A Tattered Love (28 page)

I started to make some phone calls to get some things taken care of. Once things settled down, and I knew Abby had left for work, I headed back out and grabbed some boxes from the local store. I got a hold of Seth, and he was on his way with a rental truck. I was so grateful I could count on him any time I needed him. He was such a great friend. I was glad that he would be in the same town now, and could help me with this baby, too. His internship actually fell through so he wouldn’t be moving after all. I hadn’t filled him in on what was going on yet, but he said whatever it was we’d figure it out. I called Gram, and asked her to clean out the small guesthouse. It was more like a fancy garage turned into an apartment that she was going to rent to my mother, but that never worked out. It was practically brand new, and just needed to be cleaned. Gram never wanted to rent it out to just anybody because she just didn’t trust people. She was excited to know I was coming home, but I hadn’t dropped the bomb on anyone yet. Not that it was bad news, but it was something I was pretty sure no one would be expecting.

I pretty much had everything I wanted packed within a matter of hours. It was almost dinner, and all I had to pack were my dishes, and things in the kitchen cabinets. It was last on my list since I knew I had to eat dinner. Seth and I would be taking off in the morning. I wanted to pack up the truck tonight while everyone was sleeping, and take off early.. I know Dustin would be going to work early in the morning, and I planned to leave the note there for him to read, and then head out of town.

I texted him, and told him I’m exhausted, and I was heading to bed early. He told me ok, and that he loved me. Said he was going to play some ball with Evan, anyway.

I didn’t know if I was prepared for what was coming. I truly believed it was for the best.

***

Seth ran to me with open arms and embraced me in a huge warm hug. “I’m so glad to see you, baby girl!” He squeezed me tight.

“You don’t even know.” I hugged him back then pulled away with a big smile on my face. His boyfriend was right behind him.

“Meet Jermaine!” He introduced us.

Jermaine was handsome. He was tall, African American, clean-shaven pretty-boy face. He was thin, but very muscular and totally Seth’s type. It made me happy to know they were still together. I could tell he had brought him, not just to meet me, but also to help load the truck since I couldn’t do too much lifting. If Seth only knew.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Jermaine!” I gave him a warm hug since a handshake just wouldn’t seem right to me. Seth was like my brother, and there was no handshaking in this family! As I could picture Jermaine being my brother in law some day!

“Pleasure to meet you, Riley!” He returned the hug.

“Let’s get this over with, huh, guys?” I looked at them and smiled as I knew the last thing they wanted to do was move some girl seven hours back home.

“I have to know, what happened with Dustin, girl. He was like your main squeeze!” Seth punched my arm trying to dig for information.

Somehow, I knew he had a right, considering he just drove seven hours in a rental truck to pack me and move me back home. I let them walk into the apartment as I sighed, trying to figure out what the best way was to approach the subject.

“I’m pregnant.” I really had no other way to explain it, so why not be blunt? The look as Seth’s mouth dropped to the floor blew my mind. I seriously didn’t know what to expect to come out of his mouth after what I had just told him.

“Say something, please.” I looked at Seth with my puppy eyes.

“Dustin’s the father? Why are you leaving? He doesn’t want to support you? I’ll go kick his ass right now if you need me to.” He moved toward the door.

“Congratulations would have been nice. Since that isn’t the first thing on your mind. No, Dustin doesn’t know, and he can’t know. So please, just stop the investigation. This is my choice. It’s for the best, and I need
your
support, Seth.” A tear ran down my face.

“Baby girl, I’m sorry. It is congratulations. I just figured since you called me to take you home, it was bad news, and I just assumed you weren’t happy about it. I will support you, but you’re going to have to tell me why you’re doing this.” He sighed and walked over to me and put me back in his arms again. “You know I love you, girl. You’re my best friend. I’ll support you no matter what. Just tell me what happened.”

I guess I couldn’t hold the waterworks anymore, and I just started balling. I didn’t think I had it in me, and I thought that was a good enough sign that it was meant to be. I thought if I didn’t cry, I wasn’t that attached. Apparently, this place means more to me than I thought. Dustin means the world to me too, but there’s nothing I could do. I have to protect our child.

“His mom has made it real clear that I need to stay out of Dustin’s life, or she’ll make it happen. She threatened me twice within a week. Without Dustin’s knowledge. She’ll find me, and she won’t let me have this baby is what she said. I had to leave town now, or I’d regret it.” I leaned over on the couch and placed my head in my hands.

“You have to go to the cops. She’s threatening your life and the life of your baby! Riley, don’t let her control you!”

“Seth, she has so much money, she could own the police, for all I know. I’m not chancing anything. I just want to go home and do this on my own. I can survive. I know its best. Besides, Dustin is going through a custody battle right now with his daughter, and his ex put some crazy order of protection on me so I can’t be around his daughter. It just wouldn’t look good right now if I were pregnant. I just want the best for him, and leaving is the best thing to do.”

Seth looked at me with wide eyes then back to Jermaine then back to me. “You do know you sound like a crazy woman right now, right? You can’t possibly think Dustin wants this.” He scratched his chin. “Have you told him?”

I hesitated. “No,” I let out a deep breath. “I’m leaving a note tomorrow. It’s just what I have to do.”

“Well, I can’t tell you what to do. You’re an adult, and I’m backing you 100%. Let’s get these boxes moved. Riley, just plant your ass on the couch, and we’ll do it all. I don’t want you hurting yourself, or the baby. Oh, and by the way, I can’t wait to be Uncle Seth!” The smile grew wide on his face as he poked Jermaine to get moving with the boxes.

