Chapter 9
Ryder’s face went through about five different emotions before settling on this sarcastic smirk:
“Real smooth lie, Jess. That’s the best you could come up with?”
“So you’re doing blind dates and you have a boyfriend? Which story am I supposed to believe?”
Both were actually true, but I wasn’t about to explain this to my ex-husband.
I turned to go inside, but he caught my elbow.
A couple neighbors were definitely getting an earful, so I reluctantly let him follow me upstairs.
My parents were prepping dinner when Dylan opened the door.
He looked like he’d stepped out of a J.Crew catalog in his cream cable-knit sweater.
He took one look at Ryder and his grin got even wider: “Hey gorgeous, you’re back early.”
Then he kissed me like Ryder wasn’t even there.
watched Ryder’s jaw clench.
Dylan was totally doing it on purpose, because he immediately switched to this fake-polite tone: “You must be the ex. I’ve heard so much about you.”
mma was zooming around the living room on her little push-car.
tyder tried to assert some parental authority by pulling out a stuffed unicorn from his bag:
Emma, sweetie, I’m your daddy. Can you give Daddy a hug?”
he looked at him for about two seconds before completely melting down, grabbing the unicorn and beating him with it while sobbing.
You’re not my daddy! My daddy has to be nice to Mommy first!”
tyder just knelt there getting attacked by a three-year-old with a plush toy, looking like his whole world was crashing down.
ylan scooped Emma up and started bouncing her: “Hey Em, want me to be your new daddy?”
he hiccupped and nodded: “Yes please.”
he testosterone level in the room was off the charts.
efore someone threw a punch, I stepped in: “Okay, you’ve seen her, you brought your gift. Time to go.”
yder’s voice was tight: “You’re really that desperate to get back to playing happy family with your college boyfriend?”
hat’s when Mom emerged from the kitchen: “Oh Ryder! It’s New Year’s Eve-you should stay for dinner!”
laturally, he accepted.
While he was in the bathroom, Mom pulled me aside for her usual lecture about “giving love another chance.”
Jessica, honey, you’re twenty-eight. Listen to someone who’s been married for thirty years-every relationship takes work.”
Men like Ryder don’t stay on the market long. Some other smart woman will grab him and you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what if.”
Dylan’s going to grad school in England next month anyway. You think you can handle long-distance with that age gap and Emma in the picture?”
Ryder obviously wants to try again. I’ll stop setting you up if you just consider this. Think about Emma having her real father around…”
Everyone thought I was insane.
My parents, my friends, probably half the reunion.
They couldn’t understand why I’d left a husband who never cheated, never hit me, never gambled away our savings.
They couldn’t grasp why I wouldn’t jump back into his arms now that he was rich and successful and apparently ready to “commit.”
To them, Ryder was the perfect catch-the genius CEO, the devoted son-in-law, the charming dinner guest.
Only I knew him as the husband who made me feel invisible in my own marriage.
Dylan was different.
For the first time in my life, I understood what it felt like to be someone’s priority. To have a partner who actually wanted to know what I was thinking.
