Jilted (20 page)

She shook her head. “He didn’t know before he came over but he knew by the time he left.”

“Then why did he stop by?”

“Actually, he’d come by my office earlier that week but I ducked out. That’s probably why he decided to track me down at my house. He wanted to warn me off from you. He basically tried to threaten me if I didn’t stop seeing you.”

Jeremy pounded his fist on the table. “That son of a bitch. He came by my office and basically tried to warn me against seeing you.”

“He did?”

“Yes. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to upset you. He said some pretty harsh things.”

“Jeremy, I never meant to come between your friendship with Ashley.”

“Trust me, that man is no longer a friend of mine. A real friend would trust me enough to make my own decisions and then wouldn’t try to pull stunts like that. I swear if I didn’t know any better I would think he was doing this out of jealousy instead of some deranged sense of duty.”

Skylar shook her head in confusion. “I doubt that’s the case. How can he be jealous if he never really cared about me? I just find his behavior so weird. I haven’t seen him in years and he’s still so angry over something that didn’t happen.”

“I thought the same thing as well, but to be perfectly frank, when he was telling me those horrible things about you, I got the sense that he actually believed what he was saying. He didn’t seem disingenuous. If I didn’t know the kind of person you are, I might have believed him.”

That was one of things about the whole situation that bothered Skylar about Ashley’s break up with her; he’d been operating as if he was the victim. For a long time she believed that he’d come up with those fake pictures as an excuse to dump her, but the way he acted about them was so over the top that she questioned if maybe he had somehow been duped. If that was the case, where did those pictures come from?

Quickly she dispelled that thought. It didn’t matter. Five years had passed and nothing could change the past. What was important now were the children. And if Ashley was genuinely interested in in having a relationship with them then she’d have to figure out a way to successfully co-parent. Beyond that, she wanted to be left alone. “It doesn’t matter what his motivation is. I have the children to think about.”

“That sounds reasonable. So what exactly happened when he came over?” Jeremy released her hand to take a drink from his wineglass.

“Well, as I already said he came by to warn me off but I wasn’t having it. After our encounter at the banquet, followed up with him tracking me down at my office, there isn’t anything I wanted to hear from him. He told me to stay away from you and then I told him where he could go. Our voices were raised and Tristan heard us because he came downstairs.”

“And that’s when Ashley saw him?”

“Yes. He looked at Tristan as if he’d seen a ghost. He figured out right away that Tristan is his son.”

“The resemblance is uncanny. Honestly, when I first met the boys I thought they looked familiar and knowing that Ashley is their father it makes sense. So then what happened?”

“All that righteous indignation he’d come with suddenly disappeared and he was visibly shaken. He said he wanted to see them but I convinced him to leave after I handed him a photo of the kids. Before he left he said he’d be in touch. I haven’t heard from him since then but it was only a couple days ago so we’ll see what happens. Look, Jeremy, when I agreed to come out with you tonight, it wasn’t to talk about Ashley. Can we change the topic?”

A slight smile crossed Jeremy’s lips. “Of course. So how is work? You don’t talk about it much.”

“That’s because I like to leave work where it belongs, in the office. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. Criminal law can be rewarding and soul-crushing at the same time.”

“How so?”

Skylar folded her hands and rested her chin on them. “I chose this wing of the law because I wanted to help people. Our justice system is great, but it’s flawed. It favors the rich while poor and disadvantaged people get the shaft. I wanted to provide the best representation I could for my clients. I’ve represented some people that society has written off as lost causes, but being able to either get them off the hook or plea down to a very minimal punishment gives them a chance to turn their lives around. When I was still a public defender, one of my first cases was this kid who just made a series of poor decisions by hanging out with the wrong people. He was essentially a good kid. I saw a lot of myself in him. He came from a single mother household and had a younger brother. He took odd jobs to help out here and there and got good grades. This kid was facing ten years in prison for what someone from a wealthier background would get a slap on the wrist for. I fought for him and made sure he wasn’t thrown in the system for the rest of his life. I received a letter from him a few months ago, thanking me. He’s in his second year of college and he wants to go to law school when he graduates.”

