I entered the office fuming. The empty reception gave me a reminder that I had given my workers half of the day to rest. “I forgot,” I muttered, rubbing my temples as if that could somehow erase him from my head. But it was impossible. That jerk’s voice persisted. I tossed my bag on the reception counter, slid out of my heels, and sought solace on the waiting couch. The plushy couch accepted my weight, hugging me but it offered little comfort. I turned and twisted for a while, restless for no reason. Or maybe there was a reason. And that reason was him. I jolted upright, tilting my head in dismay. “What is this mess I’ve found myself in?” I whispered to the empty room. “Why is he doing this to me?”“Why won’t he just leave me alone? Why?”I leaned back on the couch, my mind racing with more questions than I could answer. My office entrance beeped open and I raised my eyebrows, wondering which of my workers had forgotten the day off like me. Willis walked in, and my express
Chapter 63ARLO’S POVIt’s shameless of me. After everything. I know. But Ivory is my life. Funny how I never knew what I had until it was gone. I don’t know if she will ever forgive me. But it is better that I tried than to regret not trying. So trying is what I’m doing now. I’m trying. I’m trying with all the fiber in me. I don’t know if I’m doing it right, but I’m trying. And I can only hope, that my efforts work out for good.SOME TIME AGO We had a bottle of unopened whiskey between us. The bar was quiet, with very few people as expected of a bar mid-morning. After five years of nothing. It was awkward. It was tense, yet we had decided, it was better to talk out our emotions without the influence of any substance.Willis sat staring at me, his eyes lingered on my features. I knew that look. I clenched my jaw, bracing myself for an earful. Bracing myself for the inevitable torture his words would give me. But when he spoke, his voice was calm. His eyes were sincere an
Chapter 64ARLO’S POVWillis’s car drove into my new company. I had left home in a fit of rage, (after my altercation with Ivory)I saw him from the vast view of my office. He stepped down, straightened his suit, and made his way into the building. I glanced at my wristwatch and calculated two minutes before my door opened. As expected, my office echoed with a knock on the door and the corners of my lips lifted in a wry smile.“Come in,” I said, hiding both my excitement and curiosity. Willis entered, and I snapped my gaze up to meet him. I paused, my mind racing with questions. He didn’t look his usual self. “How did it go? Did she hit you?” I asked, my calm voice betraying the tumultuous feeling in my mind.Willis offered a strained smile, settling in the chair across me on my work table.“She didn’t.” He replied, “I think she’ll be there.”I exhaled, heaving in relief. Silence fell over us briefly. I regarded him for a moment before I finally asked. “Why the long face?”Will
Chapter 65Ivory glanced at her reflection for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. Her strawberry blonde hair was styled in loose waves, falling on her back in a soft, elegant sweep. A sleek, red dress hugged her frame, its silk fabric shimmering under the light.Despite the short length, the dress had a side slit up her thigh, revealing enough skin to get you thirsty. The neckline was modestly low, showing a hint of collarbone and a thin bracelet, the jewelry a match with the necklace she had on. Yet, despite her polished appearance, there was a trace of uncertainty in her eyes. Marvin’s excited footsteps broke the silence as he rushed toward her, his face lighting up with joy. Dressed in a pair of blue overalls, slightly worn at the knees, and a striped red and white t-shirt, the five-year-old had all his energy ready to go party. Ivory felt a lump in her chest. Was this necessary? She hated the idea of having Arlo around Marv, but more importantly, the idea of hav
Arlo stood, speechless. The divorce letter in his hand pinned him to a spot, suffocating him.When Crystal had served him divorce, he felt nothing. Not even a bit. But standing here, next to a woman he hadn’t seen in five years, it felt like the world was crashing down on him. The tears of a man they say, never reaches his eyes but Arlo felt them rush to his eyes. For the first time, he experienced how it felt for the heart to tighten— his breath narrowed, the ground shifted beneath his feet.He leaned against the wall behind him, seeking support. “Ivory…” he called. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say, her name was the only thing he could mutter.“Let’s not drag it any further,” Ivory said. “I already signed my part, I’ll be expecting the same from you.”It was a surprise that she didn’t explode from Arlo’s sudden kiss. Her heart raced in her chest but it wasn’t the same feeling as before— the one where she would completely be mesmerized. This time she still had her senses
Chapter 67As the door closed faintly in the distance, Arlo released a deep sigh, his chest heaving with frustration. He watched Willis leave, his words lingering in the air like smoke after fire. But most importantly, the weight of Ivory’s words pressed down on him, suffocating him.He wanted to lash out, or scream. He wanted to do anything to release the pent up emotions clawing at his insides, but instead he remained still, rooted to the spot, torn between anger and the gnawing ache of regret and heartbreak.Ivory, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her composure. Her heart still pounded in her chest. Arlo was an old wound, and the fact that he ignored the hurt he caused her added to her hurt. Her gaze flickered toward Marvin, who sat wide-eyes at the table, probably trying to wrap his head around the party. “Mommy, do I have two dads?”Ivory buried her face in her palms, massaging her forehead tiredly. “You’re right, Marvin,” Arlo intervened, his voice shaky betraying
Ivory’s breath caught in her throat. She had waited years to hear those words, but now that they were spoken, they felt hollow, like an apology long overdue. She was unable to reconcile his words with the pain she had lived through. “I…” her voice faltered, “You can’t even imagine how much I wanted an explanation, Arlo. I came up with so many reasons as to why you did what you did…” Her hand gently brushed his grip away, as she turned to face him. “I couldn’t understand any of them, not even the one you’re giving me now.” Arlo’s chest frightened as he rose from the bench, stepping closer to her. “I can’t let you go…” he whispered, his voice barely audible. Ivory scoffed painfully, her eyes searching his face. “Willis is right, you haven’t changed Arlo. You’re still inconsiderate and blindly persistent.”“Willis knows nothing, Ivory!” Arlo fired, his voice growing desperate. “He is not the judge of my character. I’ve changed, I swear.”Ivory shook her head, biting her lip as tear
Chapter 69Just when he thought his evening could not get any worse. Just when he thought he couldn’t be in a worse mood than this, an uninvited visitor showed up.“We’ve been waiting a while!” The intruder’s voice sounded in his ears, a strangely familiar sound that he wasn’t ready for.“What are you doing here?” Arlo thundered, his expression darkened with anger.His father stepped closer, his gaze equally dark and brooding. “I should be asking you that question,” he fired back, “What do you think you’re doing here?!”Just when Arlo thought it couldn’t get any worse, someone else joined them. Someone he hated. Arlo’s fist clenched beside him. “Is this a joke?”“Does it seem like a joke?” Crystal’s smooth voice echoed in the room, sending a ripple of rage over him.His jaw clenched as hard as his fist. “I want you two to get out of my house…” “Daddy?” Marvin’s groggy voice interrupted him, “I want to pee,” the boy said softly, half awake, half asleep.Arlo softened without a choic