Undo Me (The Good Ol' Boys #3) (33 page)

“How much of a fucking asshole you are!”

I turned to walk back inside, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me. The mere touch of his hand made my belly flutter and my heart pound. I peeked up at him through my lashes. I could tell he was fighting an internal battle with how to respond to that.

How to deal with me.

That was the hardest pill to swallow.

“I’m going to be in her life. Which also means I’m going to be in yours. Get used to it, because this
asshole
, isn’t going anywhere,” he bit.

I tried to pull my arm away, but he wouldn’t let me.

“What happened to you?” I blurted, needing to know.

He reached out and touched the promise, always charm dangling from my neck. For a second I thought he was going to rip it off.

“You, Aubrey. You happened to me.” With that he let go.

Leaving me with nothing, but the hold he still had on my heart.

It had been six months since I was released from prison. A few days after the beach, Jacob filled out all the paperwork in his office for us to share custody of Giselle. After we signed the papers I wrote Aubrey a check for child support to cover the last sixteen years. She fought me tooth and nail, claiming she didn’t want it or need it. We finally came to an agreement weeks later. She would open a separate bank account where all money concerning Giselle would go. A place I could deposit future child support checks that Giselle could use for college.

I was civil towards Aubrey, but to be completely honest we only spoke when it came to Giselle.  

And I damn well preferred it that way.

Since Lucas was a general contractor he was able to work out something with one of his realtors for me to be able to rent a house near Aubrey’s in South Port. I wanted to stay close to Giselle. It was a two bedroom, two and a half bathroom colonial style that had been upgraded with modern finishes and fixtures. It had a huge back porch with a pool and outdoor kitchen.

Giselle immediately started decorating her room as soon as I got the keys. My baby girl loved purple. We spent a whole weekend painting her room a deep shade and buying furniture for her room and the entire house. I had always been good at saving money and smart with investments that were still earning me income during my time in prison. I didn’t have to work for years to come, so it allowed me the liberty to try to get whatever was left of my life back on track, without worrying about finances.

I got Giselle every other weekend and one day during the week. Aubrey and I each got our own holiday, switching back and forth every year. Giselle stayed with me every summer.

Aubrey was right about one thing. My daughter was exactly like me. Strong willed, stubborn as all hell, cocky as shit, and said what she felt, not caring about other peoples feelings.

She was perfect in my eyes.

She sat on the couch when I walked in from the grocery store.

“Darlin’, can you help me with the groceries?”

She got up and walked out into the garage without saying a word to me, which wasn’t like her at all.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I got stuck in traffic, but I bought everything you like.”

She nodded, walking back into the house.  I grabbed her arm, stopping her. Obviously something was bothering her.

“Talk to me.”

She shrugged.

“Giselle,” I coaxed.

“I put away our laundry while you were gone.”

“Okay…” I let go of her arm to lean against the counter.

“I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

I tugged on the ends of her hair, trying to get her to smile. It usually worked, but today it didn’t.

“What’s wrong—”

“I’m fine!” she yelled in my face.

She left to go into the garage, leaving me standing there stunned by the turn of events. She never acted that way toward me before. We spent the entire weekend together and she barely said more than a few words to me. I swear one morning she looked like she had been crying all night. I paid extra close attention to her for the next few days, calling and texting her more often and most of the time she ignored my efforts.

“Hey, what’s up?” Aubrey answered her phone.

“Hey, how are you?”

“I’m good. I just got off work.”

Aubrey had gone back to school to get her certification in counseling. She was now helping battered women who were going through similar situations she had gone through. She said it helped her heal.

“How are things over there?” I asked, catching her off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“With Giselle. How is she actin’ with you?”

“I guess she’s been kinda quiet these last few days, but that’s normal, Dylan. She’s a teenage girl.”

“I think there’s more to it than that. She’s blowing me off, and I don’t fucking like it.”

“Hmm…”

“Say it.”

“I’ll talk to Giselle. I’ll see if I can get anything out of her. Better?”

“Much.”

“God, McGraw. It’s always a pleasure,” she sassed like the old Aubrey I once loved, and then hung up on me.

I was meeting Jacob for drinks at Half-Pint’s restaurant later that night. Lily was still the entertainment there and Jacob was just as pussy- whipped as he was before I was put away, waiting for her to get off to drive her home and shit.

“How’s the little man at home?” I questioned.

“Exhausting,” Jacob replied, peeling off the label from his beer.

I nodded toward what he was doing. “Damn, Jacob, been that long? Sexually frustrated, huh?”

He chuckled, “You prick. My sex life is on point. More than I can say for you. Haven’t seen any pussy around you since you been out. Makes sense though. I guess Bubba would be hard to replace.”

I grinned. “Jacob, you watch too many goddamn movies. Bubba doesn't exist, but Yolanda, my counselor. I tore that shit up.”

