Lay Me Down (MxM)

12. Past Calling

Hi humans! Early update surprise. I'll be publishing chapter 13 either tomorrow evening or Sunday evening. I'm sort of on a roll! 

This chapter is a shorter one, but I hope you enjoy it! As always, thanks for the support and love. <3 -Quill

Jae

I thanked the Barista for my coffee and made my way to my table. I'd set up my laptop to do some gaming, which I usually enjoy on my days off. Typically, I'd be snuggled up in my house playing, but since I was waiting for Lu, I decided to set up camp at the local Starbucks. Their coffee is kind of shitty, don't shoot me for saying it, but I preferred the little coffee stand closer to my house.

A buzz on my phone caught my attention, and I smirked to myself, anticipating another message from Lucas. He'd been texting me in class, the naughty little shit, but it wasn't as if I didn't enjoy our banter either. His reaction to the cum on his shirt was far too satisfying, and I'd only wished I could've seen it in person. I opened up League of Legends and while it loaded, checked out my messages.

It wasn't Lucas, but part of my past.

Vivian: we need to talk about Saturday

"Fuck..." I mumbled, heart dropping as I read my ex-wife's text. My fingers were a blur as I responded, dread filling my stomach. What reason would she come up with this time?

Jae: what about Sat? I've got everything ready viv... did you see the pics I sent?

I sighed, feeling suddenly quite nauseous. I hadn't seen my daughter in several weeks, and it was really eating at me. Viv had taken her on a little vacation to Florida to visit her parents and hit up Disney World, but she didn't bring her over as usual last week—our custody agreement is that I get to have her at my place on weekends. Viv said Addie was tired and needed time to readjust at home after their trip. That was understandable, so I told her not to worry and I'd just see her the following weekend. Well, that weekend was around the corner, and a text like that less than forty-eight hours before she's to drop her with me set me on edge. I missed Addie so much; I didn't want to go longer without seeing her.

I tapped nervously at my computer, playing absentmindedly as I waited for her response, but fifteen minutes soon passed and there was nothing. I couldn't wait anymore, so I texted her again.

Jae: i think she's really going to like the changes I made to her big girl bed, did you see the room?

I bit my lip and sighed, staring at our text thread. Vivian and I had divorced when Addie was around three years old. It was hard on her, understandably so, as she couldn't understand why daddy wouldn't be staying with them anymore. Hell, it was hard on me. Vivian, I could adjust to life without her, but without seeing my daughter every day? That felt impossible. We've been divorced for almost two years now.

Ultimately, Viv wanted her own space. I'd suggested that I remain in the house during our legal separation so we could co-parent. I thought it might be an option to help keep a sense of normalcy for Addie, but Vivian wouldn't entertain the idea. She was already seeing someone else by then anyway, I guess.

We'd gotten married young and were truly nothing more than children in adult bodies thinking we had it all together. I joined the Navy when I turned eighteen. We met and then married at the age of twenty-one. We thought we'd make it, that maybe somehow, we'd be that one couple to beat the disproportionate odds of divorce amongst young military couples, but it was not to be. Vivian and I grew into very different people. She hated my work schedule while I was in the Navy and when I became a cop.

She wanted more I guess, she wanted me home every night by five, and in the end she found it in a financially well-off, local Fiduciary named Andrew.

I didn't hate Andrew—he was good to Addie, and she liked him, but it hurt that he saw more of her than I did. Sure, I got to pick her up from kindergarten somedays if my schedule allowed, but I missed coming home to her. I missed the toys all over the house, the little voice echoing in the hallways, and perpetually slimy, gooey kid hands grabbing at my leg. I missed all of that. The years had flown by so fast, and seemingly overnight I no longer had a toddler, I now had a fiery, kind-hearted five-year-old. Even though Viv and I didn't make it, I would do it all over again just to have Addie.

I sighed heavily, fighting back some tears, they took me by surprise really. I hated how fast time went, and I hated how fast Addie grew. She was a whole new kid every time I saw her it seemed, and sometimes I wished that I could go back in time just to hold her again small and cherish those lazy early days all over again when we were all together. I missed that.