Chapter 290: Ruined Weekend Plans

Holly’s POV

The cab ride home was a blur of city lights smearing across the window like wet paint. I stared at them until my eyes burned, but I refused to cry in front of the driver.

My chest felt like someone had parked a truck on it…heavy, crushing, impossible to move. Every breath hurts. Every heartbeat echoed that image… Rachel on his lap. His arm around her. Her hand on him like it belonged there.

Why did he let her?

Why did he push me away for her?

Why did he make me feel like I was everything this morning…whispering filthy promises, making me come apart in a supply closet, planning a whole weekend…and then treat me like nothing the second she walked in?

I paid the driver with shaking hands and stumbled towards Kayla’s front porch. I rang the doorbell just once and she answered.

The door swung open, and there they were…Kayla in her rushed-mom mode, hair in a messy bun, keys dangling from one hand, and little Caden right beside her, clutching his dinosaur backpack. A small rolling luggage sat on the floor next to them, packed like they were heading out for more than a quick errand.

Before I could even get a word out…something like “What the hell?” Caden spotted me and lit up like Christmas morning. “Aunt Holly!” he shrieked, barreling straight into my legs, arms wrapping tight around my knees. “I missed you so much!”

My heart did that stupid melt thing, even through the truck-on-chest feeling. I dropped my bag right there on the porch and scooped him up, burying my face in his curly hair that smelled like baby shampoo and goldfish crackers. I kissed his cheek, his forehead, his messy curls…couldn’t stop. “I missed you more, buddy. Like, a million times more.”

He squealed, squirming in my arms, little legs kicking. “Stopppp! I’m a big boy now! I’m four and a half!”

“No way,” I said, planting one more loud smooch on his cheek just to hear him giggle. “You’ll always be my baby. Deal with it.”

He groaned dramatically but hugged me tighter anyway, and for a second, the ache in my chest eased. Kids are like magic.

Then I set him down gently and turned to Kayla, eyebrow raised at the luggage. “Okay, what’s with the packing? You guys running away to join the circus or something?”

Kayla laughed, but it was that quick, distracted laugh she does when she’s juggling a thousand things. “Caden’s godmother…you know, Sarah… I’ve told you about her. She has been begging for some one-on-one time with him. This weekend’s perfect. I’ve got a ton on my plate and can’t really watch him, so I’m dropping him off. I’ll be back tomorrow morning, and I’ll go back to pick him up Sunday evening.”

I tilted my head. “Wait, aren’t I his godmother?”

She grinned, ruffling Caden’s hair. “You said you wanted to be the cool second mommy. Remember? The one who spoils him with ice cream and no bedtime.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” I said, forcing a smile. But something nagged at me. The way she wouldn’t quite meet my eyes for more than a second. How she kept shifting her weight, fiddling with her keys like she always does when she’s hiding something. That little nose scrunch. The over-bright smile.

Kayla lying? About this? What could she possibly be hiding? A surprise trip? A date she didn’t want to admit to? Something worse? Is someone threatening her?

I glanced at Caden, who was now trying to climb back into my arms like a monkey. Nah. Not pushing it now. Not in front of him. I’d grill her later, when it was just us girls and wine.

Kayla’s eyes flicked over me then, really seeing me for the first time. “Wait…why are you back already? Didn’t you say you were spending the whole weekend with David? Like exclusive rated-18 kind of stuff, no interruptions, all that?”

I scoffed, the sound bitter even to me. “Yeah, well. Got ditched. It’s a long ugly story.”

Her face softened immediately, that big-sister protectiveness kicking in. “Oh, honey. Hold that thought…I’ll call you the second we get there, okay? Go inside, crash on any part of the house you want to. There’s food in the freezer…lasagna, I think…and the kitchen’s all yours if you want to whip something up.”

I snorted. “I’ll definitely order in. I ain’t stepping foot in a kitchen right now. I’m planning to crawl into bed and sleep until this weekend’s over. Maybe until next year.”

“Oh, Holly. Don’t do anything stupid,” she said, pointing a mom-finger at me. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. We’ll talk, eat ice cream, cuss him out… Whatever you need. Okay?”

“Alright, alright,” I muttered, managing a half-smile.

She leaned in, kissed my cheek quickly. I bent down and smooched Caden’s chubby face one more time…he wiped it off dramatically, yelling “Gross!”

They waved as they headed to the car, Caden blowing me kisses from his car seat.

Seconds later, the car backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

I stood there on the porch a little longer, staring at nothing. The evening air was cool, city sounds humming in the distance. Everything felt… empty.

Time to go inside and bawl my eyes out. For real this time.

I grabbed my bag, stepped through the door, and let it click shut behind me.

The second it did, my legs gave out.

I slid down the wall in the entryway, back scraping against the paint, knees pulled to my chest. The tears hit like a dam breaking…hot, messy, uncontrollable. Sobs that shook my whole body, throat raw from the force of them.

This wasn’t how my weekend was supposed to go? This wasn’t what I had in mind.

I’d let him in. Let him touch me, tease me, make me laugh until my sides hurt. Let him vibrate me into oblivion like some reckless teenager. Planned a whole weekend thinking maybe…just maybe…this was finally turning into something real.

And he’d thrown it away the second his perfect woman showed up.

My phone buzzed in my bag, but I didn’t even look. Knew it was him.

I completely ignored it and crawled to the couch, curled into the fetal position, and let the pillow swallow my screams.

How did I get here? How did I let a guy wreck me this bad again?

The hilarious part? The absolute gut-punch joke?

Even as I cried, even as I swore I’d block him forever…

Part of me still looked in the direction of my bag.

Waiting for him to call again.

Hoping he’d somehow show up and fix it.

God, I was pathetic.

And tomorrow was going to be worse.

Because I had a feeling this story wasn’t over yet.