The Way Back | ✓

5.2

"Talia," he growled, a low warning tone to his voice.

"And you care about what your mother thinks. She doesn't want you to get divorced, even if she hated me in the first place. Divorcing a white woman is worse than marrying one."

He stared at her like she'd grown two heads, the shock in his system slowly subsiding and giving way to the anger that itched to claw out of his chest.

"Let me get this straight," Andrew scoffed, no trace of his lovely smile on his face. "You think I didn't want to divorce you because my mother didn't want me to divorce you?"

"What other reason could there be?"

"That's rubbish!" he exploded, his face gathering heat. "The fact that I went against my mother's wishes and eloped with you before she even suggested we get married, a real wedding, because Aurora was coming along should tell you that I don't do everything my mother wants me to do. Yes, I do care what she thinks of me. How can I not? But that doesn't stop me from being me. I do not compromise my values — but I was willing to when I found out about Simon."

Talia looked away. Andrew's eyes were burning, hot with anger. "I couldn't lose her," he whispered, his voice leaking with desperation.

"You didn't." Two words held so much remorse, so much hatred that it stunned Andrew. Speechless, he just looked at her. Her eyes eventually drifted back to his and with a deep breath, she said, "Yes, I know that you thought divorce meant you losing Aurora but you could never lose her. The love and dedication she has to keep her relationship with you alive is fierce and for a eight-year-old, she amazes me with that passion."

Andrew was tired of this. It was like they kept going in circles. Never had they had a civil conversation, unless you counted the first few years of their relationship and the one conversation they shared right after signing the papers. All that seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Are you jealous?"

"I'm her mother!" Talia screeched. "What the fuck do I have to be jealous of? It's not like you have the physical custody over her."

Andrew laughed though he felt his eyes prickle at the back. Now was not the time to cry. Andrew was never shy of his emotions but cracking down now was not going to help anyone. He was just so frustrated, so done with this situation but he couldn't give up. Not when he still risked losing Aurora.

"I knew it was a mistake signing those papers," Andrew scoffed. "I thought it was a good thing I was leaving her in your care. I wanted to keep her obviously, but I wasn't so sure I could handle it alone. I agreed to joint custody. Now, I'm honestly thinking the opposite—"

"Don't say it, Andy." 

Custody battle. The idea of it didn't scare her only. It scared him too. 

"I'm not doing anything bad as a father, Talia, so tell me why you want me out of our daughter's life? Why won't you let me just have one peaceful weekend with her? You get to see her all the time. Me? Barely. And I'm trying here. I'm actually putting all my effort but for some reason, you don't want this to work."

"We're not the perfect family anymore!" Talia exploded.

Andrew, hot with anger, didn't miss a beat. "Why are you looking at me like I'm the one to blame? Did I fuck my husband's friend? You did."

"This isn't my fault."

"Why can't you see that it's both of our faults?" Andrew burst, brimming with so much frustration he could punch a hole through a wall. "Why can't you see that, really, none of us has to be at fault. Which family is perfect anyway?"