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Rain
My blood boils when Mike tells me about his ex-fiancée. So much for trying to be a better person.
“What do you mean she’s going to live here?”
“Not here. Downstairs.”
“Same thing.”
“No, it’s not.” He finishes burping Arlene and sets her down on a blanket on the floor. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to argue with her in his arms. When is this kid going to start dealing with real life?
“How are you going to help with the baby when Aimee will need you all the time? And I’m not going to start taking care of her when you’re at school. Arlene is more than enough.”
Mike marches across the room to his desk and opens his laptop. “I won’t be at school.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re right. I can’t do all of it, so I’m taking the semester off.”
“What about money?”
“We’ll be fine.” He begins typing.
“What are you doing?”
“Emailing my principal and my superintendent.”
I remember the money Mike promised me if I delivered the baby. “Give me my ten thousand dollars now.”
Mike spins about in his chair. “You must be out of your mind!”
“It’s my money. You said I could do what I want with it.”
He stands. He’s taller than Chase and intimidating. “You lost that when you died. And you doubly lost it when you caused Shirlene to die so you could come back.” His hands are shaking.
Still, I don’t back down. I’ve handled his drug-fueled little brother. I can manage this jerk. “That’s not fair.”
“I’ll tell you what’s not fair. The woman I love is gone, and you’re back. You’re lucky I don’t throw you out. You’ve got a roof over your head and food to eat because of my generosity.”
“The law is on my side. I’m the mother of the baby. You can’t throw me out without throwing out Arlene, and you won’t do that.”
“A mother with a terrible reputation.”
“But your precious Shirlene changed everything. Now I have a good track record.”
He laughs. “And who would attest to your ‘good’ record? What a joke.”
He has a point, so I shift gears. “You need someone to take care of Arlene. You may be Mr. Perfect, but even you can’t manage an infant and an invalid.”
“Don’t call Aimee that.”
“But you follow my drift.” I watch him put two and two together.
“Fine.” He sits and goes back to his email.
“‘Fine,’ I can have my ten thousand?”
“Absolutely not. Shirlene closed the account and put the money back into my account. She canceled your credit card too. Now I need the money since I won’t be working for a few months.”
Well, it’s clear I’m not getting the money right now, but I’ll find a way to weasel it out of Mike.