Страница 24 из 39
“Hey. Are you on the train yet?” I refused to give up the hope that he would be here today.
“Baby, I…” There was a pause, and it was then that any shred of hope I had left had evaporated into that silence.
“You’re not coming back today, are you?” My voice was flat as I answered my own question.
There was a pause before he answered. “Liv, I’m so sorry, honey. I hate to have to do this to you, but the client wants to finalize this entire deal by tomorrow. I thought we still had until next week. I’m so terribly sorry. Please don’t be upset.”
I was too disappointed to know how to respond.
“Liv, I promise we’ll celebrate your birthday when I’m back,” he pled.
You also promised you’d be back today, I wanted to say to him.
“Please say something.” I could hear the desperation in his voice, and I felt conflicted with how I felt. I was upset. I wanted him to know how upset I was that he’d broken his promise. But I was also afraid that if I said anything now in the heat of the moment, I’d regret it later.
“I’m not sure what to say, Co
“I know, baby. I was really looking forward to spending the day with you too. You have to know that I would much rather be spending the day with you out at Milburn Orchard and having a nice romantic di
I did believe him. I knew he had been working really hard lately. I knew the company was very important to him. And I knew this client was a big deal for the company. But none of that knowledge was enough to minimize the huge disappointment I felt inside. None of that knowledge was enough to bring back the hope I had felt for our relationship before this call.
“Liv, I know this isn’t an ideal situation.”
I frowned at how he chose to describe his broken promise.
But before I could say something, he continued, “So because I can’t be there to celebrate your birthday with you, I had Bill plan a special spa and shopping day for you. He’ll email you all the details and Jim will drive you around.”
I wasn’t sure why, but this made me even more upset. Not only was this not an ideal situation, but I found it offensive that Co
“That’s okay, Co
“Liv, baby, are you upset?”
That’s a dumb question. “Let’s just talk about this whenever you actually get back.”
Before he could say another word, I hung up on him, making it clear to him that I was upset, that what he did was not okay with me.
Part of me expected him to call me right back to apologize and make sure I was okay. But he didn’t. Instead, a few minutes later I received an email from Bill with an itinerary of my spa and shopping day he had pla
Dear Ms. Stuart,
Mr. Brady sends his deepest apologies for missing your birthday today. He has asked me to tell you that he understands that you may be a little upset, but he promises to make it up to you when he is back in Philadelphia.
I wish you a very happy birthday today. If you do not have anything pla
If there is anything else you’d like me to plan, please do not hesitate to ask.
Best regards,
Bill
I deleted the email from my inbox, unable to accept its existence for another second. As I sunk back down into the bed and under the sheets, I felt the heaviness of disappointment weigh down against my heart. I wanted to believe that due to this demanding client and the time-sensitive deal, Co
Then my phone began to ring, and I immediately thought it was Co
“Hey, A
“Happy birthday, Liv!”
“Thanks.”
“Well I know you’re about to go have a fun and amazing day with your loving fiancé, but I wanted to catch you before you guys left and wish you a happy birthday!”
A tear rolled down my face as I listened to A
“Thank you,” was all I could manage to say in response. I thought about telling her what had just happened moments ago, but something stopped me. My pride. I felt embarrassed and stupid, and I couldn’t bear to tell her that the day Co
“Well I don’t want to keep you. Call me tomorrow? You can tell me all about your fabulous day.”
“Sure, I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks for calling, A
I hung up the phone before my voice failed me. I bowed my head and felt sorry for myself. I was exhausted from the emotional roller coaster Co
I grabbed my journal from my bedside table and opened it. As the pen moved quickly across the pages, I was surprised by how easy it was to pour out my thoughts onto the page.
…Today is my birthday, and I’ve never felt more alone and scared in my life…
Just then, I was pulled into a new flashback.
“I’m home.” His words were slurred as I heard him stumble through the front door.
I looked up from my diary as he walked into the living room. “Hi dad. Are you okay?” I knew the answer to that question. From the way he was swaying in place and the smell coming from his clothes, I knew he had been drinking.
“Hey sweetie. How was school today? What did Mr. Stine teach you guys today?” He fell back against the couch and turned on the TV.
“Dad, Mr. Stine was my fifth grade teacher. I’m in sixth grade now. My teacher’s Ms. Botkins.”
He looked at me with glazed-over eyes. “Right.” He returned his attention to the TV.
“Liv? Did I hear the front door?” My mother came into the living room holding a basket of freshly folded laundry in front of her.
“Hey, baby. I’m starving. Can you cook me something?”
“Tom, where have you been all night?” Her voice was etched with anger.
“I’ve had a long day at work. I needed to unwind.”
“You said you would come straight home. You promised you wouldn’t go to a bar.” Her tone was reflected in her disapproving face.
“I’ve been dealing with bull shit all day, Laura. I don’t need bull shit from you too.”
“Language, Tom!” I watched my mother motion to me with a nod.
“She’s not a child anymore. She probably hears plenty of this at school.”