Statistic (17 page)

I guess I over think shit too much too.

“I guess I don’t really care. I mean, it is his problem that he has to deal with. I just hope for Liam’s sake that this all doesn’t go down in flames. He would be heartbroken because he is already attached to the baby and Jillian, Colin’s new baby-momma.” I laugh.

“So you aren’t jealous?” another question I am taken off guard by. Do I look jealous? Or act jealous when I talk about it?

“Jealous, no way. Last time he was with a pregnant woman he decided it would be an awesome time to try his hand at infidelity.” I guess I am lying to myself. Liam is four. I thought by now we would at least have a second child. A sibling for him but all my plans were thrown in the garbage by Colin and his roaming eyes.

“Do you want more kids?” Jackson asks while he makes his plate, popping a piece of chicken in this mouth and making his way across the room to the makeshift dining room table I have set up.

“I do. I thought I would have had at least a second child by now. But, I also never planned for a cheating husband and a divorce. It is what it is though. I am not in a hurry after the pregnancy I had with Liam.” I laugh remembering how downright miserable I had been for months on end.

“I don’t have any kids and I come from a large family. I want a couple of my own someday. Is that something you would be open to?” I guess we never really had this convo. Maybe it was time.

“I would. I would like maybe two more. Depending on how different things would be this time around. Ya know, pregnancy-wise.” We chit chat over dinner about my bed rest issues that plagued my pregnancy with Liam and a little bit more about the never ending drama Colin filled what should have been the happiest time of my life with.

The more I spoke, the more I sounded hung up. A victim that couldn’t let go of the past. I am sick of thinking about everything that happened. Sick of talking about it. Here I am moving on with my life with a man who is damn near perfect and all I can whine about is how much Colin fucked me over.

Well, no more. I am done with it. I am sick of using it as a crutch in life. They say life is what you make of it, and it was finally time for me to take it by the balls and take my life back.

I am not a victim. I am a strong independent woman.

I am not a single mother. I am a mom who chose what to do what is best for her child.

I am not worthless and ugly. I am beautiful and a catch for any man who can see that.

“Nice place ya got here. I have to say, it is an upgrade from that hole in the wall you were at.” Brent said as him and Max made their way through the front door of my new home.

“MAXXXXXXXXXX” Liam barreled through the living room from the open french doors where he played in the back yard.

“LIAM! We brought the Lego Movie!” Max bounced up and down waving the DVD in the air. His auburn hair flopping all over as his body flew threw the air. From a few feet back, Brent stood watching him with a huge smile on his face. Content to see the happiness of his little boy, whom had become such a close friend of my son. I can remember how many times Brent had told me what a difficult time Max had making friends, which was always so shocking to me considering him and Liam quickly bonded.

As the boys ran through the living room and out the back door into the yard, Brent and I sat down at the table to chat about life. I feel like it had been forever since we had the opportunity to catch up on whatever we were both doing. Between my work picking up, Jackson being a full time staple in my life and moving we had lost most of our contact.

“I was beginning to think I lost a friend,” Brent laughed as he sat down on a bar stool at the breakfast bar.

“No way. Life has just been crazy. What’s new with you?”

“Went on a date with a girl a couple towns over. I think we are going to go out again next week. She seems pretty nice, not as pretty as you though.” Brent says.

I laugh at his statement, trying to push off his little flirty comment. Something that is pretty typical for him.

“Yeah, but at least kissing her isn’t like kissing your sister right?” I laugh and try and put that distance back between us. The distance we both decided would be best after our first kiss. It just wasn’t right. There was nothing romantic there, at least on my end. I often wondered if he only agreed with me because that is what I was comfortable with or if he actually felt the same way.

Either way, it was too late because I was happily moving on.

“Aurora, you know you’ll always be my number one lady,” he laughs before changing the subject. “Did the police ever find out who broke into your condo?” Such a sore subject, I don’t even wanna think about considering they didn’t find the criminal.

“No, but they think it was just a crime of opportunity since I wasn’t home. If it was someone trying to target me specifically, they are pretty sure whoever it was would have tried something again already.” The truth is, I’ve been in touch with the local police chief almost daily waiting for some kind of answers.

“They’ll figure it out eventually. At least they didn’t steal anything.”

“That is true. So tell me about this woman. What’s her name?”

“Megan Little, she is thirty and lives in Tidewater,” he pauses and rubs his neck. “What about the guy you have been seeing?” He quickly changes the subject, uncomfortable to talk about this woman with me, which is a first since we really started sharing our dating tales since we met each other. I’ve always been more comfortable with male friends, that didn’t change when it came to Brent.

“Jackson lives up the street actually. Owns his own landscaping company, never married, no kids. There really isn’t much else to tell. He is a pretty simple guy, I like that about him.”

