The Broken One (Corisi Billionaires, #1)(44)

I stuck my phone back in my purse. Ava was still blissfully swinging next to Charlotte. No matter how chaotic I felt on the inside, nothing else in my life was affected. And that was the way I needed to keep it.

A few minutes passed before I broke down and said, “Go ahead. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Erica cleared her throat. “You’re sure? Okay, then, you need to chill.”

I tipped my head back and looked at her through the corner of my eye. “Too much?”

She pinched the air. “Just a little. I’m not used to seeing you like this. You’re usually the calmest person in the room.”

Ava ran up for a drink of water. I held my response until she was once again out of earshot. “I’m not used to this side of me either. When I hear his voice, a part of me comes to life and I get . . . giddy? I guess that’s the only word for it. I feel this connection to him. It’s so real I can’t stop myself from getting excited . . . then whoosh, it takes a dip like a roller coaster, and suddenly I’ve had my feet knocked out from beneath me.”

She gave me a long look. “You do realize you didn’t give him time to say how he felt about Ava. Bob and I went to a counselor when we first got married because we would fight in circles about the same things over and over and over. She said we were talking at each other instead of to each other. I think you’re doing that with Sebastian. He’s talking. You’re talking. But do you have any idea what he’s saying?”

I watched Ava move to the sandbox with Charlotte and sighed. “I guess I don’t. You’re right. I jumped in without giving him a chance. I couldn’t hear him because I was so busy defending myself against what I was afraid he would say. I talked at him.”

Erica slapped her hands on her knees. “I should do this for a living. It took our counselor weeks to get us to see what we were doing.” She snapped her fingers in the air. “Five minutes. One session. Where should I send my bill?”

I smiled. “Well, Mrs. All-Knowing, tell me, what do you think Sebastian was about to say?”

“I have no idea,” Erica conceded. “Looks like you’ll have to call him back.”

I moved my purse to the other side of me. “No way.”

“Fine. Text him.”

“I’m sure he’s asleep again.”

“I’m sure he’s not. Give me your phone.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Were you serious about being okay with not having sex until you’re fifty?”

My mouth went dry. “No.”

“Then give me your damn phone and let me show you how it’s done.”

I didn’t budge.

She arched an eyebrow. “Afraid I’ll ruin your otherwise beautiful relationship?”

I tossed my phone at her. “Here.”

She placed it on her lap and cracked her knuckles before texting him.

Sorry. When it comes to my daughter, I get defensive.

Nothing.

“See, he’s not going to answer. Give me my phone back.”

Just then my phone dinged with an incoming message. You’re not the one who should apologize. I do have a rule about not dating women with children. It used to be because being around children reminded me too much of what I’d lost. I read the message and moved to take the phone. Erica held it out of my reach.

“He’s so broken,” she said, putting a hand over her heart. “I totally get what you see in him.” She texted: But now?

Sebastian: I’m realizing I’m not the man I was before.

Erica wiggled her eyebrows. “I hope he doesn’t mean the elevator no longer goes to the top floor.”

“His elevator?”

Erica motioned toward her crotch. “You know—his elevator. How disappointing would that be for someone who hasn’t had sex in—”

“Mom, I’m hungry,” Kevin said, and I went three shades of red.

“Me too,” Tyler added.

“We just ate,” Erica said.

“I’m growing.” Kevin flexed both arms like a bodybuilder.

Tyler mirrored his stance. “Me too.”

“I’m doing something important for Heather. Go play. We’ll go home in about fifteen minutes, and I’ll feed you again, I guess.”

Appeased, they trotted over to where Charlotte and Ava were playing.

“They’ll never make it fifteen minutes. We’ll have to do this fast. Now where was I? Oh yeah, we were hoping all his parts were still functioning.”

“You were hoping,” I corrected.

She rolled her eyes. “Honey, we don’t have time to work through your chronic denial syndrome. I need to think up the perfect answer.”

“You could ask him what that has to do with me having a child, because I doubt he’s talking about his elevator.”

“Good one.” She texted: What were you before?

He answered: Kind. Funny. Hopeful.

Erica: Then life dick punched you.

I gasped. “I would never say that.”

She shrugged. “If he’s afraid of the word dick, he’s too uptight to be any good in bed anyway. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Sebastian: That’s exactly what life did. And I didn’t handle it well. When I met you I thought I was ready to care about someone again, but I don’t want you to get hurt if I realize I have nothing left to give anyone.