I smiled at Nick as I opened the front door. “Hey Nick, thanks for coming by.” I smiled. I opened it wider so he could come in and then shut it and locked it behind him. “Connor! Your dad’s here!” I yelled towards Connor’s bedroom. I heard his feet patter down the carpeted hall into the foyer area.
“Hey bud,” Nick laughed and lifted Connor off his feet as he came into the room. I finished putting my earrings on and followed the two into the kitchen.
“Connor, just remember that your Dad --…” I was cut off. Almost as soon as I had bolted the front door, I heard a key unlocking it. I completely forgot that Jake was coming over tonight for dinner. “Hi honey.” I smiled and kissed him softly.
Jake glared in Nick’s direction. “What’s he doing here?” He sighed heavily and hung his coat up on the coat hanger by the front door.
“He’s taking Connor for the weekend, remember?” I sighed. Nick and Jake never had gotten along. It didn’t really bother me until times like these. “Okay, so Connor, be good for your Dad, okay? Listen to what he says. He’ll take you to school on Monday and then I’ll pick you up.” I smiled and kissed the top of his head.
“Okay Mom,” he grinned back and slung his backpack over his shoulder. I sighed and waved as he and Nick walked out the door.
“Why is he taking Connor? Is this because of your doctor’s appointment? I can watch Connor,” Jake began getting defensive.
“This is not because of my doctor’s appointment,” I rolled my eyes and slipped my feet into my clogs. “This is because Nick is Connor’s dad and honestly? I’m glad he’s spending time with him. Connor needs him, ya know? I told Nick he was welcome to see Connor on weekends.” I explained, even though I had explained it hundreds of times before.
“When you have surgery, where will Connor go?” He folded his arms over his chest.
I spun around, now frustrated. “Are you seriously more worried about where my son’s going to stay while I’m in the hospital having my chest ripped open?!” I yelled. I didn’t mean to yell, it just kind of came out that way. “Seriously, Jake.” I shook my head, annoyed.
“Babe, I didn’t mean it that way,” he sighed and rolled his eyes. “I just don’t think Nick’s really a good father. Maybe Connor shouldn’t stay with him. He can stay here, I’ll come over and stay with him while you’re in the hospital. That way I can bring him over to see you.” He tried reasoning.
“Jake, Connor feels comfortable with Nick,” I tried stating delicately. “And oddly enough? I trust Nick. I trust you, too, but you aren’t Connor’s father.” I sighed. “We don’t even know when or if I’m having this surgery. So let’s not worry about these things till we get there, okay?” I kissed him softly and grabbed my briefcase. “I’m off to my appointment and then work. I’ll see you when I get home.”
I hurried out the door and towards the ferry. I couldn’t believe Jake seemed more moved by the fact that Jake would be staying with Nick rather than me being stuck in a hospital room having my heart probed and prodded. I sighed and stepped onto the deck waiting for the ferry and fished through my purse to find my ferry ticket.
“Momma!” I heard a little voice that belonged to my son behind me. I turned around with a surprised smile on my lips and knelt down to give him and hug and kiss.
“Hey baby, what are you doing here?” I asked him, kissing his cheek softly. When it came to the fact that I had a disease, I talked with both Nick and Jake and we agreed it’d be best to not tell Connor the details. We just said I was a little sick and needed to go into the doctor every once and a while.
“Dad took me to get pretzels!” He grinned, holding up his doughy masterpiece. I laughed and smiled, glancing up at Nick in the process. He smirked and shrugged.
“Oh, did he now?” I smiled. “What do you two boys have in mind for today, huh?” I asked as we handed our ferry tickets to the boat captain and climbing aboard. Connor placed his hand in mine, making me grin.
“Dad said he’d take me to the park to play with the dogs!” Connor smiled a toothy grin in my direction.
