Page 70 of Storm in a D Cup

I swallowed, keeping my cool as much as one can in these situations. ‘Once upon a time you used to share it all with me.’

He shook his head slowly. ‘Not this time, Erica. Not yet.’

‘Well, when, then?’

‘When I’m ready.’

‘It’s about you and me, isn’t it?’ I prompted, unable to stop myself. Might as well take the bull by the horns and get it over with.

‘Erica, I said not now.’

‘Why not now?’

‘Because I told you I’m not ready!’

I backed away. Julian hardly ever yelled. At least not at me. There was never any reason to. Even when we argued, it was always without animosity. But here, I was seeing a huge dose of it. In his defensive stance, in the glint of his eyes, in the blush of his face, the heaving of his chest. Julian was angry, but he was also worried. Perhaps not so much about howI’dtake being dumped, but possibly how the kids would react at being abandoned by both their fathers. Was he waiting for Maddy to finish school? Not according to Genie Stacie’s plans, he wasn’t.

Without a word, I swung around and left him standing there and clomped to my office. My own private hell was back.

*

‘Give him some time, sweetheart,’ my father said over the phone as I wiped my eyes. ‘At one point, everybody needs a little time away.’

‘Hard To Say I’m Sorry,’ I whimpered.

‘Well, it doesn’t seem like you’ve done anything wrong,’ he said. ‘Do you feel you should apologize for anything?’

‘No, I meant Chicago.’ I half-laughed.

‘He’s going to Chicago?’

‘The band, Dad. They sang “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”, remember?Everybody needs a little time away…’

He chuckled. ‘It’ll be OK, Erica. Just be patient with him.’

‘For how long? He won’t share his thoughts with me, Dad. I don’t know what he’s thinking anymore, and I always know what he’s thinking. I have literally no idea what’s going on. Is he going to leave me tomorrow? Is he terminally ill? Are we going bankrupt?’

‘Honey, have some faith. Julian is not that kind of man.’

‘None of them ever are, until they are.’

He sighed. ‘Princess, until he’s ready to talk, I suggest you don’t force anything out of him. You don’t want to pull a Marcy on him. She badgers everyone until she gets what she wants.’

‘How is she, by the way? Still driving you nuts?’

‘Absolutely. Still drinking, too. And she won’t even consider AA.’

‘You are obviously not happy, either, Dad. How long are you going to keep living like this?’

‘Are you suggesting I get a divorce?’

‘I’m simply asking you whether it’s fair on you to do all the putting up with.’

‘Marcy would be lost without me. Not because she loves me—’

‘Oh, she loves you, Dad. Maybe in her own sick, twisted way, but she has eyes only for you, rest assured.’

‘I know. But if I died, she wouldn’t know where to start. The bills, the insurance… hell, even the grocery list would be too much for her to tackle.’