Unlucky in Love

I wanted to die.

I’d already called Dominic in to set up a Marie Antoinette style killing—just cut off the head and be done with it.

This was beyond what my other hangovers felt like; with those I could walk and not be too affected by light. Now, with my grand twenty-first birthday hangover, I could barely lift my face from my pillow.

The brats made it worse by screaming and running all over the place.

My door slammed open, and I groaned miserably when Emma jumped on me, sitting on my back. “Mommy!” she whined, pounding on my shoulder blade. “Mommy, up!” she demanded.

I turned my head slightly so she could hear me. “Mommy’s hurting, honey. Can you please not do that?”

Emma slid off my back and lay down next to me. She started petting my hair, as if trying to sooth me. I couldn’t help but laugh and pull her into my arms. I sat up and held her in my lap, ignoring the throb behind my eyes and ears.

“I’m only doing this for you, Em.” I murmured, kissing her temple. I slowly got out of bed, holding my two-year-old who weighed a ton at that moment.

I went downstairs, where Dominic was—surprise—working on his laptop on the couch.

“You can call off the execution squad.” I informed him.

He looked up and took Emma from me while I dropped into the giant chair that fit Dominic and I both. “That sucks. The guillotine was non-refundable.”

I cracked a smile and closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead. “I don’t remember you being hung over on your twenty-first.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You suck.”

* * *

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Autumn said, rolling her eyes as her neighbors next door were doing something that would scar a child.

“It was worse than bad.” I assured her. “It took two days for me to recover.”

We both stared at the wall when we heard a yell, and I thanked God that I lived in a place where you can’t hear your neighbors fucking through paper-thin walls.

“I’m jealous.” Autumn mumbled. “I haven’t had sex since before Sean went back home. What about you? Is it harder now that you have two kids?”

I shook my head. “No. We have the baby gate set up at the top of the stairs and Emma doesn’t know how to unlatch it. It’s pretty much the office, the kitchen floor or the couch now since Emma comes into our room whenever she feels like it.”

Autumn laughed and shook her head. “Alice is only a year old. I doubt I’ll find a man anytime soon.”

“Have you heard from Sean at all?” I asked.

“Yeah. Apparently, he grew some balls and told his parents about her, and they’re demanding that he get a DNA test so that they can get visitation rights. I would allow it if it were Sean asking.” She sighed. “I just hate the idea of them around her. They absolutely hate me, and it doesn’t make matters any better now that Sean has a new girlfriend.”

I snorted. “His parents hated everyone, Bailey. Just try not to get too bent out of shape about it.”

“And speak of the devil,” she said as her phone rang. I rolled my eyes at the fact that she still had a personalized ringtone for him. “My answer is still no, Sean.” She said right after hitting the talk button. Her eyebrows drew together in either irritation or fury; I couldn’t tell which. “If I see either of you fuckers around my child, there will be hell to pay. You can relay that message to Sean before you manage to find my house. Just go back to the airport because you will not see her today or anytime in the near future.” She pressed end, set her phone down on the coffee table, and rested her head on the back of the couch, defeated.

The old Autumn Bailey would’ve thrown a tantrum.

“Sean and Jamie are here. Trying to find where I moved to.” Her eyes snapped to mine. “You don’t think he’d go to Dominic, do you?”

I shook my head initially, and then thought about it more. My shaking turned to nodding. “It’s possible.”

“Fuck.”

I sighed quietly. “Maybe—and don’t kill me for saying this—but maybe you should just meet him, get it over with. You can do it at my house, on neutral territory since Dominic and I know them both. And Emma and Max are with Daveigh and Logan tonight, so you can scream at him all you want.”

Autumn bit her lip, looking worried. “I’ve finally just gotten used to it being Alice and me—I’m not ready for Sean to come into the mix.”

“I know you’re not. But it would be good for Alice to know someone from her biological family besides you.” I added, testing the waters a bit. “Come on, Bailey. Maybe it’ll be good for you, too.”

* * *

“You guys are idiots for hosting this,” Daveigh said, holding Emma on her hip. “Maybe we should stay and watch fireworks, babe.” Daveigh told Logan, and he saw the look on my face and thought better of agreeing.