“You really like him, don’t ya?” Brent pushes, clearly wanting to pry into the details of the relationship.

“Yeah, I think we fit together well.”

“Has he met Liam yet?” The overprotective Dad begins to rear his head.

“No, but we are planning on it Thursday night before Liam goes to Colin’s for the weekend. He has been going every weekend now since Jillian moved into Colin’s house. Liam thinks he is actually visiting with his new sibling even though it isn’t born yet.” I laugh at the ideas of a four year old. But, I am not complaint about having more time to myself. It is a blessing with the amount of time I am putting in for work. Heck, I won’t complain about my time with Jackson either.

Just as Brent begins to speak, the boys come barreling in the house again screaming about popcorn, juice boxes, and the need for us to turn the movie on. In the back of my mind, I think I am saved from the conversation that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I know Brent only wants the best for me and Liam though. He has dealt with so much loss in his life, I am sure he just doesn’t want to lose the friendship that we have built.

The night moves along quickly as we watch the movie. I never thought I would be interested in it, but all the little jokes they add in for the parents really made it a knock out of the park. Both boys fell asleep near the end of the movie and after tucking Liam in on the couch, Brent gathered Max and said his very quiet goodbyes.

Pulling out my laptop, I sat at the breakfast bar checking my email and scheduling a bit of social media for some clients before opening the local newspaper. Something I have began out of habit since my condo was broken into. Maybe hoping to connect the dots of other crimes taking place in the town to ease my own mind.

The headline catches my eye, and my blood runs cold.

“TIDEWATER WOMAN FOUND STRANGLED TO DEATH”

That night I lay in bed, wide awake all night long. My mind keeps going back to Brent’s words about the woman he had been seeing. Megan. The same woman found strangled to death on the banks of the Pine Creek River. It had been forty-eight hours and the police were now on television begging the public for leads. Something they would only do if they have met nothing but dead ends.

I felt bad for the family of this woman. But I didn’t feel bad for Brent. In fact, I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling that he had something to do with it. Which made me a horrible person. No real friend should suspect their friend of being involved in a murder.

Something just seemed off about it. One day he is telling me about going out on a date with her and the next day this same woman is making headlines for being strangled to death. What a horrible way to die.

I shake the uneasy feeling and get out of bed for the day. Tonight Jackson would meet Liam for the first time, and first thing tomorrow morning Colin would pick him up for their visit and I would be able to organize the house a little bit more.

Without thinking twice about everything, I text Jackson.

Can I stay at your house this weekend?

I just can’t shake that uneasy feeling about Brent. Maybe I should just text him about it? What is the worst that could happen?

Are you okay? I saw the news about Megan this morning online.

It was a reach. Maybe I could investigate a little bit. Or just go to the police with the random suspicions I have. Shit. It probably is none of my business at all. I don’t even know why I am thinking about or even bothering with any of this. After the break in, I should just keep to myself and try and stay out of the radar of any crazies.

I am distraught. I will call you later on tonight.

Maybe I am just looking too much into it. I instantly feel bad that I ever even thought Brent would be capable of something like that. We may not have been lifelong friends or anything, but we certainly have built quite the friendship since we met. Friends don’t question friends about being creepy murderers. Damn it! I am such a horrible person!

My phone buzzes again, but this time, it is a reply from Jackson.

You should know the answer to that. I have a meeting for work Saturday afternoon. See you tonight.

My heart skips a beat thinking about the fact that I will finally be introducing the two most important men in my life. It seems silly that Jackson can be so important to me when he hasn’t even met Liam, but since the first night we spent together I just know I made the right choice writing off the other men I had gone on dates with and settling for my scruffy southern boy.

Can’t wait. Xoxo

The doorbell rings a little before 2 p.m. and I wonder who would be interrupting my work day. Mid-day visitors aren’t something I have come to expect, especially since moving. Heck, not too many people even know where I am living now that I have moved. I haven’t had time to invite people over for dinner or even send out little notes.

When I look out into the driveway, I see Jackson’s truck and can’t help but smile. I run down the stairs and unlock the front door in a hurry. He stands there with a dozen roses in his hands, and a huge smile on his face.

“I thought I would sneak over for a little time alone before Liam gets home.” He smirks and I know exactly why he decided to come visit early.

“Such a bad boy,” I laugh as I swat him in the chest and take the flowers to the kitchen and set them in a vase. “The flowers were a nice touch,” I add.

“So does that mean I can get a little afternoon suga’?” I laugh at him even asking. He can have it anytime, anywhere but I wouldn’t let him know that. At least not yet. It would give him a little too much power over me, and that is something I am just not ready for yet.