A Tattered Love (18 page)

I went back to my apartment after spending the day with Dustin. As usual, Cooper was waiting for me, tail wagging and anxious to get outside after being alone for so long.

I wanted to grab a bite to eat alone so I drove over to the quick stop to grab some grub. It was nothing special there, but it was within my budget since I was still unemployed. I sat down with my burger, fries, and a soda. I admired the classic look this joint had going. Wood paneled walls and mismatched tables and chairs. I didn’t mind the décor; their food was amazing for looking like a hole in the wall. Plus, this hole in the wall was cheap and delish.

I felt like I was being watched so I casually glanced around the room to find a set of eyes I knew to be familiar looking right at me. As soon as we made eye contact, he smirked as he walked toward me. This man was surely sexy. He had on a pair of jeans and a white fitted t-shirt that accented his muscles. Just when I thought Dustin was the hottest thing I’d ever set eyes on, then this guy comes along. He was tall, lean, blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He looked like he walked right off a modeling runway. 

“We miss you at Eddie’s.” He grinned as he sat down across from me in the booth.

“Efren, the newbie. I’m sure you guys manage just fine without me.” I smiled.

“I don’t. Watching you maneuver around the pub is what kept me going. You were my eye candy.” He looked at me and rolled his tongue around his bottom lip.

“That’s sweet of you, Efren, but I need to move on.”

“Just because people think you’re a criminal, you run away?”

I leaned across the table to make sure he heard what I was about to say. I licked my lips before I spoke, giving him a dead on stare. “I may be a criminal on paper, but everyone who gets accused of a crime, doesn’t always mean they committed one.” I smiled as I got up, dropped a few dollars on the table for a tip, and I headed toward the door. Efren just stared at me as if he had just heard some top-secret news he could spread to everyone at  Eddie’s Seaside Pub.

“Wait!” Efren yelled running toward the door, grabbing my hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I thought it was a bullshit lie. Please, forgive me, Riley. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. Let me take you out sometime. You know, just a drink somewhere? Nothing fancy.”

I looked at him then down to his hand, that was still holding mine. Was he really holding my hand right now?

“Are you asking me out on a date, newbie?”

“Maybe I am. Would you accept?”

There were so many thoughts running through my head right then. First thing that popped up was Dustin. We were still together. I couldn’t accept this.

I took a long glance at Efren, before I gave my answer. “I have a man, Efren. So, please, just back away and leave me be.” I pointed at him and pressed my finger to his chest making him well aware of my intentions.

“That’s too bad, because I could show you a good time.” He handed me a paper with his number on it.
Desperate much?
I walked out of the store and headed to my car, and drove off for home.

Cooper greeted me with paws in the air, and he made my heart melt. I loved this dog so much. I just wished we could go back to our uncomplicated life when I had first moved here, and didn’t have any boy-crushing going on.

I took Cooper outside and saw Evan was out there with Bones.

“Hey Riley, how are you? Hey, Coop!” He smiled at me then gave Cooper some pets.

I returned the attention to Bones and gave him some love by rubbing his belly. “Oh, Evan, I wish life were less complicated. How are you and Abs doing?”

“It’s only complicated when you make it complicated, Ry.”

“Evan, that’s so not true.”

“I’m here if you need me.” Evan stepped in and hugged me tight, slipping me a kiss to my temple. “You’re like a sister to me.”

“Thank you, Evan. Think you can send Abby over for a little bit?”

“I think I can manage that.”

We walked back to our own apartments with the dogs. As I lay across the couch, Cooper joined me. I had so much on my mind, I just needed to vent to Abby. I didn’t have anybody else.

When she finally came over, we sat up and talked for a while. I didn’t mention Efren because she worked with him and I didn’t want to tell her he was a creeper. I’m happy that Abby always knows how to cheer me up and straighten my mind out, especially about Dustin.

** CHAPTER 13 **

Dustin

“I told you to stay out of my life and quit meddling in my business. You told
Sabrina
about Riley? What are you trying to do, make it so I can’t see my daughter at all? In case you’re wondering, that’s what’s going to happen the more you open your damn mouth. Stay out of my life, I’m dead serious.” I waved my hand in frustration. “I’m done with you guys. I can’t believe my parents are trying to set out to ruin my life. Well, you pushed me too far this time.” I yelled.

Before my mom or dad could even speak, I stomped my ass out of there. I waved to Carla as well since I know damn well she knew about this little escapade they had with Sabrina. Carla knew everything my parents did and it didn’t seem like she did anything to stop it. My phone rang as I reached the Mustang. I looked at it as it vibrated, and saw that it was Sabrina.

“Hello?” I answered sharply.

“Hi, daddy.”

“Molly! Hey, baby, what are you doing?” I softened my voice and my anger quickly subsided.

“Just coloring right now. What are you doing, daddy?”

I sat in the Mustang for a moment, and then I thought of something.

“I’m just working on my car, baby girl.” There was a silence. “I miss you, princess.” I blew kisses in the phone.

“I miss you too, Daddy. Mommy said I can’t see you next week.” She pouted.

“Daddy is going to fix that, Moll. I promise you’ll get to see me. I love you, Molly. Don’t be sad. Think of our fun times when you get sad.”

“What if Mommy won’t let me?”

I pondered what to say as she really did stump me. I didn’t want Molly to think I wasn’t going to see her. In reality, I knew there was a chance Sabrina would keep me from her.

“Baby, don’t think about it. I’m going to take you for some ice cream, and we’ll watch princess movies all day.”

