The Journey Home(21)
Author: Kelly Elliott

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Really?”

I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “Shit, I don’t know anymore. I’m excited, but I just wish…I mean I wish it was…aw, shit. If I answer this I’m going to sound like a real dick.”

“You wish it was with another girl.”

My eyes widened as I looked at my boss. “Yes! That is exactly it.”

“She trapped you?”

I nodded my head. “You could say.”

He nodded. “Doesn’t matter. Your dick was working and you knew what you were doing. It’s your responsibility to be the best damn father you can be.”

I nodded. “I know, sir.”

“So go do it. Help your wife prepare for the birth of your child.”

I was about to say something when my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a text from Jack that said 911.

“Um…I need to see what this is about. Sounds urgent. Do you mind?”

Chuck motioned for me to go ahead and I started to read my messages.

Jack: The private detective found something you really need to know about.

Me: Is Maddie okay?

Jack: Dude, this is about Zoey.

Me: Zoey? What is he doing with information about Zoey?

Jack: You’ve known I haven’t trusted her from the very beginning. I needed to know what she was hiding and I just found out.

Me: Can it wait until I get home?

Jack: No.

I looked up at Chuck. “It’s about Zoey. Do you mind if I step outside and make a call?”

“Of course, go ahead. You know where to find me when you’re ready to request that time off.”

I nodded and walked outside. I hit Jack’s number.

“Cale?” he answered.

“Yeah, what’s going on?”

“I knew something was off with Zoey the moment I met her. I told you something was wrong.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Yes, I know and it was her being secretive about being sick. Dude, we’ve been over this a million times.”

“No, Cale that’s not it. That’s not it at all. Zoey knew about you.”

I waited for him to follow up. He didn’t. “What do you mean, she knew about me?”

“Cale…she knew you were the “mystery guy” Maddie talked about all the time. She overheard Maddie and Monica talking about how much Maddie was still hung up on you. That day in the Starbucks, she wasn’t the least bit interested in you. She was trying to prove a point to Maddie, who had dared her to ask a stranger to dance. Once you said your name, Zoey figured it out and set out to get with you and make Maddie jealous.”

My heartbeat began to speed up as I tried to make sense out of everything Jack was telling me.

“Wait, how do you know all of this?”

“Did you know Zoey had a cousin?”

I shook my head. “No. She’s never mentioned anyone close to her other than her parents and Maddie.”

“Well, the private detective found her. Zoey meet up with her cousin at least once a week and, up until two months ago, they had been going out to clubs every time you went out of town. Apparently, about a month or so ago, the PI’s mother passed away suddenly, and he had to fly home to take care of her estate. He called me yesterday morning and said with everything going on he’d forgotten to tell me about this cousin. Said she was a player and screwed anything with a working dick. I found her at her favorite hangout last night and, once I got her talking, dude, she didn’t shut up. Zoey used you like a pawn in some twisted game to mess with Maddie. Her cousin said that the moment Zoey met, Maddie she became crazy obsessed with her and wanted to have her life. I mean, Cale, Zoey wants everything Maddie has. She even told her cousin that after she has the baby, she’s going after Andre, Maddie’s boyfriend.”

I couldn’t breathe. It felt like I was in a tiny room with walls closing in on me.

“I need a second…I can’t…I can’t breathe.”

“Sure. Shit, I’m sorry, Cale. I just unloaded all this shit on you about your wife.”

I sat down on a bench. “I’ll call you right back.” I hung up on Jack and thought back to the day I met Zoey. All if it began making sense. The little comments she would make here and there. The way she forced Maddie to come to the table that day, then dropped the bomb that she was pregnant, even though she wasn’t even pregnant at the time.

I dropped my head in my hands and groaned. I’d played right into her twisted game. She’d used me, and I’d let her. I’d let her destroy my life and Maddie’s.

I looked down at my phone. After a moment’s pause, I pulled up Maddie’s number and hit dial. When a recorded message came up saying that I’d dialed a non-working number, I jumped to my feet. She changed her number. Fuck!

I called Jack. “Hey dude, are you okay?”

“No. Do you know if Maddie is still seeing Andre?” I asked. I knew Jack and Monica had been hooking up recently, and she told him everything.

Silence.

“Jack, please I have to know.”

“What good does it do, Cale? Why beat yourself up about it?”

“Jack! Just tell me.”

He let out a breath and said, “Yes. She’s seeing him still. They’re…um…well—”

“Jesus, just spit it the hell out.”

“They’re together in Florence right now. Maddie told Monica she had to get out of town for a bit after Zoey told her about the wedding.”

“What? She’s in Italy with this guy? How serious are they?”

Jack let out a sigh. “I don’t know dude. I mean, she went to Italy to meet his family.”

I swallowed hard. “They’ve only been dating a few months.”

“Cale, you married Zoey. What was Maddie supposed to do?”

It felt like my whole world had stopped.

I lost her.

I’ve lost her forever.

ANDRE AND I strolled the streets of Florence in a peaceful silence. That was one of the things I loved about him. He could leave me alone in my thoughts and not ask me things like What’s wrong? What are you thinking about? Are you okay? Every five seconds.

As we walked into the Piazza della Repubblica, Andre held my hand and hummed an Italian song. I smiled when I saw all the children running in an attempt to pop the giant bubbles that a street performer was making. We walked up to an older gentleman who was sketching a portrait on the ground. He had an old, worn-out, black and white picture that he was working from, but the portrait he drew was full of color. I sucked in a breath as my eyes took in the girl’s beautiful, young face.