I bite the nail of my pointer finger and check my phone. No new notifications.
Bryce and Maggie went to meet up with James Tate, leaving me to watch Layla for the afternoon. I told Bryce to keep me updated but I haven't heard from him once.
My mind is racing with all the possibilities of how their conversation could be going.
"I'm done," Layla says as she gets up from her chair.
"Did you finish your salad?"
"No."
"Park it, missy."
She lets out a groan and gets back in her chair.
I take the paper plate that held her pizza and toss it into the garbage can.
My phone buzzes in the pocket of my dark gray hoodie and I pull it out immediately. Instead of seeing Bryce's name on the notification for the text message, I see a random number.
I take a deep breath and unlock my phone, pulling up the message.
Nice to know you were at least keeping it in the family
Johnny.
I roll my eyes and type a quick response.
Bite me.
He immediately starts typing again and I glance up at Layla to make sure she's eating her salad. When her fork with some lettuce and a piece of a black olive enters her mouth, I turn to walk down the hall.
"I'll be right back," I say. "Don't move until you finish your salad."
When I'm far enough away, I press the call button under Johnny's number.
I press my phone to my ear and my heart is thumping against the wall of my chest with every ring.
"Crawling back already?" he asks and I can hear the smirk in his voice. "Did my brother really disappoint you this fast?"
"Never that. You need to back off."
"Yeah? Or what? You gonna send my brother after me?"
"Johnny."
"So just out of curiosity, is he an asshole who treats you like shit or is he awful in bed?"
"That's you, for both of those."
"Hey, you never exactly complained about anything we did in bed."
"Notice how there's no denial that you treated me like shit." I roll my eyes.
"Hey, if that's what you were worth, that's not my fault."
"Don't contact me again."
"Yeah, or what?"
"Johnny, I'm warning you."
"Oh, well thanks so much for the warning."
"This is harassment."
"And what's sleeping with my brother called?"
"For your sake, I really hope you realize you need to leave me alone." I hang up my phone and block his new number before sticking my phone back into my pocket.
It buzzes immediately and I don't bother pulling it out to check who it is.
I return to the table and see Layla taking her last bite of her salad.
"All done?" I ask.
She nods as she chews and gets up from the table. I pick up her empty paper bowl and toss it into the garbage pail and put her fork in the dishwasher.
"Why don't we watch a movie? You can pick." I smile.
Layla grabs the remote control for the TV and starts scrolling through the free movies.
"I'm gonna go make some popcorn, I'll be right back." I pull a bag of microwave popcorn out of the pantry and unwrap the plastic before sticking the bag in the microwave. I grab a big blue bowl from the cabinet above the fridge and get the salt off the dining room table. The microwave beeps so I pull the bag out and tear it open, pouring the contents into the bowl before sprinkling some salt onto it. I join Layla on the couch and see that she selected the latest cartoon I'm sure all the kids her age are watching.
We make it twenty minutes into the movie and to the bottom of the bowl of popcorn when the front door finally opens.
"Layla, go get some shoes on," Bryce says and slams the front door. "Mom's taking you to Grandma's. You guys are having a sleepover there tonight."
"Yay!" she cheers and runs down the hall to her room.
"Why are they sleeping at your grandma's?"
"Because I can't be in the same house as my mother right now and she knows that if I leave, I'm not coming back."
"Today didn't go well?"
"Picture World War Two if Hitler's side was on steroids."
"I'm sorry."
"Once Layla leaves, I'll fill you in."
"Okay."
"Layla, let's go!" Bryce calls.
"Does your mom have pajamas and clothes for tomorrow for the two of them?"
"That's not my problem."
"Bryce, Layla didn't do anything to you. Go get clothes for her and I'll get some together for your mom and we'll pack a bag for them." I go down the hall and make sure Bryce goes into Layla's room before I go into Maggie's. I drag open a few drawers before finding pajamas. I pull out a pair of gray sweatpants and a red t-shirt and Bryce walks in with some clothes for Layla and a black bag.
"You can put them in here," he says and drops the bag on the bed. "I'll be in my room."
I grab a pair of black jeans and a purple long sleeve shirt and add them to the bag with a bra and a pair of underwear before going to Layla's room.
"All set?" I ask.
"Is Bryce coming?"
"No, just you and Mommy get a sleepover tonight."
"Okay." She frowns.
"Let's go meet her in the car." I lead her down the hallway and down the stairs.
"Bye, Bryce!" Layla calls.
"Bye! Have fun! Love you!"
"Love you!"
I walk Layla out to Maggie's car and open the door to the backseat.
"Hi, Alex," she says softly.
"Hi. How did it go?" I set the bag on the floor and help Layla into her car seat.
"Awful. Jimmy was an ass. Is Bryce okay?"
"He's moody. He said he'll fill me in once you guys leave."
"Can you stay with him tonight? I think it's best he's not alone."
"Of course."
"Thanks."
