A Different Kind Of Love [18+]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Talk about awkward. True to their word to respect my wishes, Sean and Drew kept their distance. They stopped coming over to spend time with the girls, instead opting to take them out for a few hours before bringing them back. They also stopped making passes at me and it hurt.

I sat in my condo alone, watching romance movies and eating ice cream when the door opened. Meg walked in, marched over to stand in front of me and tossed her bag on the couch beside me. Her hands planted themselves on her hips and she squinted her eyes at me.

"What happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't act like you don't know. Drew and Sean have been moping around the office and casino for weeks. Now I've tried to give you all your space but enough is enough. They are miserable and from the look of that half empty tub of ice cream, I would say you're miserable too." Meg sits down beside me and turns her body to face me. "What the hell happened babe?"

I shovel another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth to keep from talking, but Meg knows me too well. She takes the tub and spoon from me and sits them on the coffee table. I hold the ice cream in my mouth until it melts hoping to buy myself some time.

"Come on Jade. Give it up. Something happened."

Nothing happened. I just thought that it would be best if we just co-parented. They agreed.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you want to just be co-parents? I thought things were going great? You can't tell me it's because you're not attracted to them."

"Yeah, I'm attracted to them and things were going really well but..."

"But what?"

"But I had to end it before things got too serious. I wouldn't want to get in too deep and then have to end it anyways. That would just mess the girls up. Plus, they should get used to their parents being in a normal traditional relationship. That's what I want for them. I want them to see what a healthy relationship looks like and that's what Drew and Sean have."

I stop talking and look at Meg. If I could read minds I'm sure I would hear her talking herself out of slapping me.

"Um,"

"I should slap you," she finally says.

"Yeah, I should have known that was coming," I sigh. "Why do you want to slap me?"

"Because you're being an idiot. Jo and Ju should see their parents in a "normal" relationship? What could be more normal than them growing up in a house where their parents are happy and love each other?"

"And they'll see that with Sean and Drew. They're not being deprived of anything."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Don't you want them to see you happy too?"

"Of course. I'm not saying that I'm going to be miserable. I plan on getting out there. I was even thinking about calling Darius. We had fun."

"But you didn't feel anything with Darius."

"Yeah, well. Maybe I just need to give him another chance. Especially now that Sean and Drew are out of the picture. He is attractive and I think we could make it work. Plus, he looks good on paper."

"Oh now I really think you've lost your mind. You're willing to go out with a guy that you're not attracted to because he looks good on paper?"

"You don't understand," I sigh. "We all went to the carnival together and one of the junior partners saw us."

"So?"

"She basically told me that my being with two guys would stain my reputation. I would probably have to quit my job and it made me think. What kind example am I setting for my girls?"

"One where they know that it's okay to be who they are and love who they want."

"Meg,"

"No. Let me finish. I have always been slightly envious of you. You've always known what you wanted out of life, the rest of us be damned. You have always sought out to do what you wanted and when you found out that you were going to be a mother, you could have crumbled, but you didn't. You approached motherhood the way you did everything. With this fierce determination. Hell, even your one night stand went down the way you wanted and those are usually a hit or miss," Meg laughs and I can't help but join her.

"You have never let anyone bully you before and I can't believe that you are going to start now. Your job doesn't approve of your relationship? Screw them. Your baby daddies have enough money they can take care of you or hell, set you up with your own firm. Love is love Jade. If everyone bowed down to the way society thought they should love this world would be filled with nothing but heterosexual, non swirled pissed off couples."

"You paint quite a picture."

"I know I do." Meg falls silent and looks me over. "Do you love them?"

I want to tell her no, but I know the moment the word leaves my lips it will be a lie.

"Yeah. I think I do."

"Then that's all that matters. That's what you want your girls to see growing up. That is the only thing that they will take from your relationship."

"Why haven't I seen you in weeks?"

"Because I've been putting out fires everywhere."

I move closer and lean into Meg's arms. Her hands move through my hair. What she said makes sense. I'm just not sure what to do with it.