“What did you think?” Ryan demanded, advancing on Libby and ignoring Alice.
“Stop it,” Libby said harshly, as Alice paused to scoop up some snow. “You get to say whatever you want in parking lots, is that it? But I’m not allowed to speak?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You must be as crazy as they say.”
Libby’s pulse ticked up. She took a deep breath. “You told me twice, in parking lots, that you were sorry,” she said. Alice was approaching, making Libby panic a little. “What does that mean, exactly?”
“What is the matter with you?” Ryan hissed, looking her up and down.
“I want to see the kids, Ryan. Alice has been calling—they miss me, too, you know.”
Alice suddenly slipped into their midst and threw her arms around Ryan’s leg. “Daddy!” she said gleefully, and then saw Libby. “Libby!” she shrieked, and darted around Ryan to throw her arms around Libby.
“What are you talking about?” Ryan exclaimed angrily.
Libby could taste the sourness in her throat now.
Looking baffled, Ryan stared at his daughter. “Alice,” he said, crouching down beside her, “have you been calling Libby?”
“No,” Alice said emphatically.
The sourness in her rose up on a swell of humiliation. Libby suddenly understood, suddenly realized that her fantasy of a happy medium had impinged on her common sense. Her suspicions that Alice didn’t have permission to call were right. Alice was generally a truthful child, but she was still a child. And yet Libby had pushed down those suspicions to have what she wanted—some contact with her.
“Alice,” Ryan said, peeling his daughter from Libby’s leg, “Don’t you ever call her.”
“I didn’t!” Alice cried.
“Ryan, don’t,” Libby said frantically. “It’s okay—I misunderstood.”
“You misunderstood?” he said, rising up again to face her. He was angry; his brown eyes had gone almost black. “What part did you misunderstand, Libby? I’ve tried everything to get through to you. Alice, go to your mother,” he said, pointing in Gwen’s direction.
“Daddy—”
“Go,” he said more forcibly.
He turned back to Libby as Alice scampered away. “What the hell do I have to do to get through to you that it’s over?”
“Good God, I know that it’s over,” Libby said. “I just want to see Max and Alice—”
“I thought I could appeal to you on the basis of friendship, ask you nicely to leave me the hell alone—”
“Friendship!” Libby repeated, rattled by the notion.
“Yeah, I know. Stupid,” Ryan said, nodding angrily. “I should have known that wouldn’t work. You’re too damn needy.”
Libby mentally stumbled over the grain of truth in that statement. That she was standing here, wanting something from a man who had so thoroughly wronged her was pretty good evidence.
Ryan shifted closer, glaring down at her, his glare oddly veiled by gently falling snow. “So let me tell you as plainly as I can—there is nothing left of us. Nothing. I don’t want you anywhere near me or my kids, do you get that? Don’t come around us! You’re not their mother, you’re not their aunt, you’re nothing! You’re nothing to them and you’re nothing to me!”
That was a punch right in the soft belly.
“Here’s the God’s honest truth, Libby. The only reason I ever dated you is because I needed a goddamn babysitter. That’s it—I needed someone to watch my kids. And you messed that up about half the time.”
“That is not true,” she said, her voice made breathless by such a vile statement. “I held this family together.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Ryan spat. “Why didn’t you tell Alice to stop calling? Why didn’t you text me to tell me she was calling you? Because it’s all about you, isn’t it? You think you’re doing something noble and worthy for my kids, and the truth is that you couldn’t possibly be worse for them if you tried.”
“Me?” Libby said, and suddenly shoved Ryan in the chest, surprising him. “If I was so bad for them, why did you leave them with me while you were betraying us, huh? You’re saying these things to appease your own guilty conscience, Ryan. You know what a lying bastard you are”—Libby was startled by a hand to her shoulder; she whirled about, expecting Gwen—
“Good, I’m glad you’re here, Sam,” Ryan snapped. “I’m done. I’m done being nice.” He shifted his gaze to Libby again. “You know what? You aren’t going to see these kids again. Ev-er! Go babysit someone else’s kids because mine don’t need you around.”