Forbidden Serenade

Chapter Seventeen

The week ticked by. I worked at Leo's restaurant during the day, and bartended at Logan's at night. In between, the silence of my townhouse screamed in my ears. I never knew silence could be so loud.

I never heard from Elijah.

James arrived on Friday with the kids. Lilly immediately began rambling off her weekend plans with her friends and boyfriend, Sam went to sulk in his room, and Millie happily skipped to the television to watch a show.

"How you doing, Riley?"

I turned toward James, surprised by his question. "I'm fine. Why?"

He leaned against the doorframe to my home and folded his arms across his chest. "It's just a question. I assumed you saw the picture of the engagement. I didn't want to hurt you."

I pressed my lips together, halting the unkind words that wanted to spill out. He had ripped our family apart to run off with his secretary. I chose to take the high road. "I'm happy you're happy, James."

His jaw ticked to the side, a sign he was unhappy with my words. "Listen, I needed to talk to you about Lillian. Some of her girlfriends are planning a spring break trip. She wants to go."

"I haven't heard about it."

He shrugged. "She came to me first, I guess."

I knew exactly why. James was the one with the fancy job and plenty of money. I was the one working myself into the ground to pay for the basics. Lilly was also a daddy's girl, because daddy had always spoiled her with whatever she wanted. "I'll ask her about it this weekend."

Turning to close the door and enjoy the time with my kids, James grabbed my hand.

"Before you do, we need to talk."

I pulled my hand away and held it behind my back. He had no right to touch me anymore.

James' lips drew into a tight line. "The trip needs to be funded. Per the divorce, costs like these are fifty-fifty." He paused, steading his eyes on me. "It's to the Bahamas."

My mouth dropped open. "You're expecting me to give my permission for my sixteen-year-old daughter to go to the Bahamas? You have got to be kidding me, James. There is no way!"

James put his hand up to stop me as though I was being irrational. "She's our daughter, and all her friends are going. There will be chaperones."

Shaking my head, I stood my ground. "No. Absolutely not."

He glanced to the side and sighed. Standing upright, he blew out a breath through his nose. "Come on, Riley. Don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Don't penalize our kids because you're not willing to spend the money. They deserve the best."

My jaw dropped at the audacity of this man. "And I'm not giving them the best?"

"All her friends are going. You can't expect to her stay at home."

I saw red as anger flared and raised my voice. "It's not a financial issue. It's a safety issue. I'm not comfortable with my sixteen-year-old daughter going to a foreign country without me."

His eyes narrowed. "You know you couldn't afford it. You need to do better. If not for yourself, for them."

That was the last straw. My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "What I can and can't afford isn't your concern anymore." I pointed to myself, taking a step closer to get in his face. "I'm not your concern anymore, James. The only concern we have is our children. I said no." Stepping back, I tried to calm my voice. "Do we have something else you'd like to discuss, or can I go spend time with my kids?"