I can tell from his expression that he isn’t going to budge on this. Well, I’m not budging either. I’m not letting my child feel the same sense of abandonment and pain I felt when I was old enough to realize my mom didn’t want me enough to stick around.
“Fine,” I say, since it isn’t productive to argue. Once he has some time to think a bit, he’ll realize I’m right. “Can I go back to the due diligence I was doing?”
“No, you can go home. You don’t have anything urgent on your plate. There’s no reason you have to do that today.”
I hesitate. I have nothing to do at home except stew.
He gives me a firm look. “If you don’t, I’ll find a lot of training for everyone in the office to do and make sure they know it’s all due to your amazing effort.”
“You are such a jerk.”
“A jerk who wants you to not work on Sunday.” He bares his teeth in a smile. “Sue me.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Amy
The second I walk into my apartment, my phone pings. Maybe it’s Emmett texting to let me know he’s seen the light—and I’m right.
But no. It’s actually Sasha.
–Sasha: Is everything okay? I stopped by your desk after I thought you’d be out of the big, bad boss’s office, but you’d left. Did Emmett get really pissy about your upcoming maternity leave?
Oh crap. I should’ve expected her to be upset. Now she’ll be angsty about getting me into trouble for the rest of the day if I don’t set her straight.
I put my stuff at the foot of my bed and sit on the edge of the mattress.
–Me: Not really.
He isn’t upset about the maternity leave, but the fact that I’m not sure about marrying him over the pregnancy. The more I think about it, the odder it seems. Aren’t guys generally happy about not being forced into commitment? I’m giving him a graceful way out.
–Sasha: It’s illegal for him to do that. I’m sure of it. You’re entitled to your leave, unless you told him you quit.
Obviously my bestie is operating under a different assumption.
–Me: Not like that. It’s complicated.
–Sasha: What’s complicated? You’re so close to hitting 2 years anyway. If you wanna sue, let me know. I can ask around for some lawyer recs.
I can already picture her asking her boyfriend. No. Just no.
–Me: Please don’t. A lawsuit isn’t the way to go here.
But even as I hit send, I know she isn’t going to listen. She’s like a pit bull when somebody in her circle’s threatened.
–Me: You can’t tell anybody what I’m about to say.
–Sasha: You known I can keep my mouth shut. But you’re scaring me here.
I inhale slowly, and exhale even more slowly.
–Me: I didn’t want to tell you like this, but put a hand over your mouth and clench your teeth together.
–Sasha: Why?
–Me: I don’t want you making any strange sounds! You’re still in the office, right?
–Sasha: Fine. Done!