Chapter 81

Banging on my front door almost forces me to drop my computer and work on the floor. I sigh, unsure what’s happening. So, I deposit everything onto my kitchen table before getting to the door.

Sadie.

“Good, you’re home.”

The redhead walks right in. First, she shows up unannounced, and now she’s entering my home. Fabulous.

“Come on in,” I mumble as I shut the door.

Sadie looks around the apartment, seemingly dissatisfied with my living space. “Your place is quaint,” she tells me, as if it pains her to say the words.

“Is everything okay?” I ignore her last sentence. “The girls are okay?”

She raises a red eyebrow. “Yes?”

Hand to heart, I sigh. “Oh, okay, good. You had me worried for a moment.”

“Why would I come to you if my daughters were under any sort of duress?” She puts her hands on her hips.

“Because I’m neighbors with them and Derek?”

“My husband,” she deadpans.

“Ex-husband,” I deadpan back.

“In any case, I came here to tell you that I know what you’re doing.”

I sigh, moving toward the kitchen table where all my work sits. “I’m about to do work for my job, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“I know you’re trying to steal my husband,” she sneers.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Sadie, first of all, I’m not trying to steal anything. Second, you’ve been divorced for a while now. Third, I’ve already been accused of trying to date Derek on multiple occasions. We’re not together.”

“Oh, but you want to be.” She crosses her arms. “You’re obviously threatened by me showing back up here and pushing you out of the life you were never involved in.”

“Actually, no, I’m glad you’re around.”

That throws the woman off.

“Bea and Tris seem a lot happier to have you here. I know how difficult the divorce has been on them. They really love you, Sadie.”

Her eyes narrow. “I don’t buy this act you’re doing.”

“Act?”

“You’re out here being the ‘nice girl’ that lives next door. But I was the one who gave birth to both of those children, and they’re my daughters, you hear me?”

This is a very one-sided fight.

“I’m here to win back Derek. There’s always going to be a spark in his eye for me. He will finally understand and see my reasoning. The girls get to have both of their parents, and I get to teach them what’s best. Not you.”

“They’re my neighbors. All I’ve wanted was for your daughters to be happy and safe. Bea was the one who boasted about how amazing you are. She really missed you. She told me herself.”

Sadie’s blue eyes are unmoving.

“Bea showed me your picture. She has so much love for you. So does Tris. All I’ve done is babysit them a few times and let them pet my cat.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Aren’t you pregnant? Why do you have a cat?”

The back of my neck begins to burn. Who told her that?

“They carry diseases in their poop. Bad for the baby.” As she mumbles this, I realize I forgot that. Maybe I should talk to Derek and the girls about helping me with Sammy.

“Regardless of what you think of me, whether you believe who I am or not, and what my intentions are with your family, I can tell you right now that I’m not dating Derek. I’m not trying to become the girl’s new mom. They’ve been good friends to me when I needed it.”

I leave out the part where Derek declared his feelings for me several days ago at sunrise. I’ve been giving him space and only talking to him about work if I can help it.

Though this redhead stresses me out and causes frustration to flow through me, I don’t want to fight her.

“Ten years is a long time,” I continue. “You and Derek have memories together and a history that trumps any friendship I have with your ex-husband. But that’s all it is. Friendship.”

I can tell Sadie still doesn’t buy a word of what I’m saying. It reminds me of Natalie and her schemes to lock down Derek.

Yet, I’m still in his life no matter what woman is throwing herself at my boss.

“Just mind your own business. Stay out of my family; we won’t have a problem here. Got it?”

No use in pushing back.

“I hope it works out between you and Derek.”

That’s a bald-faced lie, and I almost say it through gritted teeth. But anything to get this bitch out of my house.

Sadie stares at me, then turns and walks out.

Once the door slams behind her, I roll my eyes. I lock the door and grab my phone, my work seemingly forgotten on the table.

I FaceTime Annie and Lily, who both pick up after two rings.

“Guess who just made a grand appearance in my living room?” I ask.

“Was it a shirtless Derek?” Annie responds first.

“Or a fully naked one?” Lily laughs.

“Neither one,” I admit. “It was his ex-wife.”

My best friends both gasp. “Oh my God!”

“What is she doing bothering you?” Annie demands.

“Telling me to stay away from her husband.”

Lily coughs. “They’re not even married!”

“That’s what I tried to tell her.”

Annie growls into the phone. “Fucking bitch. Thinks she can just waltz into your house and declare she’s the boss of you!”

I laugh. “She said she’s going to get him back.”

“Fuck no!” Lily screeches. “You always leave the best details out! She’s back to take your man?”

“Not my man,” I remind them.

“Might as well be your man,” Annie shoots back.

They don’t know about my embarrassing run in with Derek a few mornings ago. I’ve kept that to myself. It’s not something I’m ready to talk about yet. But man, do I wish I could have told Sadie the truth.

“I’m not trying to start a fight with her. I just spent months dealing with Ryan and Melinda and the miscarriage and the court dates…I just need a break from all the shitty drama.”

“Oh, honey,” Lily’s face drops. “We know.”

“We don’t want to make things harder,” Annie nods on her end. “You deserve happiness. And while we love to taunt and tease, we also know sometimes it’s the best method for distracting you.”

“I love you guys.” My heart is so grateful.

“Good, cause we love you too, bitch,” Annie winks at me while Lily snorts on her end.

“So, tell us exactly what Sadie said, that man-stealing bitch.”

“He’s still not my man.”

“And he’s still not Sadie’s either. Ergo, he’s your man.”

Rolling my eyes at the both of them, I sit down on my couch to tell them about the entire encounter. All the while, I keep smiling to myself about how grateful I am for these two nutty women that have kept me afloat.