by Magan Vernon
Picking it up, a part of me jumped with adrenaline at the thought it might be Rachel. But after yesterday, I knew, deep down, there was no way in hell that was happening.
My entire body deflated when I saw the actual messenger.
Amy: Hey, Len. Jay was wondering if you had time this morning to go over some stuff with him since I may or may not have volunteered him to help with the PTA financials.
The last thing I wanted to do was sit in Jay’s office while he puffed on his vape pipe, laughing at his own jokes, and swearing over the state of school financials.
But it was better than sitting there and staring at my computer, or the window…or seeing if the liquor store was open.
Me: Yeah, I’ve got some time this morning.
I looked out the window again, knowing that at least one of the camera toters would follow, but, hey, maybe the bake sale would get some publicity. That would help the school, right?
Or a lot more stupid tabloid fodder.
Then another thought crossed my mind. If I went to Amy’s, maybe I could have her put in a right word for Rachel. Why was I thinking about her when I had so much on my mind?
Because I fucking missed her.
But she didn’t need to get involved with any more of this drama, so I stuffed my phone in my pocket, grabbed my keys, and hoped the meeting with Jay wouldn’t bring me any closer to the liquor store.
***
I’d been to Amy and Jay’s Tudor house quite a few times in the last couple of years our daughters had been in school together. At one point, Ally and I were regulars for Friday night grilling and watch-our-kids-play-with-each-other-so-we-didn’t-have-to-entertain-them get-togethers.
But that was before Chad came in the picture.
When I found Ally with him, that was the last time I had a drink. But waking up with a massive hangover and a little girl jumping on my back was not worth it.
With Juniper at my parents and everything else up in the air, it took everything I had to steer my car into the circular drive and ignore the inkling of dread that filled me.
Walking to the wooden double doors was like crawling through wet cement, each step harder than the last.
I should have known this wasn’t a simple text from Amy, and with the woman’s beaming smile as she opened the door, that sinking feeling now burned in my stomach.
“Len, I’m so glad you were able to come.” She fluttered her false eyelashes before stepping into the foyer.
The place was decorated like Magnolia Farms meets Downton Abbey with new shiplap placed throughout the front room and into the living area. A sharp contrast to the Edwardian leather couches and floral curtains. I wouldn’t have noticed these little details if Jay himself didn’t tell me last time I was there how much he had to pay to get the walls redone and how much he hated the damn leather sofa that Amy had to have.
Jay was one of those guys who liked to talk about how much money he had and how it was spent. Which was exactly what we’d be doing today.
But at least I could get lost in numbers instead of something else.
Amy’s bare feet padded across the hardwood floor as she led me into the large, oak dining room.
Then it was as if the sun cast a halo-ed glow over the table. And to the beautiful dark-haired woman sitting in one of the high-backed chairs.
As soon as I was within yelling reach, Rachel glanced up from her seat, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
Before I met her, I was always used to the polished moms in full face makeup and heels, or the Hollywood types. Rachel was the breath of fresh air. I didn’t know I needed until she first yelled at me.
She sat there with her black stretchy pants, and an oversized flannel shirt that I was pretty sure was dipped in bleach and purchased from the men’s section.
“Wow, I thought you might have had something planned, Amy, but this…” she muttered. I caught her gaze flicking over me.
There was definitely still a sexual connection between us, that much was obvious. And we had to at least be cordial with our kids going to the same school.
But now that my secrets were out in the open and I’d blown her off yesterday, there was no way in hell things were going to be easy.
Amy threw her hands up, rolling her heavily made-up eyes. “Come on, y’all. I know that something went down and I’m not going to ask questions, but…” She put her hands on her hips and looked between the two of us. “No matter what, you’re still parents, and parents who have a responsibility to this bake sale.”
Amy’s glare turned in my direction. “No, Jay isn’t here right now to go over the financials, but that just means that you and Rachel have to put aside whatever caused you to be such an asshole and work together.”
I never saw Amy angry, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. The woman was barely over five feet with a body like a pre-puberty boy and mile-high Texas hair. There should have been nothing scary about the woman, but when she used that PTA president voice, she could have everyone to their knees.
“Ames…” I started, trying to figure out the right words.
She closed her eyes, waving a hand in front of me. “I know, Rachel shared a picture or whatever and you’re rightfully pissy. But for now, put that aside and y’all need to help me go over these financials to figure out how the hell we’re going to pull some money out of our ass or get something for this bake sale.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”
“About the money or working together?” she asked.
“Both?”
She sighed and sat in the chair across the table from Rachel. “Have a look for yourself.”
I took the seat between her and Rachel and grabbed a stack of papers, adjusting my glasses as I looked over the different spreadsheets.
“How in the hell does a private school with a crazy tuition cost not have money for a damn bake sale?” I asked, doing the math again in my head.
“Guess it’s why they need the fundraiser.”
