Free Deceitful Choices by C.A. Harms

that fucking look whenever she wasn’t getting her way.
    “Don’t call me; don’t show up in California,” I said through gritted teeth. “In fact, forget you ever fucking met me, because I’ve damn sure forgotten who the fuck you even are.”
    I heard her gasping and attempting to gain control of the situation but I didn’t give her a chance to defend her actions. There was nothing she could say or do that would support them. She was selfish and spiteful. I hit end and cut ties with the one bitch who tried to keep me from my own son.
    Something like that could never be forgiven.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 14
     
     
    Lindsay
     
    It was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen.
    My cheeks actually hurt from the smile I had worn constantly for almost an hour.
    Zack had been consistent with his nightly Skype calls. Even if it was late and Camden was asleep, he would just sit quietly and watch him. But tonight his call came earlier than usual, and I had to admit there was nothing funnier than watching a full-grown man impersonating every known animal he could think of. From pigs to monkeys, it was something I knew I would never forget.
    But it made Camden smile and giggle, so Zack was more than happy to continue on. Even when a couple of his friends showed up to make fun of him, he still never stopped.
    Soon the screen was filled with not one, but two men as Rigdon joined the imitation train. I don’t think I had ever laughed so hard in my life. It was definitely entertaining, to say the least.
    When things quieted down and Camden began rubbing his eyes, growing restless, Zack took his phone and held it out before him as he lay his head on his pillow.
    I, too, lay down with Camden tucked into me and remained quiet as a father said goodnight to his son.
    It was one of the most beautiful moments I had ever witnessed.
    “I love you, buddy,” Zack whispered. “I’ll always be here for you, no matter how far apart we are, I’m still here. And I’ll always do whatever I can to keep you safe and happy. I know your mommy’s done a real good job of those things so far.” I closed my eyes tightly, fighting off the tears as he continued. “But she doesn’t have to do it alone anymore because I’ll always be here whenever you need me.”
    I tried to hide the shudder of my chest as I fought my emotions, but I saw the moment Zack’s eyes shifted to mine. “That goes for you, too, Linds,” he added, and in that moment I could no longer fight it. The tears fell and I closed my eyes turning my head to the side, using my pillow as a shield.
    “Lindsay,” Zack whispered.
    “Yeah,” I replied in a hushed voice for fear of waking our now sleeping son.
    “I know you get a break for the holidays from school,” I turned my head away from my pillow and looked back at the screen of my iPad. “I was hoping maybe you and Camden can come to Coronado Beach and spend Christmas with me. My mom said she may fly out too.”
    “I only have about eight hundred dollars saved. I don’t know if that’s enough to get us there,” I confessed.
    I never had to book a flight to anywhere, so I had no idea the amount it would cost to fly to California. A fear of depleting the small amount of savings I had was alarming, too, because I also had to pay for a room to stay in once we got there.
    “Don’t worry about that,” he replied. “I got it.”
    “I can’t let…”
    He cut me off.
    “You can,” he whispered. “And you will. Because I wanna see the two of you without a million miles between us. I’ve gotten used to hearing your voice each night and it’s been really nice getting to know you through the process of also getting to know Camden.”
    My heart raced for a moment until I forced myself to chill out. I needed to remember that I was only invited because Camden and I were a package deal. The offer was solely from a father who wanted to see his son. Nothing more.
    “Let me make sure that Grams will be okay if I’m