Jay Walking by Tracy Krimmer Page B

to my house. "I'm not sure if I told you I live with my parents."
    "You do?"
    "Well, kind of. My dad owns the duplex and they live upstairs and I stay downstairs."
    He squeezes my hand. "Ah, well that's a little different. You don't exactly live with them."
    This is harder than I thought it would be. I want to come clean, but something is keeping me from the truth. He's holding my hand now, but the second I tell him, I'm sure he'll turn and walk the other way. Probably run. But, if I want a relationship with this man, he needs to know who I am. I'm a mom. I'm Chelsea Wyatt, a mom. We probably shouldn't be together anyway if he can't deal with that. I'm not ashamed of my life, and every moment I go without telling him, I'm giving the exact opposite impression.
    "I don't live alone, Jay." Okay, this is a start. I'll ease into it. We're only two houses away from mine. I should tell him before he wants to come in.
    "I had a roommate when back in medical school."
    "He's not a roommate."
    "He?" He stops and lets go of my hand. We're standing one house away, and James is in the window watching me.
    "I live with my son."
    His face drops, and he takes a step back. His hands at his sides, he presses them into his hips. I can't tell what he's thinking. He hasn't bolted yet, so I figure that's a halfway decent sign.  
    "Are you okay?"
    He pulls his head back and gazes up at the blue sky. There isn't a cloud in sight, and the sun beats down on his face. "I'm trying to process this." He doesn't make eye contact with me. He's turning his head in every direction, and I think soon it may spin around.  
    "He's two. His name is James, and he's wonderful." I want him to acknowledge me. At least that will qualify as a sign he's not entirely freaked out. "My relationship ended when I got pregnant. Hell, it barely classified as a relationship anyway." I'm startled when he looks at me. This glare isn't one I'm a virgin to. "Not a one-night stand. Nothing like that. More like a one-sided romance."
    "How long?"
    "How long what?"
    "How long was your relationship, or whatever, with the dad?"
    "Almost two years."
    He blows out some air. "That's a long time to refer to something as one-sided."
    I'm glad we're discussing this. Talking about an ex on a date isn't on the top of my list for topics, but where there's James, there's also Daniel, technically. And I want to be honest. I want Jay to be aware of every detail. A lasting relationship is built on trust, and hiding my past can only hinder our future.
    "I thought Daniel was single when we met. When he admitted to having a girlfriend, we stayed together. He cheated on her. With me. Now they're married with two kids."
    He's nodding and taking in everything I say. Should I go on? Does he want me to continue? That pretty much covers it, I think.
    "I like you, Chelsea."
    "I like you, too, Jay."
    "Please. Let me finish."
    The end is coming, and I'm fighting back the tears. My eyes are moist, and I glance up at the tree behind Jay to stop myself from crying.  
    "I don't know where our relationship is headed, but I feel like we connect. I want this to go somewhere. Despite that, I don't think it's enough. I can't deal with the drama involved with co-parenting a child. My career is stressful enough, and this can cause plenty of problems. My brother deals with so many family issues in his job, and things can get so messy."
    He's breaking up with me before things even get off the ground. I told Amber this would happen, and here we are. I understand what he's saying. The very thing he's afraid of is what is happening to me right now. Daniel is threatening me for custody of James. He won't succeed - visitation is what he'll achieve, at best - but all our drop-off and pick-up encounters will be uncomfortable and I'm sure our parenting styles will differ. This is all if Daniel even moves forward with everything. I'm doubtful.
    "Jay, trust me, Daniel isn't involved. At all. I haven't seen him since I got pregnant and