Page 138 of Good For Me

“You said you would be better off if your mom hadn’t raised you,” I shoot back. “We both know what you were implying.”

Her face crumples. “I didn’t mean…God, I don’t even know what I meant. I just…”

“Need to think.” I don’t bother to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “Got it. Loud and clear.”

“River—”

“I’ll be at Rose’s,” I say. “I’ll keep my phone on me if you need anything.”

Jesus. Walking out that door feels wrong in every sense of the word, but I don’t know what else to do. She says she needs time. Am I supposed to refuse? I can’t force her to be with me, to want the things I want. If she needs space, I have to give her that.

But the possibility that space might lead her to the conclusion that she doesn’t want to raise our baby? I literally don’t know if I can stand to hear that.

So instead I grab my wallet and phone from the bedside table and do the very thing I promised to never do to her.

I leave.