Read Online That One Night (That One Series Book 1) by Josie Wright - Free Book Online
Authors: Josie Wright
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if he wants to say, “Who is that man?”, but once Ben starts swinging him, his confusion is quickly forgotten.
“What truth? What bullshit are you talking about? I don’t know what could have caused you to lose your footing like that?” I really don’t understand and I want to. I want an explanation that will take away the feeling of him just wanting to leave, to get away from me. I want to know where he’s been, and as much as I fight against it, I want to know if he’s been with anyone. He’s back for not even a week and my head is completely screwed.
“There are things you don’t know. It doesn’t matter,” he shrugs dismissively, turning his attention back to Archer.
"It matters to me. But I guess that still isn’t the thing that actually matters.” The rejection I felt the morning after he left still stings, and I’m mad at myself that I’m allowing it to hurt. I thought I was over it, and that I left those feelings of pain and humiliation behind.
“I don’t wanna talk about it. Not now. It’s all so much to deal with—seeing you again, meeting Archer.”
“You think it’s just a lot for you? Really? I’m trying to figure out why you left, why you’re suddenly back and if that bullshit you’re talking about will have an effect on my son.”
“You mean our son, Frankie. Not just yours,” he spits out the words, clearly offended by what I said. “And I came back…”
He doesn’t get to finish the sentence because Archer suddenly squeals, before giggling like a little maniac, clearly delighted and happy to be swinging.
Despite the heaviness of the conversation between Ben and me, those giggles manage to make me smile. When I look up at Ben, I can tell that Archer has the same effect on him.
***
We decide to go have breakfast at a diner. Michigan in November is too cold to spend a long amount of time outside. We drive to the local diner in town that I spent many hours in as a teenager. When we arrive, Ben gets out of the car first and starts taking Archer out of his seat.
“Come to Daddy.” I hear him murmur into Archer’s ear and can’t help a smile from spreading over my face.
When I hear Archer saying “Dada,” my face nearly splits in half.
“Did he just say Dada?” Ben asks me—his voice choked with emotion.
“Yes, he did.”
At that, I can see the tears that Ben is trying to blink away rapidly.
“He’s a smart little boy.”
I don’t have the heart to tell him that Archer doesn’t even know what he’s saying. And to be honest, it doesn’t matter. It still lights up my heart like a firework whenever he says “Mama.”
“Let’s get inside. It’s getting cold out here.”
I grab the diaper bag and head for the door of the diner, locking the car doors from afar when I see Ben following me with Archer.
Once inside, we order some food, and I take a bottle of breast milk out of the diaper bag and ask the waitress if she could heat it up in a microwave. She’s really polite and with a friendly smile goes off with the bottle toward what I assume is the kitchen. I just don’t feel like whipping out my boobs in a restaurant, especially right in front of Ben. That would be too strange.
Before we even can start a conversation, she’s back and hands me the bottle. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, that’s nice of you,” I tell her before she walks away.
“Do you want to feed him?”
Ben seems unsure for a moment, although he’s been holding Archer since he took him out of the car. Archer is fascinated by the new guy who is suddenly paying him this much attention. He keeps grabbing Ben’s necklace, a wolf tooth pendant on a leather band, or his watch, entertaining himself.
“It isn’t as hard as you think. Trust me, he’ll show you how to do it.” I pass the bottle over to Ben. He takes it with some hesitation, but as soon as it’s in his hands and Archer gets a glimpse of it, it’s just as I predicted—Archer grabs onto the bottle, has it in his
“What truth? What bullshit are you talking about? I don’t know what could have caused you to lose your footing like that?” I really don’t understand and I want to. I want an explanation that will take away the feeling of him just wanting to leave, to get away from me. I want to know where he’s been, and as much as I fight against it, I want to know if he’s been with anyone. He’s back for not even a week and my head is completely screwed.
“There are things you don’t know. It doesn’t matter,” he shrugs dismissively, turning his attention back to Archer.
"It matters to me. But I guess that still isn’t the thing that actually matters.” The rejection I felt the morning after he left still stings, and I’m mad at myself that I’m allowing it to hurt. I thought I was over it, and that I left those feelings of pain and humiliation behind.
“I don’t wanna talk about it. Not now. It’s all so much to deal with—seeing you again, meeting Archer.”
“You think it’s just a lot for you? Really? I’m trying to figure out why you left, why you’re suddenly back and if that bullshit you’re talking about will have an effect on my son.”
“You mean our son, Frankie. Not just yours,” he spits out the words, clearly offended by what I said. “And I came back…”
He doesn’t get to finish the sentence because Archer suddenly squeals, before giggling like a little maniac, clearly delighted and happy to be swinging.
Despite the heaviness of the conversation between Ben and me, those giggles manage to make me smile. When I look up at Ben, I can tell that Archer has the same effect on him.
***
We decide to go have breakfast at a diner. Michigan in November is too cold to spend a long amount of time outside. We drive to the local diner in town that I spent many hours in as a teenager. When we arrive, Ben gets out of the car first and starts taking Archer out of his seat.
“Come to Daddy.” I hear him murmur into Archer’s ear and can’t help a smile from spreading over my face.
When I hear Archer saying “Dada,” my face nearly splits in half.
“Did he just say Dada?” Ben asks me—his voice choked with emotion.
“Yes, he did.”
At that, I can see the tears that Ben is trying to blink away rapidly.
“He’s a smart little boy.”
I don’t have the heart to tell him that Archer doesn’t even know what he’s saying. And to be honest, it doesn’t matter. It still lights up my heart like a firework whenever he says “Mama.”
“Let’s get inside. It’s getting cold out here.”
I grab the diaper bag and head for the door of the diner, locking the car doors from afar when I see Ben following me with Archer.
Once inside, we order some food, and I take a bottle of breast milk out of the diaper bag and ask the waitress if she could heat it up in a microwave. She’s really polite and with a friendly smile goes off with the bottle toward what I assume is the kitchen. I just don’t feel like whipping out my boobs in a restaurant, especially right in front of Ben. That would be too strange.
Before we even can start a conversation, she’s back and hands me the bottle. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, that’s nice of you,” I tell her before she walks away.
“Do you want to feed him?”
Ben seems unsure for a moment, although he’s been holding Archer since he took him out of the car. Archer is fascinated by the new guy who is suddenly paying him this much attention. He keeps grabbing Ben’s necklace, a wolf tooth pendant on a leather band, or his watch, entertaining himself.
“It isn’t as hard as you think. Trust me, he’ll show you how to do it.” I pass the bottle over to Ben. He takes it with some hesitation, but as soon as it’s in his hands and Archer gets a glimpse of it, it’s just as I predicted—Archer grabs onto the bottle, has it in his
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