“That’s an amazing story. Sounds like the kid was lucky to have you for an attorney. You hear so many horror stories about public defenders and that they’re no good.”

“But that isn’t true. The problem with the public defender system is that the lawyers are overworked and underpaid. I can’t tell you how many times when I used to get cases thrown at me at the last minute because someone quit or there were budget cuts. In a lot of instances, I wasn’t given much time to prepare for court. Trust me; many court-appointed attorneys are just as good as those fancy lawyers who get paid to have lunch.”

“I believe you. I never thought of it from that perspective. And what’s the soul-crushing part of the job?”

Skylar sighed. “Well, not all of my clients are innocent but I still have to do defend them as vigorously as the ones who I think aren’t guilty.” She couldn’t speak of her cases in specifics, but one that was weighing heavily on her mind recently was the Brady Solomon case. She was certain that he was innocent at the time that she defended him but there were two more bodies found, killed in the exact same way as the other ones. That alone wouldn’t have raised red flags had she not been getting cryptic messages from him. If it came to the point where he called upon her to defend him, Skylar wasn’t sure if she’d say yes. The guy made her feel uneasy.

“I think every job has its ups and downs, like mine. In my opinion, there’s no greater high than saving a life. I love that feeling of looking a family member in the eyes and telling them that their loved one will pull through. I enjoy seeing my patients make full recoveries. But the downside is, losing someone you fought so hard to save. You carry something like that with you.”

“I can imagine.”

“Skylar!” Someone called from the other side of the restaurant.

She looked around to see Monica walking toward them with a date in tow. Skylar perked up. “Hey, I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

Monica flung her auburn hair over her shoulder. Her slinky dress clung to her body like a second skin, and judging from the way her gentlemen friend couldn’t stop staring at her ass, he liked what he saw. Her friend never did things at half measure. “Oh, yeah, girl. This is the place to be so I decided to let Billy here take me out so we can try it for ourselves.”

“Brian,” Monica’s date corrected.

Monica smiled at the man and patted him on the cheek. “Of course you are, sweetie.” She then returned her attention back to Skylar. “So I see that you two haven’t gotten your meals yet. Have you already ordered?”

“No. We haven’t.”

“Oh, that’s great. We’ll join you. It will be fun, like a double date.”

Skylar stole a glance at Jeremy who kept his expression neutral. “Uh, well, Jeremy and I were looking forward to a quiet evening.”

Monica waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, you two will have plenty of nights together. I rarely get to see my girl anymore. You’re always busy doing this and that.” Skylar loved her friend dearly, but sometimes Monica could be a bit overbearing.

Skylar and Jeremy’s table was large enough to accommodate four people. It was the type of arrangement that had a booth on one side and two chairs on the other, with Skylar taking the booth. Instead of sliding in beside Skylar, Monica took the chair next to Jeremy forcing Brian to seat next to Skylar.

Monica grinned. “Now isn’t this cozy?”

Skylar’s hopes for an intimate meal flew out the window. Most times she didn’t mind her best friend’s company but tonight wasn’t one of those moments. For the majority of the meal, Monica dominated the conversation, flirting with both men at the table. Brian seemed to eat it up, while Jeremy merely smiled. Skylar didn’t take Monica’s antics personally. She was like that with every man she came across. She couldn’t help herself. It was harmless fun to her. Skylar was mildly amused because if nothing else, Monica was entertaining. By the end of the meal, Skylar excused herself to the restroom.

Monica was at the mirror repairing her makeup when Skylar came out of the stall. She went to the sink to wash her hands. “Brian seems nice,” she began conversationally.

Monica waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, he’s okay.”

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic about him.”

“Well, it’s hard to get excited about a used car salesman. Besides, he’s kind of boring. I would have turned him down for tonight if I weren’t in the middle of a dry spell.”

Skylar stared at her friend in surprise. “I find that hard to believe. You never run out of dates.”