“I want to watch Beauty and the Beast. Can we watch that one, daddy? We have to get bubble gum ice cream, too!” She shouted in excitement through the phone.

“I can’t wait, Molly.”

“Mommy wants to talk to you. Bye, daddy.”

“Bye, baby girl. I love you
so
much.”

There was a brief moment of silence as I prepared myself from Sabrina, the witch from hell.

“How much?” A soft voice spoke into the phone. Oh, thank goodness it’s not Sabrina.

“To the moon and back, the entire universe. I love you that much.”

A smile brightened my face, and quickly turned into a frown.

“If you loved Molly that much, you aren’t going to have a problem with getting rid of Riley.”

I took a huge deep breath and relaxed a little before I responded. “Sabrina, what if I told you that you needed to get rid of Jeff before I would get rid of Riley? How does that make you feel? Huh?” I raised my voice a tad, as the anger began to set in. “Do you think it’s so hilarious to mess with people’s feelings, dragging their kid around like a damn pawn, trying to gain control over them?” I spat through clenched teeth. “Two things, Sabrina. One, it’s my life, and you can’t control it. Two, I am perfectly capable of raising Molly on my own if it came down to it. Don’t force me to take action just because you’re trying to make my life miserable. You heard our little girl and how much she adores me. Would you really want to break her heart? Don’t test me, Sabrina, I will fight, and you damn well know where I came from and damn well know what lawyers I’m capable of hiring. I’ll see you next week, Sabrina.” I ended the call.

This bitch had a lot of nerve thinking she could take my princess away from me. She already has her as far away as possible; she isn’t going to take her away from me completely. I will fight until the end, and I will make sure that Molly knows how much I want her in my life. I thought it was time to finally hire a lawyer.

I sped off in my Mustang and headed home to get some much needed rest. It had been a ridiculously busy ass weekend and I was beat. I wanted to see Riley so bad. I just didn’t know if she wanted to see me. Maybe I needed to focus on seeing Molly before I did anything else. I didn’t want anything to mess up my chances on seeing her next week. After all, it’s only a couple days away and she would be here. And I had to make it “Mollymazing.”

***

After a few days passed and I continued to let Riley have the space we both needed to figure things out, I was super excited. I hadn’t heard a word from Sabrina, but I should be seeing Molly today. I planned on showing up at her parents’ doorstep, and demanding my visitation. I knew Sabrina and Molly had been in town for two days, and had plenty of time for Molly to visit with her grandparents. Now it was time for her to see her daddy.

When I arrived at the home of Sabrina’s parents, I walked up to the door casually, with a big, bright, smile on my face. I rang the bell and Tracy, Sabrina’s mom answered.

“Dustin! It’s so nice to see you. I didn’t know you were coming by.” She shook her head confused.

I always got along great with Sabrina’s parents, and Sabrina always hated that. They knew I was a good dad to Molly, and that I was always there as much as I could be when they lived here. I can’t help but enjoy that it pained Sabrina how much her mother loved me.

“Nice to see you, too, Tracy. You’re looking great!” I looked over her shoulder and saw Molly running in the family room. “I actually came to pick up Molly. I’m having a father-daughter kind of day, and I was hoping she could spend the night with me. I can have her back late afternoon tomorrow.”

I watched as she ran her hand through her grey wavy hair and smiled at me. “I think that sounds fantastic. As you know, though, I’m not the Mom and it’s not my decision. I’ll do my best to persuade her, though. Molly can’t stop talking about you since she got here. It would give Sabrina a nice evening off as well.” She looked at me and raised an eyebrow, then yelled behind her. “Sabrina! Dustin is here to pick up Molly!”

Before seconds could even pass, I heard her running toward the door. “Where’s Molly?” She came stomping up looking around nervously.

“She’s with her pops in the family room. Don’t be rude to Dustin, Sabrina.” Tracy shot her a glare.

Sabrina looked right at me and narrowed in her eyes. “What are you doing here?” She enunciated every word, sounding extremely ticked off.

“I told you the other day that I would be coming to see Molly. I have some things planned for her, and I’m hoping she can spend the evening with me. I can have her back here tomorrow afternoon.”

She shook her head, “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

I sighed. Was I really going to have to call the police and demand my visitation?

“Listen, I’m asking nicely. I haven’t seen Molly in months. One night Sabrina, it’s all I’m asking.”

Just as I finished my last word, Molly came running around the corner and spotted me right away.

“Daddy!” She yelled and took off running toward me.

“Baby girl!” I looked at Sabrina, gave her a dirty look, then leaned down on my knee, and opened my arms wide as Molly plowed into me, almost knocking me over.

“Are you here to take me with you? I can’t wait to watch princess movies with you!” She squealed. She was my innocent little girl, wrapped up in a stressful predicament with her parents’ conflicts.

As I hugged Molly, I looked at Sabrina. There was no way in hell I would tell Molly yes, and then have Sabrina rip her heart open when she says no.

“Sweetheart, she deserves to see her father. Don’t you want a little alone time with Jeff or a night out on the town? Come on, let Molly do what she’s been nonstop talking about since she got here.” Tracy nudged Sabrina in the arm and she pulled back immediately as it pissed her off that her mother had sided with me.

“One night. I want her back by two o’clock tomorrow. Sharp, Dustin, no later than two and I mean it.”

“Yes, baby, go pack your bag. You’re going to spend the night with me. Make sure to give kisses goodbye to your grandparents, ok?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” She jumped up and down and took off down the hall.

As soon as Molly left the room, I beamed at Sabrina.

“May I have a word with you, alone, please?” I cracked my neck from side to side to release the tension that was starting to build up.