I nodded up at Nick. “I figured you won’t let the kid have one of his own, so we go out and play with other people’s pets.” He laughed. I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“Dammit, Nick. You know Jake’s allergic to dogs, if it wasn’t for that, Connor could have one. I don’t see you out buying him a - …”
Nick put his hands up as if a gesture to surrender. “I was just kidding around, Sarah.” He quickly covered. I sighed and looked back out to the water as the breeze blew my hair in the wind. Connor ran ahead, obviously missing my little outburst, as he leaned up against the railing to watch the water go by.
“Don’t lean forward, baby!” I called ahead as Nick and I slowly started walking in that direction. “I don’t know why I ever even fell for your stupid charm.” I mumbled under my breath. It wasn’t as if I was starting up conversation, I was just trying to vent.
“I do believe we’ve been over that before,” he grinned stupidly. “But hey, why worry about it? We’re divorced, aren’t we?” He shrugged and caught up with Connor as I stood back and watched.
I had always promised myself I’d never get divorced. My parents had always been married, but I saw what divorce did to my friends that I played with. When I met Nick, I fell…and hard. He had such a hold over me, it was ridiculous. But he never really focused on me. He’d always be too infatuated with his work or with his groupies. Never me. So when I became pregnant, I knew he’d have to start focusing on me more because abortion was out of the question. After I had Connor, I felt terrible for “using” him like that. And it only made the situation worse. Nick felt the urge to get married so the press wouldn’t run with the fact we were pregnant and not married. He was tied down. And he wasn’t ready to be tied down. Honestly? I wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready.
“Momma! Look at Liberty!” Connor yelled from ahead. I blinked away the memories and a smile formed over my lips. “She’s beautiful! Like you!” He grinned. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his little body. How something so amazing could come from someone so horrible was beyond me.
“You’re such a sweet talker,” I winked. “You’re going to make a girl very happy someday.” I sighed.
“Ew, girls have cooties!” He made a sour expression and turned back to the Statue of Liberty. I laughed and shook my head. As the boat docked on New York’s side of the river, I kissed the top of his head.
“Have a good day, baby. Stay safe,” I glanced between Connor and Nick. They both nodded, but only Connor waved as I went in the opposite direction they did. I sighed and glanced at my watch, hurrying up the steps to make it into my part of the office on time.
“Morning!” Paige smiled as I set my things down at my desk. “How are you feeling?” Ever since I told her about the disease, I felt like she was treating me as if at any moment I’d break. I rolled my eyes.
“Paige, please. You’re my best friend. I need you to act like I’m normal because I am. I’m not some strange piece of glass that’s going to crack, okay? The doctor said I’m okay right now,” I shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big deal.
“Fine,” she sighed. “How was your morning?” She rephrased her question.
“Well, besides having to face Nick some more,” I rolled my eyes. “I swear, one minute he’s being super sweet to me and promising to take care of Connor if anything happens, and then the next minute he’s being an ass again. I just don’t know what to do with him anymore. He gets me so, so…” I tried searching for the words, my hands balled up in fists and completely dissatisfied with Nick at the moment. “Frustrated!” I huffed.
Paige started laughing. “You’re too cute.” She shook her head. “You guys fight like a freaking married couple.”
“Ah, no,” I shook my head, sighing and sitting down at my desk. “We fight like a divorced couple.” I corrected. I began logging into my computer.
“Whatever you say,” she laughed and began working on her own. “I think somewhere deep down inside you there’s a little bit of love for Nick Carter.” She glanced over at my desktop. “I see the way you look at the websites to see where he’s touring or what he’s up to…or who he’s with.” She raised her eyebrows. “You may be able to hide it from everyone else, but you can’t hide it from me.”
I swallowed hard and shoved everything she had said with my thoughts to the back of my brain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said quickly. “I love Jake.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
I wasn't planning on getting this chapter out until later rather than sooner, but my Physics professor just cancelled our lecture for this morning! [YAY!!] So I had time to write up the last bit and get it out to you. Keep the reviews coming! Happy Reading!
