Page 9 of Return to Cheshire Bay
I sighed andtook a sip of my water. “It’s my ex.”
Eric faced me,his gaze landing on the phone. “The baby daddy?”
A slowbob followed.
“Does he knowyou’re here?”
“Theonly person who knowsthe actual location is Beth, my best friend. My otherbesties know I’m at my summer home, but they don’t know where thatis.”
“Andthis ex?”Was worrywoven into his words?
“He doesn’tknow the location either. It was never brought up.”
It wasbest if Parker didn’tknow that part of my life, so it never came up in conversation. Inthe brief time we dated, we never visited my summer home, and thewords Cheshire Bay never left my lips. There weren’t even memoriesof it hanging in the apartment. As far as Parker knew, my lifebegan at twenty when I finally went to college.
“He knowsabout the baby, right?”
“Oh yeah.Cleared out his drawer the next day and left.”
Eric laughed,a sweet, gentle sound that matched the roll of the ocean waves.“His drawer?”
“Forwhen he spent the night. Still had his place, just mine was nicer.Not quite a shrine to the Marvel and DC Comics and Lord of theRings art deco.”
“You weredating a nerd?” His laugh grew in strength.
“Why is thatfunny?”
He wipedthe smile off with a cupping of his hand. “Well, when you were here last, youwere, well…”
I hungmy head in shame. “Yeah. I was into the bad boys, I know.”
“The badder,the better.” The words slipped out so easily.
Iflipped my gaze back to the ocean, a river of hurtcoursing through myveins. “That was a long time ago.”
“Iknow.”
Myresolve faltered, but my tone was clipped.“People change.”
“I know thattoo.”
Hisplate rocked on the tiny table when he set it down, but I didn’tturn his way. I wanted to get up and stormaway but figured that was more in linewith the way I was. As a grown adult, I liked to face my problemshead on and deal with things. Except for the vibrating phone undermy palm. Damn Parker. I needed to prepare for thatbattle.
Ericcleared his throat. “I’msorry.”
“Youhave nothing toapologise for.”
Heshuffled in his chair and his foot scuffed over the floor.“I do. I invited you over fordinner and now I’ve made you uncomfortable. I’m a terriblehost.”
“If youcan accept that my past is in my past and I can’t do anything aboutit, we’ll be just fine.” I needed one friend here while I holed upand hid, tail tucked between my legs, as Beth would say.
“I guess I wasjealous, and that jealousy reared up.”
“Jealous?” I twisted to face him and archedan eyebrow. “What were youjealous of?”
“Yourlife. Youroutlook. My parents were so strict, I didn’t attend many beachparties. And you, you were the life of every party. I wanted a girllike you, but girls like you don’t date nerds.”
Whichhad beenentirely true. Sad but true.