“I’m really sorry Reggie wants to leave.”
“Me too,” he says. “I’m hoping by the end of the year, he’ll change his mind. Right now, Elena is doting on him and he’s eating it up. He’s eight and thinks his mom walks on water. Even though last week he hated her.”
I rest my head on his shoulder and listen to his heartbeat. He curls his arm around me. “Am I too late?” he asks. I don’t need him to elaborate, I know exactly what he’s talking about. I saw the footage and the way Camden looked at me on camera. Hell, everyone I know sent messages asking when Camden and I were going to get married. He may feel something for me, but I’m all about this certain football player.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“If Roxy loves me, how does her daddy feel?”
Julius leans back so he can look into my eyes. He smiles brightly. “Her daddy is definitely falling in love with the new weather girl.”
“That’s good because this weather girl is definitely falling for this wide receiver.”
Julius leans toward me but pauses. “Spend the night with me. Before you say yes, let me tell you how the night is going to go. We’re going to go into my room and then into the shower where I’m going to fuck you against the wall. Then we’re going to go to bed where I’ll make love to you. And once we’re asleep, a three-year old is going to crawl into bed with us. She’s going to put her feet in your face, lay on top of you, and then stare at you until you wake up, fearing for your life.”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say about this offer.” I try to laugh, but it’s a bit hard knowing in detail what’s going to happen.
“Say yes. Or at least come to bed with me now and if you want to leave later, I won’t be mad. I know I’m asking a lot of you. If you’re not comfortable with the Roxy thing. I understand, but before you make your decision, you should know, I told her you’re my girlfriend. We had a tea party and had the most adultish conversation I could with her. She knows her mommy doesn’t want to live here. She cries some and has meltdowns. But she had a place for you at the party and the balloons were her idea. Meghan was supposed to come babysit her while I went to surprise you, but Roxy insisted on going. I guess it’s a preview of what life will be like with me. I have two kids, they’re my priority.”
“As they should be, Julius. I will not be the person that comes between you and your children.”
“And you won’t be. I’ll find balance or proper separation if need be.”
Something tells me Reggie will force the separation and that’s something I’ll have to deal with.
Julius cups my cheek and kisses me softly. “What do you think? Option A or B?”
“Option A,” I say in between kisses. “Definitely need to shower.”
Julius smiles against my mouth. He stands, takes my hand, and pulls me down the hallway to his bedroom, where he closes the door and makes good on his offer.
Thirty-Four
Julius
Waking up next to Autumn has to be the single best thing I’ve experienced in a long time. Luck was on our side last night—no invasion of the three-year-old. At some point, I woke up a bit worried and had to check on Roxy. Ever since Elena left, she’s been like clockwork, coming into my room at night. I’m starting to think she did this for my benefit so I wouldn’t be alone and not so much for hers.
When Autumn left this morning, she told me she would see me later. The problem with later is I have no idea when it will occur. This morning, Elena and I are meeting with the mediator, and then it’s off to practice. Coach is being gracious and moved practice time to later this afternoon. I’m grateful because if I miss the walk-through today, I can’t play on Sunday. And Autumn has her segments which air starting at five until the news is over at eleven-thirty. Our hours suck, at least until February, when I have more freedom to do whatever. Still, not seeing her five nights a week is sort of a downer.
When I come into the kitchen, Roxy is sitting at the table, eating breakfast, and Miss Meghan asks her what she wants to do. I think it’s cute that Meghan gives Roxy options, even though it’ll be the same routine most days. They’ll go to the library for story time, go to the park, and then it’s home for naptime. Meghan will pick up around the house, but it isn’t a job requirement, and she’ll write a grocery list of things she needs so I can make sure the house is fully stocked. When Roxy is up from her nap, they’ll get Reggie from school. I really don’t put too much pressure on Meghan. Her only responsibility is to keep my children safe.
The A.I. announces that someone is coming to the door. I wait a few seconds before going into the hallway. The tell-tale sound of a key sliding into the lock gets my blood boiling. As soon as Elena and Reggie enter, I kiss my son on the top of his head and tell him breakfast is on the table. Once he’s out of earshot, I hold my hand out.
“What?” she asks.
“My key, I want it back.”
“You’ve got to be joking, Julius.”
“I’m not. Hand it over.”
She does so but with great reluctance. This is no longer her house, and just because her children reside here doesn’t mean she can come and go, as she pleases. More so, after the stunt she pulled with Autumn and my parents, I don’t want Elena showing up unannounced anymore.
“I’m assuming it’s okay if I ride with you to the lawyer’s office?” she asks.
“I’m fine with that, but you have to get a cab back because I need to go to practice.”
“You can’t drop me off?”
“It’s out of my way.” I leave her in the hall and head back into the kitchen. Reggie is sitting there, stuffing food into his mouth. “Slow down, Bud.”
“I’m starving.”
“What’d you have for dinner?”
He shrugs.
I know I’m not the best parent in the world, but I like to think I do a damn good job of keeping my kids fed. “Elena?”
