubs off on me. Almost.
Against my better judgment and with a boulder the size of Texas—where I’d like to ship his country ass right back to—sitting in my chest, I hold out my left hand and allow him to brand me.
“May I present to you Mrs. Nya Perez-Watts.”
“Watts,” Ellie repeats, looking to me for approval.
I clear my throat, nervously. “Six months, mija. I only agreed to give it six months. I’m not promising forever.”
“But if—” she starts, and Liam cuts her off.
“It just means we have six whole months to make her fall in love with me. Piece of cake.” He scruffs Ellie’s tangles. “What’s gonna work?” he sings.
“Teamwork!” his little sidekick finishes, slapping him a high-five.
A pit forms in my chest when I catch a glimpse of movement in the bay window out of the corner of my eye. “Ay cabrón.” Oh shit.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asks, following my line of vision before cracking an obnoxious grin.
Oh, you know… just everything. “What the hell am I supposed to do about Ryder?” Damn it. With all of the commotion, I completely forgot I left him sitting at the breakfast table.
“You haven’t gotten rid of that joker yet?” Liam has the nerve to look annoyed with me.
“We got m-married—” Acid bubbles in my throat, causing me to choke on the word—”night before last!” I finish my defense, just barely resisting the urge to throttle him. “When did I have the time? I called him over this morning to break the news—which I planned to do after Ellie leaves for school—but here you are.” My eyes scan him from head to foot. I can’t even maintain the look of disgust I’m aiming for because, as usual, the man is looking like he’s just stepped off the cover of a magazine. “There’s no way to let him down gently now. And—” I take a step closer, digging a finger into his chest. “We never discussed you moving into my house.”
“Our house.”
My eyes narrow to slits. “It became mine in the divorce.”
He raises his left hand into the air, thumbing the ring on his finger. “What’s yours is mine, sweetheart.” The infuriating man puckers his lips like a fish, in an attempt not to laugh. He takes a step toward me. “I really don’t give a damn what you do with him, but it’d probably be smart to get it over with before I start moving my things inside. That could get awkward.” He glances to his wrist at the watch he isn’t wearing and snaps his fingers twice. “Chop-chop, wife. Time’s a tickin’.”
A string of Spanish curses flies from my mouth, only making the smug look on his face more pronounced. He always loved to see me lose my shit, and it still pisses me off that he finds my anger so amusing.
“I’m just going to…umm…go up to my room and get a shower…and get ready for school,” Ellie offers, twirling a lock of hair around her finger as she backs away slowly. She, on the other hand, is not as amused when my Latina comes out to play. “Good luck with your boyfriend, Mom!” she shouts, rushing for the door.
“Want me to come in and help you break the news?”
Well, isn’t he quite the Boy Scout? “Don’t you dare.”
“Just trying to help.” He shrugs, crossing his arms on his chest and leaning against the side of the big, orange moving truck.