“Wouldn’t put it past you, bro.”

I took a few swigs of my beer.

“Don’t worry about me, Jacob. I don’t have a problem getting pussy. How do you know I’m not seeing someone right now and I just don’t want your sorry asses’ to meet her until I’m sure I want to keep her around.”

“How’s Giselle?” he asked, ignoring me.

“Going through some hormonal shit that I apparently don’t understand.”

He nodded. “And Aubrey?”

I shrugged. “Don’t ask, don’t care.” I placed my beer back on the table.

“So, if she was seeing someone that would be okay with you?”

I played off the impact of his words, instantly hating how it stirred up old emotions inside me. 

“Jacob, I don't care who she's spreading her legs for now. That ship’s been sailed too many times. Been there and fucked that.”

His eyes widened. “You may want to reconsider talking about her like that, asshole, she’s the reason you’re out four years early.”

I jerked back like he hit me. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I said a little too loudly.

He took a deep breath, shaking his head. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“The fuck I will.”

“Listen, it’s not my place to say anything.”

“Not your place as what, my lawyer or my friend?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Her friend.”

I slowly nodded. “I guess some things do change.”

“Or they stay the same. You’ve been playing this role for the last sixteen years, Dylan. It must be getting a little old. You gotta be getting a little tired.”

“The only thing I see that is old and tired here is you, but being pussy-whipped will do that to a man.”

“I’m not the one going home alone, dick.” He stood up. “You want to know the truth so bad then ask her. But prepare to eat your fucking words for ever thinking or talking about her like that.”

And with that he left.

“Hey, honey,” I said, walking into Giselle’s room. She was lying on her bed reading a book.

“Hey,” she replied, sitting up and scooting over for me to sit beside her.

“Good story?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“How’s school?” I asked, glancing at her.

“Fine.”

“Your friends?”

“The same.”

“Mason?”

She blushed, shrugging.

It was obvious to both Alex and I that Mason and her had a thing for each other. They never left one another’s sides since the day they met. I couldn’t blame her, he was as charming as Lucas was. We didn’t get involved, but if something were to happen between them, it was more than okay with us.

“So, it’s Mason that has you all quiet?”

She shook her head, playing with the seams of her tank top.

“Your dad says you’ve been ignoring him.”

She shrugged again.

“Honey, you gotta give me more than that.”

She took a deep breath, contemplating what she was going to tell me. “I was putting away our laundry at dad’s house the other day. I wanted to do something nice for him.”

“Okay…”

“I wasn’t snooping. I mean not entirely.”

I smiled, waiting for her to say she found a condom or a dirty magazine. That would have been typical to find with Dylan.

Nothing could have prepared me for the next words that came out of her mouth.

Not one damn thing.

“I found a black, velvet, ring box hidden in the corner of his sock drawer.”

All the blood drained from my face. My body instantly turned cold. 

“I didn’t even know he was seeing anyone. Did you?”

I shook my head unable to form words. My mind was instantly spinning in circles, trying to form coherent thoughts.

“I guess… I don’t know. I just guess I hoped you guys would find your way back to each other. Like Uncle Lucas and Aunt Alex or even Uncle Jacob and Aunt Lily.”

I did, too.

I sucked back the tears that so badly wanted to surface. I had to be strong for her, even though I wanted to break down and hate myself all over again for what I did to us.

This was all my fault.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” she wept, snapping me out of my daze.

I pulled her into my arms, laying her head on my lap to play with her hair.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, honey. It’s normal for kids to want their parents together,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

She sniffled, tears still falling down her face. “But you still love him.”

“Giselle…”

“You told me all the time when he was away. Just because you haven’t said it since he’s been out, doesn’t mean it’s changed.”

“There’s always going to be apart of me that loves your father. That’s never going to change, even if I’m with someone or he is,” I explained, dreading the words that came out of my mouth.

“I’m so mad at him. I’m so mad that he didn’t even let me meet her. Like my opinion doesn’t even matter.”

“Honey, I’m positive it’s not that. I’m sure he’s just waiting for the right time.”

“There’s never a right time to break my heart, Mom,” she cried.

“You’re so young. There’s so much you don’t understand.”

“What if she hates me and then she takes him away from me? I don’t want to lose him again when I just got him back.”

I wiped the tears away from her face. “That could never happen. He’s your dad, and that’s a bond no one can ever break.”

“Promise?”

I closed my eyes. Remembering every single time I said that to Dylan. Every. Single. Memory. Hitting me hard. Leaving me drowning in a sea of nothing but mistakes and regrets. 

“Always,” I whispered loud enough so she could hear me.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry you didn’t get your happily ever after,” she bellowed for me.

Taking the words right out of my mouth.

I spent the night with her head on my lap as I comforted her the only way I knew how. I let her cry for as long as she needed I let her cry for me, because I knew that if I cried for myself.