“Or maybe they shouldn’t have spent money so many years on things like fancy monogrammed aprons,” I said, looking up to see a small smile crossing Rachel’s face.
Fucking finally.
“You know…” Amy stood, and I turned to face her.
“Numbers aren’t really my thing, so I was thinking I could maybe do a few things out in the yard while y’all worked on this?” Her smile was a bit too wide for someone who conveniently needed to do some yard work.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You’re really obvious, Amy, you know that, right?”
“And so is the way Lennox is looking at you,” she replied with a wink as she walked behind me.
Her hand went to my shoulder, and I tried not to tense as she squeezed it lightly. “I’ll be outside awhile, and it’s hard to hear through these thick walls, so if you need me you can text my phone.”
She shot a wink at Rachel before she practically skipped out of the room.
We stayed in silence until the sound of the French doors shutting echoed through the room.
“Well, if this isn’t awkward as hell.” Rachel let out a breath, shaking her head.
“Understatement of the year.”
Her gaze slowly slid across the table until it was locked on mine. “I didn’t tell Amy anything, if you’re worried about that. And I didn’t post anything more on social media. In fact, I even asked Lola to take that photo down, and I’m working on scouring for new models.”
A heavy weight lifted off my chest knowing that she didn’t tell anyone. Yet there was still the mess that all of this caused. That would forever weigh between us.
“Looking for a Lennox Reign doppelgänger for a book cover and to replace me?” I asked, watching her lip slightly quirk into a smile.
“I think I might be taking a break from dating former teen heartthrobs.”
I frowned. “So, we were dating? Is that what that’s called? Don’t think I ever actually had a girlfriend. Was I supposed to ask you formal
ly? Then were we supposed to have a former breakup and you give me back my class ring?”
She shook her head, but that smile still played on her lips. “I don’t know which of those things to address first, but whatever we were, it’s over now. You don’t have to worry about it. We can just look at these spreadsheets and figure out how much more we can get parents to donate.”
I sighed, looking down at the sheets of paper. “Why don’t I just donate the funds we need? I can even do it anonymously if that helps.”
“Not everything can just be written off with money and secrets,” she spat.
I flinched as if her words actually hit me. Then I shook my head, clenching my fists at my side as I tried to control the rage of emotions flooding through me. “That’s not what I meant.”
She leaned back, letting out a deep breath. “Len, this is crazy. I knew we should have never gotten involved, but did that stop me? No. Now it’s just really awkward.”
“I don’t know what I can say that’ll make it less awkward. Or do for that matter. Want me to tell Amy I can’t do the bake sale anymore?” I stood up so fast, the chair knocked to the ground, clattering against the wooden floor.
Rachel’s eyes widened as she put her hands forward. “No need to get mad, Lennox.”
I dropped my arms, looking at the ground as I let out a deep breath. Now Rachel was scared of me? What the hell was happening to me and my life that I thought was all figured out?
That damn picture.
If I would have just stayed away from Rachel, this wouldn’t have happened.
But as I slowly looked up to see her push away from the table then walk toward me, my heart beat faster just watching her.
“I’m so sorry, Rach. I’m sorry for lashing out at you and that this all happened,” I murmured, taking a few steps closer to her. Then I moved again until we were toe-to-toe and I brushed the hair away from her face, tracing my fingertips along the soft skin of her cheek.
She shivered against my touch, a whispered breath escaping her lips.
“We can’t keep doing this fighting, then making up and making out, only for you to run away again,” she said softly.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want that either. Yet that didn’t stop me from leaning forward, pressing my lips lightly to hers.
She sighed into my mouth, her body melting to mine. Before I could swipe my tongue along hers, she pulled back, shaking her head.
Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she muttered a swear under her breath. “Shit. I was going to grab some fast food, but it’s about time I head toward the school to pick up Ari. Sorry. Um, yeah. For whatever that was. That shouldn’t have happened.”
“I could come with you and grab Juniper. I’m sure the girls wouldn’t mind hanging out if you wanted to ride together, then we could bring them to my place for an afternoon snack.”
She winced. “No offense, Lennox, but as nice as it is seeing you, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We can stay cordial for the kid’s sake, but yesterday and today were weird. I don’t even know how to handle whatever situation we’re in now.”
I stiffened, mulling over how to respond to that before I scrubbed my hand over my face. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not in the best place either, but…I still feel something for you, Rach. You’re the best distraction for all of the crazy going on in my head.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to be just a distraction, Len.”
She shook her head, some loose strands of her brown hair framing her face. I desperately wanted to reach over, push back that hair, and let my lips trail along her neck. But I knew I couldn’t stop this time from going further.
And I couldn’t keep doing this.
“I don’t want that either, Rach. I just don’t fully know where my head is,” I said honestly.
“Well, then I guess we go back to being parents at our daughter’s school. For now. Until you get everything figured out.”
