Page 16 of Falling for Her

Looking at the bedside table clock, I see it’s just a little after 6:00 a.m. “I’m going to be exhausted by eleven.” I grab my phone and type, Do eight-year-olds nap? in the search bar and read the response as I sit on the side of the bed. Well, it’s not regular but not unheard of. I bounce my leg up and down when I hear the alarm coming from Collins’s bedroom.

Now that they are somewhat awake, I get up to put my bag by the front door, then head to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. I hear footsteps and look up to see Collins rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Good morning,” she mumbles. I smile at her as I also start the kettle for the herbal tea she has in the morning. “How long have you been up?” She takes in my already dressed attire.

“I woke up at about four and tossed and turned for about an hour before totally giving up.” I lean against the back counter as she slips onto a stool. “I’m really nervous.”

“It’ll be okay. And if you need anything, you can always call me. I start at three today, so I can always swing by before my shift.”

“I think you have enough going on in your life,” I remind her. “I’ll be fine, and if I’m not, hey,”—I hold up my phone—“this has all the answers I need.” She laughs at me. “I should get going. The last thing I need is to be late on the first day of the job. He might fire me before I even start.”

“He’s not like that. He’s very kind and thoughtful.”

“Lincoln? The same guy who has the manners of a goat?” I shake my head. “Wait, I don’t know why I’m picking on goats.”

She snorts and then bursts out laughing. “He’s got a tough exterior. He’s been through a lot.”

I tilt my head to the side. “He’s not the only one, and I’m a delight to be around. Even though my soon-to-be ex-husband cheated on me since day one, and apparently only married me for my trust fund.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “I’m sorry he’s such a jerkface.”

“Wow, you really are taking not swearing in front of your child to a whole other level.” She leans back and puts her hand on her belly. “I don’t have any experience with children. I think the last person I knew who had a baby had cried the whole pregnancy because she thought she was going to get stretch marks. She kept asking if she should hire a nanny who was thirty years older than her so her husband wouldn’t get any ideas.”

“We really did grow up in two different worlds.” There is not an ounce of resentment in her tone, which just goes to show you what kind of person she is.

“Okay, so . . .” I say when the snap of the kettle sounds, letting me know it’s done boiling the water. Turning, I pour the water into her cup. “If I don’t come back here tonight, that means I survived Jumanji stage one.” I place the cup in front of her and then kiss her cheek. “Be good and tell Theo he’s the best.”

“He is.” She smiles so big it’s a wonder her cheeks don’t hurt. “I will.”

I take a deep inhale. “It somehow feels like it’s the first day of school, and I’m wondering if I’m going to be in a good class with the boy I like.”

“He is good-looking,” she agrees.

“Ewww.” My face does a grimace. “He’s really not.” You are such a liar. “Okay, I’m off. Godspeed, Collins.”

“Godspeed, Finley.” She holds up her cup. “You’re going to smash it.”

I laugh as I walk out of the house.

Just as I start the engine and reach for my seat belt, my phone starts to ring. My body is immediately on alert when I see it’s Davis calling me. My mouth fills with saliva, and I think I’m going to be sick. I start to shake as I let it ring until the voicemail picks up.

I know he hasn’t left a message when I see the text.

Davis:

Pick up the fucking phone and stop acting like the spoiled fucking brat you are.

I shake my head, wondering why he’s up at this time. He would usually start his day leisurely at around noon or early afternoon, because he would slink home at about 4:00 a.m. the next morning. Once I caught him, he stopped even trying to hide that he was cheating on me. What did he care? We were married, the deed was done, and I didn’t leave him on the spot—because it was my home—but he must have thought he could pretty much get away with anything.

Davis:

It’s time you came back home so we can talk about this.

I scoff at his message, pissed that he’s made me leave my home.

Me:

I will come back home when you leave my house. You don’t even want to be married to me. Why are you pushing this?