“What?” She comes into the room and lets out an exaggerated sigh.
“What did Reggie have for dinner last night?”
Elena looks at our son and then at me. “Are you seriously monitoring me as a parent?”
“Yes,” I state pointedly. “When I see our son eat like he hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday—yes, I’m going to ask what you fed him.”
“Unbelievable.”
I motion for her to follow me into the other room. She does so, but she’s agitated. “I will always look out for his best interest, Elena. You know this. You also know I’m one-hundred percent against him living with you because of this exact thing. I’m going out on a limb here, but I bet he had cereal for dinner. Sometimes that is a great dinner, but he needs more, and you need to be able to recognize this. I don’t know what’s going on in your head or when our children didn’t become a priority to you, but you need to figure it out. This is a fair warning—I’m going to tell the mediator that if Reggie is to go live with you—there needs to be a nanny, and the nanny’s fee will be paid out of the child support. That money is to support him, not you.”
“You can’t dictate how I spend my money.”
“I can, and I will. I didn’t have to agree to mediation, yet here I am footing the bill for this as well.”
“You’re just angry because I want a divorce.”
“No, Elena. I’m angry because you cheated. Had you come to me and said you weren’t happy I would’ve done whatever was needed to fix that. But you stepped out on us. You chose to bring another man into our bed. You chose to disregard our vows. And then you expected me to pay you off. That’s why I’m angry.” I walk away and head toward my bedroom. Before I close the door, I shout, “I’m leaving in ten minutes if you want a ride.”
Elena is still here when I come out. You’d think she would take a few moments and spend some time with her daughter, but Elena’s sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone while Roxy and Meghan clean up after breakfast.
“Thank you, Meghan,” I say as I come into
the kitchen. I kiss Roxy, tell Reggie to have a good day, and remind him that I have a late practice. There’s a good chance he won’t be home and will be at his mom’s. Fewer rules there, I’m sure.
Elena follows me out the door and into the elevator. She sighs heavily, which I ignore, and finally, once we’re in the car, she starts talking. “Do you remember the first day we met?”
“I do.”
“I was so scared.” She looks out the window. “Where did we go wrong, Julius?”
“I do believe we had this conversation, Elena. I’m not interested in rehashing it over and over.”
She says nothing the rest of the drive to the lawyer's office. Once there, we go into a small conference room. My lawyer is sitting at the table behind a stack of papers. “Hello, Julius.” We shake hands.
“This is Elena,” I say to him. I thought I might slip up and call her my wife, but even my subconscious knows I’ve moved on. They shake hands, and then we all sit down. Elena is across from me, and the lawyer is at the head of the table.
“Okay,” he says. “We have a petition brought on by Julius to dissolve the marriage. Also on file is a prenuptial agreement signed by both parties. It is my understanding that we’re going to follow the prenup?”
I nod and then look at Elena. She’s looking down at the table and says nothing. “Elena,” I prod. “If you’re going to fight the prenup, then you need to hire someone to represent you. My lawyer is not going to go against my wishes of honoring the agreement.”
“Well, I was doing some research.”
This is not going to go well for me.
“And I discovered that Oregon is a no-fault state, so you can’t use adultery for the divorce, and therefore the prenup allows for me to get a settlement.”
“Yes, you’re right, Mrs. Cunningham. However, we have substantial evidence of you committing adultery, and if we take this in front of a judge, they’re likely to uphold the agreement.”
I can see her wheels turning. “What do you want, Elena?”
“Money, Julius. I want the money, and the lifestyle promised to me when I married you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We live like we’re running out of money. You make millions a year, and the only thing we have to show for it is a house in Huntington Beach. I want more. I deserve more.”
“You do realize that the average span of my career is four years and that is without any injuries, or some younger, faster version of me entering the league. Every day I go out onto that field, I’m lucky I still have a career. But this can change at any time. I need to earn as much money as possible to live a life after my career is over and take care of my family. I have two kids to put through college. Where do you think that money is going to come from? And who is to say I’ll even get a job after my career as a wide receiver is over? Do you think I want to sit on my ass at the age of thirty-five and feel sorry for myself because I didn’t get a commentating job? The reason I don’t spend money is so the money will be there when I’m older. I’m looking out for my future. And I never promised you anything other than to love you. I don’t know where you got that in your head.”
“I want what other wives have.”
“What other wives? Are you looking at LeBron James’s wife? Did you count how many endorsements he has when you looked at how they live? Hell, I’m just happy I get the occasional commercial, and Nike outfits me with shoes. Or are you looking at Gisele? Because she came into her marriage with Tom Brady as a freaking supermodel—what did you bring?”
“That’s rude, Julius.”
“Right, but you wanting to spend all the money I’ve earned so you can feel like you belong isn’t. Got it.”
The room is silent. Even my lawyer seems stunned by my ex. I wish I could live my life in hindsight because if I could, I would’ve never pursued anything with Elena.
“How much?” I throw it out there. Elena’s eyes widen. “As much as I don’t want to give you any money, I want out. I want to move on and have a healthy relationship with Autumn. I don’t want this divorce looming over me anymore. So how much is it going to take, Elena?”