Raking my fingers through my hair, I took a step back. “I don’t want us to be enemies. I mean, I want to keep giving Juniper the normal experience of being an average kid, not being followed around by paparazzi. Some days I’d give anything for that. The real high school with proms and worrying about who was hooking up with who instead of wondering if my face would be on a tabloid or if I’d miss my next scene.”
“Surely you had some sense of normalcy. Your parents seem like they’d at least try that for you,” she said.
I nodded, swallowing hard as my mouth felt as dry as the Sahara. But at least we were talking and not arguing. “Yeah, they tried, but going to a normal high school didn’t work out with me missing so much time for work. And hooking up or friends? Yeah, that didn’t happen when I was constantly chased by the tabloids in L.A. and didn’t know if people actually liked me for me or because they wanted a guest spot on my show and thought I was the way to get to it.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been rough.” Her words were genuine, and my palms itched to hold her. To escape in her again.
But I shoved my fists in my pocket instead.
“It’s why I didn’t want that for Juniper. Growing up and not knowing who her real friends were or staying in L.A. and having her go to school with kids who were getting Lambos as their first car and implants as their sixteenth birthday gift.”
“Is that a real thing?” she asked, her brow slightly furrowed.
I nodded. “Yeah. That was most of the people I worked with. Or the kids who hung around with us in L.A. who were producer’s kids or whatever. More money than they knew what to do with and a lot of them. Hell, I don’t even know where they are now.”
I stared out the window, thinking about the random girls in the clubs who were using their dad’s money for bottle service and cocaine. If they were even still alive.
Fuck. They were barely eighteen. They are getting away with everything just because of where we were.
I couldn’t imagine that for my daughter.
Either of them.
A cold chill ran down my spine as I thought about Cheyenne, growing up around that with Trish. Was she looking out for her? If she wasn’t home half the time, what kind of trouble could Cheyenne have been getting into?
As if Rachel could read my mind, her voice broke through my subconscious. “You know, maybe you could take a trip out to L.A. sometime. Maybe that would help give you the clarity you need.”
There was another signal hidden behind those words, as if she knew what I really wanted.
“Yeah, maybe I’ll do that,” I said noncommittally.
She nodded again then took a step back toward the front door. “Well, let me know when you do that. I really do have to get to the school, and I’m sure you need to pick up Ariana too.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll see you in pick up line.”
Once she was out of sight and the door closed behind her, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
Nothing was accomplished today for the bake sale or for my relationship with Rachel.
Where the hell did I go from here?
Glancing at the grandfather clock, I knew I at least had to get to the school. After sending a goodbye text to Amy, I headed to my car down the pecan-tree-lined streets.
I should have known as soon as I pulled into the school parking lot, pulling up behind Rachel’s car that something else was going to go wrong.
A woman with dark hair and a walkie talkie stood next to the curb and took a few steps toward us as we approached.
Ariana came bounding out of the cafeteria doors, her hand in the music teacher’s, but no Juniper in sight.
Maybe she was distracted?
Something prickled at the hairs on the back of my neck.
I rolled down the window, signaling for the lady with the walkie talkie. “Hey, Ms. St. John, ya think we can pick up Juniper? I know I forgot my sign, but Grandma was going to pick her up, and, well, now I’m here.”
The woman froze then blinked slowly before she cleared
her throat. “Um, Mr. Reign, she was actually picked up about five minutes ago.”
I fumbled for my phone, my mind racing as I thought what could happen that my parents didn’t pick her up.
Before I could even read the text, Ms. St John’s words rang through my ears.
“Her mother was just here to get her.”
Oh. Shit.
Chapter 6
I still stared at the message from my mom on my phone. The one I wished I would have gotten to earlier or, fuck, that someone would have called and told me.
Mom: Ally asked if she could pick up Juniper today. Since I know you’re busy, I didn’t want to bother you.
The last time I talked to Ally, I could swear she was still panting as her meathead boyfriend mumbled something in the background.
Like a good dad, I had Juniper call her mom every week, and she was with her after her birthday. The one where her mom conveniently couldn’t show up for the party but was able to take Juniper out the next day. Something that Juniper was crying about with her mom not being there, then as soon she got her an ice cream cone or some shit, she was happy again with her mommy.
But then, of course, Ally was back to being Ally, and I’d barely heard from her since taking Juniper out for her birthday.
If I knew anything about my ex, I knew she was an opportunist. If she’d seen the recent photos of me splashed everywhere, she was looking for either her next break or a payday.
When Ally and I first separated, I put down the rent on an apartment not even a mile from my house so she’d still be close to Juniper and the school.
Little did I know that she was basically using that as a sex den for her and her twenty-something-year-old boy toy instead of thinking of it as a place to live and still be close to her daughter.
I only found this out after to showing up and suggesting we go to dinner and Chad answering the door in nothing but a pair of man panties.
I sent over divorce papers the next day.
And that was the last time I went to the apartment. The one I paid a year’s rent on, at three thousand a month.