I didn’t just sit. I had to do something, so I helped organize how things went in the truck to make sure everything got packed accordingly, and nothing was going to fall and break. Everything had to be just right because this was a one-trip deal. No coming back. Everything had to fit.

***

Morning came bright an early, and I got little to no sleep. I knew this was going to happen, so I prepared myself. Especially, since I couldn’t have any caffeine. I wasn’t a happy camper. I headed over to the dealership and let Seth and Jermaine sleep a few extra minutes while I dropped this letter off. I took Coop with me and he was laying comfortably in the backseat. My nerves started to kick in, but I knew this was something that had to happen.

I walked into the dealership dragging my feet. I hoped he took this ok. Who was I kidding? I knew he wouldn’t. I saw Trevor, and that was my perfect timing!

“Trevor! Hey, can you give this to Dustin!” I handed him the note.

“Yeah, no problem! How’s the car treating you?”

“It’s great, I love it! Thank you. I have to go!” I turned on my heel and headed off as fast as I could.

“I’ll see you around!” He yelled as I exited.

No, he really wouldn’t. If he only knew what was in that note, he’d probably stop me from leaving himself. It was Dustin’s best friend. I’m sure he didn’t want to see him hurt either. I knew walking out those doors of the dealer would be a new life for me. A new life I wasn’t ready to take on alone.

** CHAPTER 19 **

Dustin

“Morning, Trev!” I glanced his way trying to shake my morning hangover.

“Hey, man. You just missed your girlfriend about two hours ago!”

I looked at him shaking my head and then focused my eyes on him. “My girlfriend? What do you mean?”

“Riley, dude. Here, she gave me a note to give you. I’m sure it’s some cute little girly note that girls like to do, you know?” He chuckled as he handed me the note.

I smiled as I opened it. The first sentence to catch my eye read
I can’t see you anymore.
My heart sank, and my knees weakened. Was this really happening? Was she dumping me in a letter? What the fuck was going on? I continued to read, and Trevor just stood there watching me as he started to look concerned. I glanced at him, and then took off toward my department. I walked in my boss’s office and told him I needed to go home. I couldn’t be there with this going on. I had to find Riley. I refused to read any more of the letter. I just needed to find Riley.

“Please, sir, I just need the day off. It's personal.” I begged.

“Dustin, you’ve been taking off work a lot lately, and I know it’s been because of your custody battle, but I can’t have you do this anymore. Either you stay and do your job, or you go home and lose it. I’m sorry.” He threw his hands up in the air with his ultimatum.

I had no choice. I needed this job. I had to think about Molly, too. I had to think that if I lost this job I could lose my case. Sabrina will eat me alive if I didn’t have a job for child support. I was lost, hurt, sad, and frustrated. Why would Riley do this to me? I was so pissed off right now. I stormed out of my boss’s office and into my office. I threw my stuff on the desk and stared at my phone. I knew I’d have a customer in like twenty minutes, and I had no time to think whether or not I should try calling her. My first instinct was to give her some space, but I didn’t know if that was a good idea right now. I can’t think. This was going to be a long stressful day ahead. I kept running my fingers over the screen on my phone contemplating texting her. Words just left me, and I felt speechless. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even read the rest of the letter because I know that I don’t really want to know. I did, but I didn’t. I was terrified. I had just lost the best thing I ever had with the exception of Molly, and I didn’t even really know why.

I decided to call Abby.

“Dustin, why are you calling me this early in the morning?” Abby yawned.

“It’s Riley. I need you to talk to her for me. Please, she just dumped me, and I can’t take off work, or I’ll be fired. Just please talk to her tell her that she made a bad choice. Please, Abby. Go up to her apartment and talk to her for me.” My voice cracked slightly.

“Whoa, whoa, wait, what? She dumped you? How? When? Why? Are you ok? What happened?” She interrogated.

“Please, just ask Riley all those questions. Interrogate her. She came to my work and left Trev a note for me. I guess a couple hours before I got in. This came out of nowhere Abby. Just, please. See if she’s ok.”

“I will. Hang in there, Dustin. I’ll go right now.”

“Thanks, Abby. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.”

I ended the call and tried to move on with my day. I took my first customer and handed the car over to the mechanic. Easy ticket, just an oil change. Before I could even write the ticket up, Abby called me back.

“Hello?”

“Dustin, oh my god.” She sounded out of breath.

“Oh my god what? Abby what’s wrong? Did something happen to Riley? Abby say something!” I shouted into the phone.

“She’s gone! Riley’s gone! Her apartment is empty the door was unlocked, I walked in, and it was empty! I thought I got the apartment number wrong, but it was right—209—and it’s empty!” She cried.

“What the fuck do you mean it’s empty? It’s got to be the wrong apartment check again, damn it!” I started pacing my office.

“Dustin, she’s gone. I don’t know where she went. How did she move all by herself? Oh my god, why did she leave, Dustin? Where would she go?”

I stared at the wall. I was clueless. The woman I loved, and I didn’t even have the slightest clue where she would go if she did leave. I’m such a horrible boyfriend. Ex boyfriend. I don’t even know what I am anymore. How could she just up and leave?

“I don’t know, Abby. I don’t know.”

“Dustin, what did the letter say?” She shouted at me.

Abby sounded mad, but she sounded frightened, too.

“I don’t want to read it because it can’t be true.”

“I’m coming there right now.” She ended the call.

I couldn’t focus. I’m sure my boss could tell that I was off in my own world. I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t let me go home. I understand I haven’t been in a lot lately, but you’d think he’d understand that staying here isn’t helping me concentrate any better on my work. Thankfully, there were not a lot of appointments today so it should be a slow day. The slower the better, then I could just sit in my office and act busy.