“Ten million,” she says with a smirk.
“See you in court then,” I tell her.
“You just asked me how much I wanted, and I gave you a number. Now you’re playing games.”
“No, I’m not. But if you think I’m giving you ten million, you’re out of your mind.” I glance at my lawyer, who is watching the back and forth between Elena and me. “One million,” I throw back at her.
“Five.”
I scoff. “For five million, I want full legal custody of the kids with the stipulation that you can visit anytime you want, provided you stay in your own hotel or apartment. The kids live with me, no matter where I end up or where I decide to retire. I make all their decisions—every single one. We can rotate holidays, not that I think you’ll actually make time for them, but they need to know that they’re spending Christmas with their mom as well. I will provide a nanny when they’re with you to keep the kids in a routine. You’re more than welcome to take them on vacation as long as it doesn’t interrupt their schooling or any sports or activities they’re participating in.” I finish and look at my lawyer. “Am I forgetting anything?”
He shakes his head as his pen writes furiously across the paper.
“One condition,” Elena states.
“What’s that?”
“I want to formally meet your girlfriend. I get the impression she’s going to be around for a while, and I want to know who is going to be mothering my children.”
I let her words stew for a moment and make it seem like I’m pondering her request. I’m not. I’m fucking livid that she dares to act like she’s mother of the year. “I have no doubt Autumn will be happy to meet you, especially considering your first encounter with her didn’t go so well.”
Elena has nothing to say.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and send Autumn a text, asking her if she’s around to meet Elena. I don’t want to prolong this divorce any longer. “Autumn is home and excited to meet you. Shall we go?” I stand, not giving Elena a chance to change her mind.
“I thought you had practice?” she asks, reminding me that I told her she had to take a cab back to her place.
“I do, but I’ll take the fine if it means you’ll sign the papers today and be done with this marriage.”
I glance over at the lawyer, who nods. “I’ll send the papers over today.”
Elena says nothing during the drive back to the complex. I feel this meeting won’t suffice Elena’s curiosity about Autumn, but it’s a start. I’m not going to hide my relationship with Autumn, and if Elena has questions, she can ask me.
Back at the apartments, we head to my penthouse. I told Autumn to meet us there. It’s unlikely the kids will ever be at Autumn’s place. Inside, soft music plays, and a sense of calm rushes over me. I like having Autumn here, but I know it’s way too soon to ask her to move in with us. I don’t want to rush this relationship at all.
“Hey,” Autumn says as we round the corner into the living room. She stands to greet me. I kiss her. Not caring that Elena is there.
“Autumn, this is Elena.”
Autumn steps forward and pulls Elena into her arms. The shocked look on Elena’s face makes me laugh. As much as I want to monitor the conversation between them, it’s not my place. Elena’s going to say what she feels needs to be said, and Autumn will listen. I excuse myself and head into my bedroom. The pillow Autumn used last night still smells like her, and as I look around the room, I wonder what needs to change to make her feel at home. I know for sure we will need a lot of sleepovers before I ask her to move in, but I see it happening. I see her as a part of my future and a pivotal role in the children’s lives.
Of course, things could change. Autumn’s career could take her places I can’t go. I’ve done the long-distance thing with Elena, and that definitely didn’t work out in my fav
or. I could get traded, leaving Autumn behind. She loves her job, but she’s young, and being a stepmom before you’re thirty might not be something she wants.
The bedroom door opens, and Autumn strolls in. She sits down next to me and rests her head on my shoulder.
“How’d it go?”
“Awkward. She asked me my views on parenting, and I was honest with her. I told her I didn’t have any because this was all very new to me, but her babies are important to me. Elena asked me to promise never to undermine her when it comes to the kids, and I told her I would never undermine you. I told her I’m in no way, shape, or form trying to replace her—that she will always be their mom.”
“I caved and gave her money. It’s all she’s ever wanted from me. She’s angry she’s not living some elitist life because I refuse to live outside of my means. She doesn’t understand that at any time, my career could be done, and then what? But the kids are staying here, even Reggie, who isn’t going to be happy. So, I have to ask—are you okay with dating a single dad who plays professional football and may have to cancel a date or two if his kids need him?”
Autumn grimaces, and my heart sinks. Slowly, a smile forms on her lips. “If I had an issue, I wouldn’t be here.” She leans in, and her hand cups my cheek. Our lips meet. Our kiss is gentle, yet there’s a sense of longing. Our mouths move slowly against each other’s as my arm finds purchase around her waist. Autumn presses her body to mine, and everything within me ignites with fire. I want her. I want to make her mine over and over again until I’m spent, and there is nothing left to give.
She angles her body to move us to the bed, and I put on the brakes. “I can’t,” I say against her lips. The word “practice” is muttered, but it’s incoherent. It takes great effort to pull away from her. Autumn opens her eyes slowly, and I can see the yearning. “I’m already late for practice,” I tell her. “I desperately want you right now, but I have to go.”
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