Monica shrugged. “True. But I’ll be 31 soon and this ass and these breasts won’t stay firm forever. I’ve been thinking about settling down a lot lately.”

“Wow. Is this the same girl, who said there were too many men in the world to just choose one?”

Monica nodded. “The one and the same. I guess this is what they call maturing. It kind of sucks.”

“So what brought this decision on?”

“Maybe it was my last visit with you and the children. They’re such sweethearts. They got me to thinking what it would be like if I had a couple of my own but I don’t want to do it alone.”

“Well, if you’re looking to find that one, I support you in your decision, but I know how picky you can be. If a good guy comes along, don’t be afraid to give him a chance.”

“You’re right. And I’m glad you’re finally taking your own advice. It’s good to see you out with Jeremy. I always thought you two would be cute together. He’s a little too square for my taste but he’s just your speed.”

“Uh…thanks, I think.”

“Don’t take it like that. What I meant was you’ve been through so much because of what that jerk Ashley did to you. Jeremy seems like a nice guy. I don’t think he’s the type who would deliberately set out to hurt you.”

Skylar snorted. “I never thought Ashley would be that kind of guy, either.”

“Well, he was a little more edgy than Jeremy.”

“And edgy guys are more your speed?”

“Definitely—but not Ashley, of course.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Speaking of that asshole, any new developments since he came to your office?”

“Yeah, he came to my house.”

“What!” Monica squawked, making an older woman standing at one of the other sinks to jump.

“When did that happen and why didn’t you call me immediately afterwards?”

“Because it only happened a couple days ago and I’m still trying to process it.”

“Wow. You told him to go away, right? He didn’t find out about the children, did he?”

“He came by to warn me off of Jeremy. I told you that those two were old college buddies. But before I got around to giving him a piece of my mind, Tristan appeared and when Ashley saw him, there was no denying that he was the father.”

“And now what? You can’t allow him back into your life or around the kids. The man is toxic. He’ll only hurt you again.” There was so much vehemence in Monica’s voice that it was almost as if she was the one who had been wronged. But Skylar figured it was because she cared. Her friend’s reaction was similar to her mother’s and Izzy’s.

“Monica, I can’t deny him access to his children. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Fair? Are you crazy? He humiliated you and broke your heart. It took you years to pull yourself back together. Jeremy is the first guy you’ve dated since him. Mark my words; if you allow him near your kids he’ll break their hearts too.”

“That’s what has me worried, but Monica, legally I don’t have a leg to stand on if he decides to take me to court.”

“Fuck legality! Don’t do it!”

For a second her friend seemed almost unhinged. Skylar grabbed her by the forearms. “Monica, calm down. You’re going to have to trust that I know what’s best for my children. I appreciate that you care about me and that means so much to know that you’ll always have my back, but you have to let me make my own decisions.”

Monica pursed her lips and pulled out of Skylar’s hold. “Fine, it’s your life, but don’t come crawling to me to complain about Ashley because I don’t want to hear it. That man is a liar and an asshole. You can use the kids as a reason for inviting him back into your life but we both know the truth. You’re still in love with him.” Monica yanked her purse up and stormed out the door, leaving an open-mouthed Skylar behind.

By the time Skylar returned to the table, Brian and Monica were gone.

Chapter Seventeen

Ashley took a deep breath before he contacted Skylar’s office. This was the only number he had since they didn’t exchange personal information. He told her he’d be in touch but it had taken him a few days to get past what his mother had done to him. He never thought she was despicable enough to turn her back on her own grandchildren.

“Fine Law Office, Gina speaking. How may I direct your call?”

“Is Ms. Brown available?”

“She’ll be leaving for court shortly and is not taking calls today. May I take a message for you?”

“Actually, if you could see if she can spare a few minutes of her time I’d appreciate it.”

Gina paused for a moment. “Well, Sir—”

“Tell her it’s Ashley Hollingsworth. I stopped by your office the other week.”

“Oh, Mr. Hollingsworth!” There was a great deal more enthusiasm injected into her voice. “I’ll see if she’ll take your call.”