The Roommate - Kiersten Modglin (elon musk reading list txt) 📗

just hate it. We didn't get much time together last night, and I was really looking forward to tonight."

"Trust me, you would've spent the whole time arguing with her tonight anyway. Just give her the week, okay? Check back in next week once she's had some time to cool off."

I groaned internally but kept it hidden from my voice. "Fine. That's fine. Who did she go with?"

"The boy I told you she’s been talking to. His name’s Brody."

The hairs on my arms stood up. "Brody? Who the hell is Brody?"

"He goes to school in Smyrna. They met on an app."

"On an app? How old is he? Do we know him?"

She sighed. "Don’t freak out over this. He's just taking her to practice, okay? I've got her location on my phone. It's fine. She's getting old enough to start dating."

"Sixteen. We agreed she could date at sixteen. We've still got two years."

"Yes, well, I guess we never discussed the appropriate age for her to get a ride from a friend."

"Is he her friend or is he a boyfriend?"

"A little of both, maybe. Listen, I don't want you to worry about this or lecture her. She's really excited about this one. God knows she needs something to be excited about these days. And we need something to earn us brownie points. I've already told her we're going to have to have dinner together and meet him soon, but I didn't see the harm in him driving her to practice and bringing her back home after. If anything, it's a nice gesture that he's supporting her."

“We’ll have to meet him soon? You didn’t meet him when he picked her up?”

“No. She asked me if he could pick her up from school, and I said yes.”

“Jesus Christ, this kid could be a serial killer.”

“He’s not a serial killer,” she said with a dry laugh. “He’s just a boy. A boy who your daughter really likes.”

I shook my head, turning my blinker on and veering into the right lane to take the next exit. "Well, I don't like it, for the record. She's not old enough for a boyfriend."

She laughed. "She is too. We started dating at sixteen, and you and I both had serious relationships before then. We'd be the biggest hypocrites in the world to make a big deal about this. We can't keep her locked away forever."

The thought made me sick. The very idea of her dating was bad enough, but for her to date when I wasn't there to meet her date at the door was maddening. I wanted to look him in the eye, get to know him a bit before I let him drive off with my little girl.

"Well, if she's gone and apparently I get no say in the matter, do you think I could come over so we can talk? I hate the way we left things this morning. I've been thinking about it all day."

She hesitated, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach, bracing me for the fall.

"I just don't think it's a good idea right now."

"Last night was so—"

"Good, yeah, I know. It was. And I got caught up in it. You're very good at making me forget why we're doing this in the first place. We have to keep to the agreement. You can help out, spend time with Rory, but we're on the brink of divorce, Wes. I can't let you make me forget that just by flashing your schoolboy grin at me."

I hadn't heard the last half of her statement because it was the first time I'd heard her say the word divorce so plainly. I felt my insides clench, her words echoing in my ears. "We're on the brink of divorce?"

She hesitated, and I realized she hadn’t meant to say it. At least, not aloud. "I scheduled a meeting with a lawyer this morning," she said softly. I could practically see her wincing as she said the words. "I was going to tell you—"

"When? When were you going to tell me? This seems completely out of nowhere."

"Does it, though? You've moved out, Wes. I've asked you to get your own place. We're working through custody."

"But you never said you were actually considering divorcing me. I’ve even asked you, and you’ve never said it like that. I thought you just needed some space for a bit."

"I do. But space has been nice. It's shown me where we were lacking. And it's made me doubt whether or not we can fix it.” She paused. “Rory told me you were late last night. On the first night, Wes. It's just so reminiscent of every night for the past few years. Ever since we moved to Green Hills, ever since you took this job, you've just been different. And I'm happy for you. I'm so happy for you. I know you love your job, and I know you're so happy—"

"I'm not happy without you. Is it about my job? I’ve told you I'll quit, Addy. I'll quit tomorrow. We’ll move. We’ll start over. We’ll be better. This isn't what I want. I don't want to lose you."

"It's not the job. It’s not the house. It's you, Wes." She was crying then. "I don't want you to have to leave a job you love; I just want you to do better. If you're late when you're trying to prove yourself, why would I ever believe things would change when you're back home and things are normal again?"

"I had a long day at work, and traffic was a mess—"

"Yeah," she said quickly, sniffling. "There's always an excuse. That's what I've learned. Always. And I'm not saying you're lying, but this isn't working for me. Having a husband who can't seem to fit his family into his schedule isn't working for me. I got caught up in the moment last night, Wes. I did. Because you’re charming and you remind me of what used to be and… I still love you. Of course I do. But