"We packed you guys some clothes, they're in this black bag back here."
"Thanks so much."
"Of course. Have fun, Layla."
"Bye, Alex."
"Bye, sweetie." I close the car door and wait for them to back out before going inside.
"They gone?" Bryce calls.
"Yeah." I head downstairs and into his room. I take a seat on his bed next to him. "What the hell happened?"
"Well, I don't have a job anymore."
"He fired you?"
"No. I quit."
"You quit? Why?"
"I can't work for someone who knew my mom was pregnant with me and left. Especially when they did it a second time with my sister."
"Was he at least apologetic about it? Did he offer a big, fat check for all that missed child support?"
"Nope. Aside from the college fund one he gave my mom, that is."
"All those years ago."
"Yeah. So nothing new in that department."
"So what happened? I need some more details here."
My phone starts to vibrate and I pull it out of my pocket to see another random number.
"Do you need to get that?"
I shake my head. "It's probably just Johnny again. I'm not answering."
"Speaking of Johnny, he's the only kid this guy had with the one woman he actually bothered to marry."
"Good to know the only one with a stable home life and both parents in the picture for at least a few years turned out so great." I roll my eyes.
"Obviously you know they're divorced now but apparently his mistress has tried to snag him a couple times."
"The one with kid number four?"
He nods. "Although, it's technically kid number three, Layla is the youngest. But, yeah, she tried to get him to marry her."
"How'd that go?"
"I don't think they got married but I know they don't talk anymore."
"I can't believe Johnny never mentioned any of this."
"I don't think he knew until today."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. He showed up right in the middle of it. He was very pissed off and screaming about the betrayal and 'how could you do this to Mom' crap."
"Jesus."
"I know."
"Guess we at least know the cheating gene was passed down."
"Don't worry, this son didn't get it."
"Keep it that way. What else happened?"
"Well, kid number three of his is another daughter."
"Oh, I swear, if it's me I'm gonna lose my shit."
"I think we'd know that by now." He laughs.
"Thankfully. But could you imagine the soap opera?"
"I think I could."
"So how old is this mystery daughter?"
"Nine."
"Cute age."
He glares at me.
"I hate her."
"Thank you."
"What else?"
"He said I don't need a dad anymore so he doesn't see the point in being in my life as anything more than my boss."
"Fucking asshole."
"No argument here."
"So is that when you quit?"
"Yeah. I said Layla's four and he needs to step up and be there for her while he still can. I said he doesn't deserve to have her as a daughter but she deserves a dad. I don't want her to grow up like I did. I don't want her to wonder who her dad is and why he didn't want her."
"What'd he say to that?"
"He didn't care. It didn't affect him in the slightest."
"Scumbag."
"Yup. He doesn't know the nine year old, either."
"Do you know her name?"
He shakes his head. "All I got is her age. I know nothing else about her."
"Not even where she lives?"
"Nothing."
"Damn. So what's going on with you and your mom?"
"Well, my sperm donor ended up walking out and then Mom and I got in a fight over her awful taste in men."
"That's not good."
"Nope."
My phone buzzes again and I peek at it.
"Johnny again?"
"I think so."
"What does it say."
"Let's see." I open the conversation and look down at the messages. The words 'bitch' and 'whore' are mentioned a few times along with some other degrading curse words so I stop reading and turn my phone for Bryce to see. "I don't want to read them all."
He scrolls through the messages. "Can I block this number?"
I nod.
"Alex, I swear, I'm gonna hit him."
"I wouldn't blame you. So you guys aren't talking at all now? You and your mom?"
"Nope."
"She asked if I could spend the night here so you're not alone."
"She thinks I need a babysitter now?"
"Well, I was already getting paid to watch Layla tonight, I might as well get paid to watch you too." I laugh.
"I don't think it's legal to get paid for what we're gonna do tonight."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"You seem confident."
"Not so much confident as knowing my girlfriend won't turn me down after I've had a long day."
"Oh, she won't? What girlfriend is that?"
"Her name's Vanessa. She's a short blonde, kinda feisty, just the way I like my women."
"Oh, so you do know your little sister's name."
"Oh, really? You had to ruin my fake second girlfriend for me?"
"I did. Your fantasy was getting a little too real."
"So sorry."
"Blonde is your type, is it not?"
"Fair enough. Sorry."
"You had a rough day so I guess you're excused."
"I appreciate that."
"I bet." I lean in and kiss him.
"Today kinda got me thinking. Are you still on your birth control pill?"
"Yeah."
"And you're still taking it every day?"
"Not quite at the same time every day but yeah. I would tell you if I stopped."
"I'm just making sure. Some girls are crazy and will try to trap a guy with a kid."
"I'm flattered you think I could be one of them." I laugh.
"It's a high level of psycho. You should be honored to be mistaken for it."
"I truly am."
"Good. Get over here."
•Let's see if this posts this time. Fingers crossed🤞🏻
~SS💘