“I have to check my calendar,” she says and leans her face on my arm.
“Dude, get your hands off my wife. You have your own girl.”
“I don’t know,” Mer says, playing along. “I think they make a cute couple.”
“You’re not supposed to encourage him,” Luke says, glaring at Mer.
“You know you prefer me,” I continue. Livie is watching us avidly, turning her gaze from her mom at my side to her dad, who is now leaning on the kitchen counter glaring at me.
“Mmm…” Natalie acts like she’s thinking it over, then shakes her head. “No, I’m still gonna stick with him.” She points to Luke and then pats my arm consolingly. “You have a better option over there anyway.”
“I guess our love was never meant to be,” I say, my voice full of drama.
“I guess not.”
“You’re all sickening.” Sam rolls her eyes. “Seriously, run while you still can, Mer. They’re all a bunch of crazies.”
“I think I’ll stay,” Mer says with a laugh. “I kind of like it.”
Yes, for the love of all that’s holy, stay.
“My kind of girl.” I kiss Mer’s cheek and lower Liv into her lap on my way back to the kitchen. I busy myself chopping vegetables for the salad, listening to the girls chatter and laugh. Luke and Leo are talking about a mutual friend in LA. Dad is seasoning the steaks for the grill.
I glance over at Mer to find her watching me with sober eyes, her lips tight. What is she pissed about?
Before I can ask her, Mom stands, lowers Keaton into his portable crib and gestures to the girls. “I want to show you girls my garden.”
“Will you guys listen for Keaton? We’ll take Liv with us,” Nat says.
“Sure, baby. Enjoy.” Luke smiles at his beautiful wife as the girls file out the patio door to the back yard.
Meredith won’t meet my eyes.
What the fuck just happened?
Chapter Thirteen
~Meredith~
“My kind of girl.” Mark kisses my cheek and lowers Liv gently onto my lap before joining the others in the kitchen. Liv looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Your name?” she asks with her sweet little voice.
“Meredith,” I reply.
“Meme,” she replies and smiles widely, then slaps her hands on the table and glances over at her mama. “Hi, Mama!”
“Hi, baby,” Nat says and smiles at her daughter.
“What are you packing for this weekend in Vegas?” Sam asks us.
“Are we doing formal stuff?” I ask and brush my fingers through Liv’s fine brown hair.
“Maybe. I don’t really know what the plan is,” Nat says with a shrug. “I’ll probably bring a cocktail dress and heels, just in case. I’m definitely taking my bathing suit so we can lounge by the pool.”
“I hate you for just having a baby a few months ago and you already have your pre-baby body back.” Sam glares at Natalie.
“I’m telling you,” Nat says with a grin. “It’s the yoga.”
“You do yoga?” I ask eagerly. “I’ve been trying to find a class since I moved back.”
“I teach a class,” Nat says. “You should come.”
“Awesome.”
“Well, I’m not taking yoga,” Sam says.
“You don’t need it,” Leo calls from the kitchen. Sam blows him a kiss.
“Okay, so something nice and a bathing suit,” I say and mentally thumb through my closet. “I guess I’ll take some jeans and tops too.”
“Yeah, bring a little of everything,” Sam says with a nod.
“How are you doing, Meredith?” Lucy covers my hand with her own and offers me a kind smile. She was always so nice to me, and the feel of her hand on mine reminds me of my mom and I’m caught in the grip of grief so quickly, I didn’t see it coming. My chest aches with a longing I’ve become used to feeling, but I keep the tears at bay and offer Lucy a smile.
“I’m doing well. The studio is doing great.”
“It’s such a joy to be able the spend time with you again,” Lucy says and pats my hand before turning her attention to Liv, who’s trying to squirm out of my lap so she can climb into Lucy’s.
Before I can respond, I see the screen on Mark’s phone light up at my elbow. I glance down to see a message from someone named Tami.
It’s been a while, sexy. Tonight work for you?
Seriously? He has women still calling him for booty calls?
I want to confront Mark right now, but now is not the time. We’re with his family, for crying out loud.
It’ll have to wait for later. We need to have that talk anyway.
Sam catches my eye and offers me a supportive smile. She obviously saw the text too. I just shrug, smile bravely and do my best not to stab Mark in the arm with the knife he’s currently using to chop the salad.
Just as I lift my glass to take a sip of my wine, Mark’s screen lights up again, but this time it’s from someone named Marcy, and it’s a photo.
Of her motherfucking tits.
Are you fucking kidding me?
“Man whore,” Sam mumbles and shakes her head. I don’t think I could confront him right now without killing him if I tried.
My skin suddenly feels clammy and I’m seeing red.
“I want to show you girls my garden.”
“I could use some fresh air,” I respond immediately. Maybe I’ll be able to breathe through the fury so I can talk with Mark calmly. But just then, the screen comes to life again, the way they do when you haven’t checked the last message that came in, reminding you it’s there, and I get a second look at Marcy’s double-D’s.