Shit!
Almost two months. That was how long it had been since I last saw Zoey. This shit was getting out of control. My vacillating decision to keep my distance was driving me crazy. There was so much I wanted to discuss with her. So badly I wanted to clear the air. Countless things changed since Thanksgiving, Jenna being one of them. Since that night I’d called, text, emailed, and sent messages through her mother. I just needed to get to her, but she put up that damn wall again since I left her apartment the night Jenna showed up.
I learned last month through a third party how Zoey signed JR up for indoor winter t-ball with a damn association I had no relationship with. Did I expect her to know Stenton Rogers’ son cannot play sports with just any association? No, but had she consulted me like parenting partners should, I could have explained this to her. She wouldn’t take my calls, so I had to have Chesney be sure that Zoey canceled his registration and signed with another league. She didn’t like that. Instead Zoey sent back a message of “Never mind. He won’t play at all now.”
What the fuck!
Last week, I got lucky when she replied to a text I sent her, asking for dinner tonight. I told her I’d arrange the sitter since Eligia was off. I just needed to talk to her. She finally acquiesced…all for this bullshit to pop off! I snatched my coat from the closet and ran out the door. I was getting through to her tonight. We would be talking like adults for once.
On my way to the car, I called Chesney, giving him the details of this bullshit that just blew up. All of that to learn he’d already gotten notification from Jackson and his PR team. They’d been strategizing when I called. As I pulled out of my garage all I could think was “Thank fuck something’s going right tonight!”
I struggled through the holidays, especially Christmas and New Year’s Day. As I always did, I spent Christmas with the Barretts. It was, by far, the most awkward experience in the history of my knowing Zoey. Little did I know, it was the beginning of the end of a new era in my life regarding relationships. I don’t know why I didn’t expect it. It was certainly something I’d been allowing to spin out of control for too long.
Zoey spoke very little to me, barely paid two glances my way on Christmas morning. My gift to her wasn’t welcomed to put it lightly. The response was explosive on her behalf. Everyone was in the living room in Alpine, waiting on her to finish opening her gifts. Zoey was last because it took Sarah some time to summon her from cleaning the kitchen to join her family in gift opening. I must mention, we had staff to clean the kitchen this year, something I’d opted for to give the Barrett women a break.
Zoey opened the square shallow gift box containing the keys to a BMW M6 Convertible. Her doe eyes rolled from it up to me, expression deadpan.
“I don’t need a car.” She cleared her throat. “If I did, I’d buy my own. I’m perfectly capable.”
I wet my lips, needing a moment to come up with an appropriate response. Out of all the years I’d known Zoey, she’d never given rebuff when I splurged on her. This was a relief for me because I’d always felt the need to overcompensate for my malefactions over the years. I glanced over to Jordan, who stared at his mom just as tentatively as everyone else in the room.
“This isn’t about a need, Zo.” I measured my tone and words.
“No, it isn’t, because if I had any of the financial nature, you’d handle them, right? You have your people on the sidelines, waiting for my pleas. Waiting to catch my every stumble and fall, to pick me up, patch me up like I’m brand new and send me back on my closely monitored journey, all masterminded by you, right?” Zoey’s eyes were hard, expectant.