Almost Broken by Portia Moore Page A

to clean her up okay,” she replies picking up Caylen and taking the soggy chocolate chip cookie from her hand. Before I head back out the door I turn back around to face her.
    “Thanks Lauren.” She glances up at me with tight smile as she starts to wipe Caylen’s mouth. When I close the door, I let out a deep breath and pray this goes as smooth as possible. It can’t be any worse than the last time they met.
    Hopefully.
     

Chapter 6
Lauren
     
     
     
    I ’m an idiot. I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid. I don’t know why—probably because I am an idiot—but a part of me sort of thought things were about to change. Initially, I thought us staying here was a ploy his mom used to have more time with Caylen, but when he said that there was no place he’d rather us be, I thought there was a chance.
    A chance that maybe Chris could see me the way Cal did. Now I know there is no chance of that. I couldn’t even unpack one bag before that little delusion crumbled down around me. I should have expected this, I really should have.
    Like Raven said, I told him I was leaving the past behind, and he’s engaged to another woman, a woman that would eventually have to meet Caylen. His life hasn’t stopped moving forward.
    I’m still the foolish girl Cal left waiting for him, and I’m still waiting, the only one waiting apparently. Jenna’s no longer going to be the strange woman I saw once, she’s going to be a part of all this. She’s not waiting on anything since she wants to meet Caylen already, and if she’s meeting Caylen, she has no intention of going anywhere. Somewhere in me, I was hoping the craziness of this situation would run her off in the other direction, but apparently she’s just as stupid as I am and is in this for the long haul. How am I supposed to face her? How do you make nice and pretend to be cordial with a woman who has the man you’re in love with? I’ve done a lot of fake smiling and pretending, but I’m not a good enough actress to pull this off. But I have to try because there’s no way they’re taking Caylen anywhere alone.
    Call me selfish or overprotective, but until I get to know this woman, that’s not happening. Which means I’ll have to get to know this woman.
    “Poo! Poo! Poo!” I mutter to myself. Caylen’s oblivious to all this, thank God. I’ve cleaned up her face that was smeared with chocolate and cookie crumbs and dress her in a cute little yellow romper. She looks adorable again. I’ve been done getting her ready at least five minutes, but I’m glued to the bed. How am I going to go out there and not let this woman see that I’m in love with this man? She’s going to see it. Chris is the only one oblivious to it, or he just doesn’t care. I pick up Caylen and remind myself why I’m here. I’m not here for me, I’m really not here for Chris or even Cal. I’m here so that my daughter can have a relationship with her dad that is as normal as possible, and if he wants this woman—the woman he plans on spending the rest of his life with—to meet her…
    The more I try to talk myself into this, the more I’m being pushed deeper into a black hole. I smile down at Caylen and kiss her on the cheek before opening the door. I can hear them in the dining room. She’s talking about school. She says something about her law professor, and I swallow the lump in my throat and practice my fake smile that seems to morph into a feeble grin as I enter the room.
    Chris looks relieved, like someone just lifted the weight of the world from his shoulders. Maybe he thought I wasn’t really coming out. Mrs. Scott gives me a reassuring smile, and then I see Jenna. There’s no smile on her face, but her eyes narrow in on mine and she sits up straighter in her chair. Her gaze is on me. She hasn’t even attempted to look at Caylen. She’s studying me, and she’s not even trying to hide it. The practiced smile I was wearing, has fallen completely. I’m really straining for