“No, this is supposed to be calm and neutral.” I said, handing Max to Logan and giving him the diaper bag. “And besides, you guys have your own drama.” I said, referring to Logan and Leah’s son that Logan had named Tyson. “How is he by the way?” I asked.

“He’s good,” Logan replied. “Leah has him this week…well, her parents have him. She hasn’t really shown an interest in him.”

I nodded. Leah had moved with her family to Seattle for a fresh start for all of them around March. Since Leah wasn’t friendly towards Logan anymore, she resented Tyson and decided she didn’t want to see him at all, but her parents intervened. She now has him for seven consecutive days every two months up in Seattle, but either Logan or Daveigh drive him because Leah is too much of a harpy to pick up her own child.

“Maybe you should stay,” I started. “It would provide some nice conversation.”

“No, enjoy your dinner party!” Daveigh said brightly.

I gave Max and Emma a kiss goodbye, and then finished setting up.

About an hour later, the doorbell rang. I left Dominic in the kitchen to finish up dinner to go get the door. Autumn stood there in a silky black dress, her hair pinned into a low bun. She looked like an evil ballerina, in a creepy, sexy way. I knew what she was doing; she was going to show Sean what he missed out on.

“What do you think?” she asked, stepping in and doing a little twirl.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” I said, shutting the door. She smiled at that.

“Good. Please tell me you have something to drink!”

I nodded and led her into the kitchen. “What’s your poison?” I asked, opening the liquor cabinet. “Whiskey, Tequila, or Vodka?”

“Whiskey.” She said right off the bat. “I need something to feed the Irish side of me to be able to communicate with Sean.”

I poured some in a shot glass and she downed it before I could screw the lid on and I poured her another. “Pace yourself,” I whispered, putting the bottle back.

The doorbell rang, and Autumn went around me to get back to the liquor cabinet. I went to get the door.

“Hey, Sean,” I said, letting him and Jamie come in. Jamie didn’t say anything to me, and I was just fine with that.

Sean gave me a light, one-armed hug, and I then led them to the dining room. The first dinner party I actually get to throw, and my guests despised each other.

They sat down, and I went into the kitchen where Autumn was just putting the bottle back. Dominic went into the dining room, leaving me to bring everything out like a housewife.

“Can you help me?” I asked, and she grabbed the bowl of green beans. I got everything else and set it on the table. Autumn sat next to me, staring straight across from her ex.

Dinner started off pleasant enough, but of course it didn’t last long. Dominic and I just watched as Jamie shot venomous words at Autumn.

“Who the hell are you to say that?” Autumn screeched. “He’s never even met her, so how can he be a good parent?”

“Maybe he wanted to but you never let him because you’re selfish!” Jamie shot back.

“He can speak for himself, Jamie!” Autumn spat. “So speak, Sean. If you want to see your daughter, then you have to speak to me.”

Sean sighed and made Jamie calm down before he spoke. “I would like to see Alice. Is she here?”

Autumn shook her head. “She’s with a babysitter.”

“Why didn’t you bring her?”

Autumn scoffed. “Because you have to prove yourself first.”

Oh, dear Lord

“I have to prove myself? To see my own child?”

“Oh, well, we haven’t done the DNA test, so we’re not a hundred percent sure that she’s yours, are we?” she said, and Sean looked away. “You can meet me at my place tomorrow morning. I have work at noon, so anytime before that would be good.”

* * *

“Why do you have to go?” I asked Daveigh.

She looked like she didn’t want to talk about it. “Leah’s parents are going back to Sacramento for some issue with her sister, and Leah refuses to watch him by herself, so we’re going up there to be just a phone call away if she needs us.”

“You don’t trust her to watch him by herself?” I asked semi-sarcastically.

“No!” she snapped. “He’s practically my own son—I would do absolutely anything to make sure he’s taken care of.”

I sighed. “I understand that. I just don’t see why both of you are going. I mean, why can’t just Logan do it?”

“Because he wants me to go. I’ve never been to Seattle, and I want to go.”

“I guess I can’t stop you then. Have fun.” I told her, and she turned and left.

Was it me, or was everyone going crazy?