what to say. Finally she wrote, that’s not a good idea .
Less than a minute later, he responded, It’s about the divorce. They need more information.
Ivy frowned. Because of the restraining order and the military breathing down his neck, forcing him to behave, neither of them had gotten lawyers. They had done most of it online, which was a gazillion times cheaper and supposedly faster. They had a hearing scheduled with a judge right before Christmas — Ivy was allowed to be present via a phone call.
She bit her lip, glancing around the stadium. There wasn’t anyone near her for several feet in all directions, and no word yet from Archer. Sighing, she dialed the number.
“Hi.” His voice, as it always did, sounded arrogant and distinctly like she was bothering him, even though he had told her to call.
“What’s going on?” She tried to keep her voice steady. He thrived on her fear, fed off it, seemed to become invincible with it.
“What are you doing?” He ignored her question.
“I’m at a football game.” Her voice quivered this time. She closed her eyes, digging for strength. He can’t hurt me. He can’t hurt me .
“Where’s Desee?”
“She’s with my mom.” As if it’s any of your business. But of course, she couldn’t say that out loud, no matter how much she wanted to.
“If you aren’t going to take care of her, you shouldn’t have custody of her. My parents are down there, too, and you haven’t let them see her at all.” She’d been waiting for him to bring them into this; in fact, she was surprised he hadn’t before now. His parents thought Ivy was an unfit mother and had tried several times to get her to give Desee up — to them.
“That’s because your parents are included in the restraining order — for stating that they would take Desee away from me in any way they could.” Ivy was proud when her voice didn’t shake.
“You’re keeping Desee away to hurt them, Ivy, and everyone knows it. And you’re screwing her up while you do it.”
Ivy sucked in a breath. She tried; she wanted to be a good parent. And Desee did need grandparents... She swallowed hard. This is his trick, Ivy. This is how he manipulates you, she reminded herself.
They never fought about what needed to be dealt with. They fought about everything else he could hurt her with. She needed to get him to focus or she needed to hang up. Somehow she had to learn to protect herself. “What do you want, Vick? What’s the divorce problem?” Her voice sounded steely even to her own ears, and she sat up a little straighter.
He was silent for several seconds. “The judge isn’t sure he has jurisdiction over the case. You have to come back to Alaska.”
Ivy felt her heart turn to ice in her chest. No . She choked on a sob. “I have to… come back? But it’s winter. The Alaska Highway is closed,” she whispered. Her nerves of steel and strong voice were gone, obliterated with one sentence.
“Not my problem. You have to be living in the state with Desee for two months before the judge will claim jurisdiction.” She could picture him shrugging, picking at his nails that were always bitten to the quick, like he could care less that he was ruining her life.
Ivy squeezed her eyes shut tight, rubbing her temples where she could feel a migraine coming. Her whole body was shaking and, even in the chilled November air, she was sweating.
Suddenly, the phone was snatched out of her hand. She jerked upright, spinning toward Archer. Raising an eyebrow and giving her a wicked grin, he deliberately pushed the End button.
Ivy’s mouth opened and closed like one of those fish that clean the bottom of the tank, but she didn’t know what to say. Furious with herself, she scrubbed at the tears that soaked her cheeks. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to curl into the fetal position and sob or sink through the bleachers and die of embarrassment.
“You don’t have to talk to him, you know,” he said quietly, all
Less than a minute later, he responded, It’s about the divorce. They need more information.
Ivy frowned. Because of the restraining order and the military breathing down his neck, forcing him to behave, neither of them had gotten lawyers. They had done most of it online, which was a gazillion times cheaper and supposedly faster. They had a hearing scheduled with a judge right before Christmas — Ivy was allowed to be present via a phone call.
She bit her lip, glancing around the stadium. There wasn’t anyone near her for several feet in all directions, and no word yet from Archer. Sighing, she dialed the number.
“Hi.” His voice, as it always did, sounded arrogant and distinctly like she was bothering him, even though he had told her to call.
“What’s going on?” She tried to keep her voice steady. He thrived on her fear, fed off it, seemed to become invincible with it.
“What are you doing?” He ignored her question.
“I’m at a football game.” Her voice quivered this time. She closed her eyes, digging for strength. He can’t hurt me. He can’t hurt me .
“Where’s Desee?”
“She’s with my mom.” As if it’s any of your business. But of course, she couldn’t say that out loud, no matter how much she wanted to.
“If you aren’t going to take care of her, you shouldn’t have custody of her. My parents are down there, too, and you haven’t let them see her at all.” She’d been waiting for him to bring them into this; in fact, she was surprised he hadn’t before now. His parents thought Ivy was an unfit mother and had tried several times to get her to give Desee up — to them.
“That’s because your parents are included in the restraining order — for stating that they would take Desee away from me in any way they could.” Ivy was proud when her voice didn’t shake.
“You’re keeping Desee away to hurt them, Ivy, and everyone knows it. And you’re screwing her up while you do it.”
Ivy sucked in a breath. She tried; she wanted to be a good parent. And Desee did need grandparents... She swallowed hard. This is his trick, Ivy. This is how he manipulates you, she reminded herself.
They never fought about what needed to be dealt with. They fought about everything else he could hurt her with. She needed to get him to focus or she needed to hang up. Somehow she had to learn to protect herself. “What do you want, Vick? What’s the divorce problem?” Her voice sounded steely even to her own ears, and she sat up a little straighter.
He was silent for several seconds. “The judge isn’t sure he has jurisdiction over the case. You have to come back to Alaska.”
Ivy felt her heart turn to ice in her chest. No . She choked on a sob. “I have to… come back? But it’s winter. The Alaska Highway is closed,” she whispered. Her nerves of steel and strong voice were gone, obliterated with one sentence.
“Not my problem. You have to be living in the state with Desee for two months before the judge will claim jurisdiction.” She could picture him shrugging, picking at his nails that were always bitten to the quick, like he could care less that he was ruining her life.
Ivy squeezed her eyes shut tight, rubbing her temples where she could feel a migraine coming. Her whole body was shaking and, even in the chilled November air, she was sweating.
Suddenly, the phone was snatched out of her hand. She jerked upright, spinning toward Archer. Raising an eyebrow and giving her a wicked grin, he deliberately pushed the End button.
Ivy’s mouth opened and closed like one of those fish that clean the bottom of the tank, but she didn’t know what to say. Furious with herself, she scrubbed at the tears that soaked her cheeks. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to curl into the fetal position and sob or sink through the bleachers and die of embarrassment.
“You don’t have to talk to him, you know,” he said quietly, all
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