Mack Daddy(59)

The evening only got worse as I returned to Victor’s brownstone. Not that I should have expected anything to the contrary, considering I hadn’t even contacted him all day, and it was now nightfall. I knew I would be breaking up with him tonight and suspected he already knew that. In an effort to avoid the inevitable confrontation, I’d driven around for hours.

As soon as I walked in the door, he took one look at me and nipped any plans I had of explaining myself in the bud. Feeling like a teenager who’d gotten caught sneaking out of the house, I was sure I reeked of sex and guilt.

“You don’t have to say it, Francesca. I know you. I know what’s happening here. Just spare me the agony, okay?”

“I’m so sorry, Victor.”

Without looking at me, he said, “You can stay as long as you need to find a new place and figure out how to move your things. I’ve made up the guest room upstairs for you. There’s plenty of room here to give us space from each other.”

“Victor…”

He cut me off. “Please…there really is nothing left to explain. I don’t want to hear how you’ll always love me, how you never expected this, how you never meant to hurt me. It is what it is. I’ve been hurt before, and I survived. I’ll be okay. I’d like to end this with some dignity. Maybe I can at least convince myself I had some control over it.”

Fair enough.

“Okay…”

Choosing to respect his wishes, I had no energy to argue with him on that anyway—not after this day. His letting me stay in his house was beyond gracious.

Sleep evaded me that night. As I tossed and turned, a text from Mack came in shortly after midnight. I reached for my phone on the nightstand.



Mack: Are you awake?



Francesca: What happened? I’ve been waiting to hear from you.



Mack: I’m sorry. I’ve been at Torrie’s all night. I told her everything.



Francesca: What do you mean by everything?



Mack: Can I call you?



Francesca: Yes.



My phone buzzed, and I answered it.

“Hi.”

“So, I was brutally honest,” he said. “I told her that I’ve been in love with you for years. She needed to know that I didn’t risk my son’s well-being for some tawdry affair. I’m done living a dishonest life. Fucking done, Frankie.”

“Did Jonah overhear any of this?”

“I’m pretty sure he might have, even though he was in his room playing with his videogames. I have to have another talk with him separately. I promised her I wouldn’t mention anything to him about you yet.”

“What now? Where do we go from here?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at Victor’s. He ended it.”

“He ended it?”

“I was going to tell him everything as soon as I got home. But he already deduced what I was going to say. Not to mention, I’m pretty sure what happened between us was written all over my face. He’s set me up in a bedroom on the second floor until I can find another place. It seriously feels surreal.”

“You’re not staying there. Come home. I want you to live with me.”

“It’s really late. And honestly, I don’t think that’s a good idea because of Jonah. I can’t move in with you yet.”

He sighed into the phone. “I guess you’re right, but I really don’t want you with Victor. I’ll pay for a hotel if you leave sooner.”

“I promise it will be soon. I’ll start looking for a place tomorrow.”

He changed topics. “Listen, I got her to agree not to go to school officials.”

“How did you do that?”

“She’s pulling him out of St. Matthew’s. It was either that, or she was going to report you. Agreeing to take him out of your school was the lesser of the evils.”

I felt so badly for Jonah.

“That’s not in his best interest.”

“I realize that, but Frankie, he’ll be fine. You need that job, and you’re damn good at what you do. It’s the only choice right now. She’s pissed and capable of making serious trouble for you.”

“Where’s he gonna go to school?”

“I’m not sure yet. He might be home for a couple of weeks. But I’ll make it my priority to find a good placement for him. Don’t worry about that.”

“This is like the worst day of my life,” I muttered.

“Really? Because I’m still certain it was the best day of mine.”

“How can you still mean that after what happened?”

“Because I’m free. I don’t have to hide anything anymore. I don’t have to pretend that the woman who matters to me more than any other doesn’t exist. But mostly, it was the best day of my life because I finally made love to the girl of my dreams.”

“That really happened, didn’t it?”

“It did. Nothing and no one can take that away from us. It was f*cking amazing. I can still practically taste you. I need more, Frankie. I’m sitting here in bed like a f*cking animal in heat. Please let me come get you. I want you in my bed tonight.”