To Hate Adam Connor

I could sense a but coming, and she didn’t disappoint.

“But do you think our decision was a mistake?”

To me it sounded like she was asking the same damn question.

“After you learned about the pregnancy, you made all the plans, Adeline. It was your decision.”

“But then it wasn’t.”

“Yes.” I nodded, giving her that much. “After I saw him, it became our decision.”

She left her spot next to the window and sat down next to me. Close.

“Would things be different for us, do you think? If Aiden hadn’t happened. Do you think we would’ve still ended up here or made different decisions along the way?”

I looked into her eyes and saw that she was being genuine. I exhaled. “I don’t know, Adeline. I can’t know. If you’re asking if we would’ve ended up getting married either way…I think we would have. I loved you. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened so fast, but yes, I think we would have still ended up together.”

“I loved you, too, Adam,” she whispered. “So much that I couldn’t imagine waking up without you sleeping next to me…”

“But now you can,” I finished for her.

She looked away.

“I think I did make a mistake by forcing Aiden and me on you. And he changed you. He changed us.”

“Of course he changed me. The problem is he couldn’t change you and that is what ended up changing us. I don’t see why we’re having this conversation again, Adeline. We went over all this when you gave me your ‘I want a divorce’ speech. I have other things to talk to you about. I don’t have time to listen to you talk about how our son was a mistake for you.”

“Our son,” she repeated, meeting my eyes. “I’m sorry. Things have been hard for me lately.”

“What? You didn’t get the green light from the director?”

“Actually, no, I didn’t get the green light. I already told you I had to take Aiden with me because the director wanted to see me around Aiden. The role is a mother who tries to protect her son from an abusive husband, so when the tabloids ran with the story that I forgot Aiden in the car…it must’ve affected his decision.”

“Must have…” I shook my head. “He is not a purse you can take wherever you want to show him off, Adeline. Just because you’re spending time with my mother doesn’t mean you have to act like her, too.” She pursed her lips. “I wanted us to talk so I could tell you that I’m filing for sole custody of Aiden. I didn’t want you to hear it from a press release or see it in the tabloids.”

She put her hand on my arm and leaned into me.

“You knew it was coming, and I think after what happened yesterday, it’s high time we do it,” I said before she could have a chance to protest.

“Adam, you can’t do that to me. Not now, not after what happened. And you have to think about Aiden, too. We talked about this before. Forget about me, do you know what he’ll think? What everyone else will think?”

I twisted my body so I could see her face. Her hand gently squeezed my arm.

“What will he think, Adeline?”

She released a long breath. “He’ll think I don’t want him, and so will everyone else.”

“Do you want him?”

“Yes, Adam. Of course. This is working out great for him. One week with me, one week with you. And this way, I have time to focus on my career. I’m finally going back to doing what I love.”

“I never stopped you from doing what you love, Adeline. Like everything else, taking a break was your decision, too. You thought if you left him with nannies and went back to shooting people would judge. In the end, you always did what you wanted to do, so don’t even try to dump this on me.”

“Adam,” she started again and my temper flared up. I stood up and looked down at her sad face.

“What happened yesterday, Adeline? Did you forget he was in the car with you?”

She scowled at me. “Of course not.”

“Then what happened?” I repeated my question through gritted teeth.

“Rita was supposed to have him. It was her fault.”

“Rita, your assistant. You’re gonna sit there and blame an assistant for not taking care of your son?”

She remained silent.

Her phone buzzed on the couch across from her and her eyes slid that way. To my surprise, she didn’t go for it.

“I saw the photos,” I explained. “I saw the photos, and I never saw you come back to rescue him. He stood there, Adeline. He stood there and cried until another one of your assistants came out to take him in.”

She stood up and met my eyes, her voice rising. “He should’ve waited in the car, Adam.”

“He is five years old, Adeline. He was going after his mom.”

Her phone stopped buzzing then started to go off again.

“Take it,” I said. “I’ll send Aiden in so he can say goodbye—if you have time for that, of course. If not, I’m going out to spend time with him so he can start looking into my face again instead of at my feet and then I’m meeting with my lawyer. I suggest you do the same. You’ll still have your weeks with him until the judge makes a decision.”

I walked away from her, but her voice stopped me before I could step outside.

“I won’t give up on him that easily, Adam,” she said, her voice harder than it had been seconds before. “I won’t let everyone think I’m okay with you taking him away from his mother.”

“Of course you can’t, Adeline,” I agreed with her. “How would that make you look in the public eye? A woman who doesn’t care about her kid…” I shook my head. “You’ll have a much harder time getting auditions that way, I imagine, with the bad press and everything. You’ll fight for it, I know. Me, on the other hand…I don’t care what they think at all. All I care about right now is what that kid”—I gestured with my thumb over my shoulder—“thinks of me. And if I never hear him beg me not to send him away again, I think that will be enough to make me happy.”

Chapter Thirteen

Lucy

“You’re a dog,” I said to Aiden, and he giggled, covering his mouth with his hand.

“I’m not a dog, Lucy,” he managed to sputter in between giggles. I smiled at him.

We were sitting out in the backyard, lounging as his daddy talked to his mommy. Geez, but I had acted like a complete weirdo when I saw her. I mean, she was an actress, even though she didn’t actually act in many movies, but still, she was. More than anything, she was known as Adam Connor’s wife.

So after the things the clever asshole had murmured into my ear, lifting my head and seeing his wife—ex-wife—had messed with my mind for a second there.

“Okay,” I gave in. “You’re more like a cute puppy.”

“If I’m a puppy what are you? A cat?” he asked, his eyes dancing with mischief.

“Why does everyone think I’m a cat? No, today I’m gonna be a bird. Now close your eyes.”

“But I wanna be a bird too.”

“You do?” I looked at him with one eye half-open. “Okay, then we are both birds today.”

He nodded enthusiastically and closed his eyes.

“Now, what would you do if you were a bird?”