Divorcing The Billionaire On Valentine's Day

6. Grayson

GRAYSON

I don’t know what ideas Mr Archer may have planted in your head, but I am not a driver, and definitely not his.

What I planted in his head. I knew Adeline to be many things, but proud and delusional was not one of them. Did she really think I went around talking to anyone who cared to listen about her? What was even there to talk about?! She was as bland as they come, living in a corner shelter she had created for herself, away from the world and anything remotely fun. What was it about her that would suddenly be so interesting that I would have to talk to the world about.

I blamed myself really. I caused this. I put myself in the line of her insults. I let Johnny push me into desperation. Desperation that made me rope Damian into the whole thing, made me persuade him to lie that I was drunk. I mean, I was drunk, but not that drunk that I wouldn’t be able to find my way home.

I just needed to see her. No, scratch that. I just needed her to come to the house so she could see Johnny, calm him down and get him to cut me some freaking slack! It had been exactly a week since she promised to come see him, even if it was just once. It had been a week since then and she hadn’t. You can’t trust the words of a gold digger, even a retired one, go figure.

“She hung up.” Even as the words left my lips, I couldn’t believe it. It was either she had been pretending the entire time she had been under my roof, probably to turn my suspicions from her, or she was just being sassy because I had no hold on her anymore. My bet was on the former, but just to be thorough, I would change the latter.

“Are you even listening to me?” Damian was in my face, spotting an annoyed look. s**t if I cared.

“What?!” I snapped. He wasn’t offering any useful suggestion, instead he made it his life’s mission to counter everyone I came up with and interrupt my future thoughts. Whose side was he on exactly?

“I said she needs space, some time to cool off, get over the whole thing and you need to give it to her before things get too complicated.” Once again, he was spitting rubbish that was in no way helpful. He might as well be Adeline’s mouthpiece with how against me he was.

“I don’t know if you missed it, but things already are complicated.” I tightened my grip on the shot glass but didn’t down its content. I had indulged enough for one night, and for what? A lady that wouldn’t even think twice about leaving me out cold to drive drunk and kill myself. Yeah, so not worth it.

“And you’re making things worse by being in her face and not allowing her think!” He fired back, the annoyance in his eyes clear as day but s**t if I cared. I didn’t care for whatever nonsense he had to say about giving Adeline space. Space meant more time wasted and unlike money, time was a luxury I didn’t have a lot of. My work rate was suffering, I could barely focus all week. My routine that was nothing short of perfection, suddenly seemed so basic and dull. The worst part of everything was Johnny wasn’t even making things easier, he was doing the exact opposite.

“Well I don’t have a lot of time for that, Damian. Johnny is making my life a living hell. It’s always Addie this or Addie that, I need all of this behind me!” I buried my head in my hands, just the mere thought of going back home to a constantly complaining Johnny had my stress levels spiking.

“It can’t be that bad.” Damian scoffed, twirled a glass between his fingers and leaned deeper into the bar-stool.

“But it can, and it is.” I leaned forward, resting my weight on the bar table. “Just this evening, I got back from work, exhausted as hell because of the deal with the Blacks. All I wanted to do was rest, even for a few minutes. Johnny had other plans. He wanted a bath, He wanted his favourite cartoons, he wanted to play with his toys, he wanted a home cooked meal and then pizza, but cannot freaking do his own dishes!” I was on the verge of yelling. If he wasn’t my son, I would have locked him up in a room or sent him packing. I was no slave!

Like the i***t he was, Damian let out a loud, deep laugh, “Those are normal things kids want.” He said like he was suddenly an expert with kids. Where was he when I needed a nanny?

“Not normal things kids his age shouldn’t be able to handle themselves. I swear Adeline spoilt him deliberately to make me renew the contract after the lapse.” I rubbed my temples to ease the banging even a little, what’s crazy was it wasn’t even from the countless shots I had taken, but from how messy everything was. How had it gotten so bad?

“Same contract you forgot had elapsed until she hit you with the divorce papers?”

“I swear it almost like you were sent to put me in an even more foul mood.”

“I’m just here to give it to you like it is.” He shrugged. “Not my fault you hate hearing the truth so much.” He took a quick sip of his drink like a man not in the middle of a crisis would.

“Well, sometimes it’s okay to just shut up as well.” I grunted.

He just laughed it off, never taking me seriously as usual.

“Anyways, do you need me to drive you home?” He asked, reminding me why I hadn’t shoved him into a moving vehicle or at least locked him up yet.

“What am I? Twelve? I’d just call one of the drivers instead.” I grunted back in annoyance, channeling anger that wasn’t even meant for him his way.

“Well whatever helps you because unfortunately I actually do have a lot of work to do and must get started in,” He lifted his signature rolex to his face, “thirty minutes.”

I waved him off, “Of course. Go off too, maybe you and Adeline could become buddies along the way, you already have something in common anyways.”

“I’m just going to pretend I did not hear that because you’re still having a pity party.” He scoffed and grabbed his coat from the back of his bar stool. “Try and get home in one piece, please? I hate to deal with that mother of your on any account, much less explain to her why her son is nowhere to be found after we shared drinks.” He chuckled, more than enjoying my misery.

“Just get out and let me breathe anything but your cologne.”

“It’s fine if you like it.” He winked and I cringed. Just no. “My advice? Leave Adeline alone, you’ve put that poor girl through enough already.” He wrapped the coat over his forearm. “If it’s Johnny, get him a nanny or something, preferably one you don’t get married to this time please!” He said like he was berating a freaking toddler.

I knew his last statement had been a joke, but it wasn’t funny. Why had I gotten married to Adeline in the first place? I mean, I could have just hired her, made her stay as a nanny and for more than five years too if I wanted. So now that he mentioned it, I just couldn’t help but ask myself.

Why did I marry her?