He Said He Loved Me in Front of My Ex

Zach has never contacted me ever since our last encounter. I figured it was for the best, anyway, because after all these years, I finally let it all out.

It didn't matter who owed who or who should apologize. The best thing for the both of us was never to see each other again and live our usual lives.

That's what I did.

My mother moved into my newly-bought house when the last week of September came. Her presence made it easier for me to balance taking care of Caleb and work.

However, ever since Zach learned about Caleb, he always seemed to find a way to get close to him.

At first, it was just leaving toys by the door. But then I found out that my mother would let him into our house to spend time with Caleb, and he would leave before I came home.

I didn't feel betrayed because, despite our strained relationship, Zach was still Caleb's father. He deserved some time with him, at least.

The set-up was fine for me, but then Zach started picking Caleb up from kindergarten and occasionally took him out for a quick trip to the mall. I was okay with it, but I always became uneasy when Caleb took too long to go home.

It annoyed and worried me so much, especially when Caleb started bringing Zach into our conversation at home, saying that he wanted to live with Zach.

That was the trigger that made me more protective of Caleb. I started staying at home more so Zach wouldn't dare show up again. I also didn't give him the chance to pick my son up from his kindergarten.

I thought I could protect my son by doing this, but unexpectedly, Zach showed his ace. I was working overtime that day when my mother called me at five in the evening.

I thought she was just checking to see if I'd be home for dinner, but a worried voice greeted me when I answered the phone.

"Come here immediately, Ivy. Caleb is missing. I can't find him anywhere! He's not at school!"

My heart skipped a beat as my mind immediately went to Zach. I clenched my fist as my brows furrowed.

"What happened? How did you lose him? Where were you?"

"After dinner, I took Caleb for a walk. So many people were dancing in the central area that I just stood there for a few minutes, and then he was...gone."

Silence reigned over our call as my thoughts started to scramble. I could hear Mom's loud sobs on the phone.

"It had only been a few minutes, and I..."

I released a heavy breath, trying to maintain a calm facade. "We'll find him, Mom. Don't worry. Just stay there. I'll be there in a minute."

I hung up the phone and drove there. Holding the steering wheel, my hands were shaking, and my palms were sweaty.

There were a lot of people in the square. My mother squatted in the crowd. The tear in her eyes fell instantly when she saw me.

"Ivy, I can't find Caleb, and I don't know what to do. I'm so sorry. It is all my fault."

"Don't cry, Mom; it's all right." My voice croaked as I pulled out my phone and checked the time. "When did you lose him? Did you call the cops already?"

"Yes, the police are on their way."

My mother sobbed and wiped her eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do if something happens to him. I deserved to be damned, and I really deserved to be damned."

I gripped my mom's hand tightly, comforting her in a way I could. I didn't know what to say, and I was afraid that if I spoke, I would cry in an instant.

A loud ringing snapped me back to reality. I immediately answered the phone without looking at the caller, but my shoulders slumped when I heard a familiar, friendly voice.

"Hi, little Ivy, long time no see. Did you miss me?"

"I'm not in the mood right now, Tyler. What do you want?" I snipped, my eyes traveling back and forth around the park, looking for signs of my son.

"What's wrong? Who's bothering you? Tell me, and I will...."

I hung up the phone, feeling annoyed, even before he finished speaking. After two seconds, it rang again.

"Tyler Rivers, would you stop fucking around? I'm not in the mood to play your little game."

After a brief pause, his tone changed to severe. "What's going on?"

"My mom went for a walk with Caleb, and now we can't find him."

"Where was he? How long had he been missing?" Tyler inquired.

"We've been in Central Park Square for more than thirty minutes." From afar, I saw a police car parking on the sides. "The cops are here. I need to go, Tyler. I'll call you back once we find him."

Two cops emerged from the car; my mom and I immediately went to them. They asked us the questions of where and when, but Mom was the one who answered. My mind was already in a daze as it was starting to get dark.

My hands were constantly shaking as I wanted to cry. I watched the cops walk around the area, asking random people if they'd seen my son.

"There are too many people, and cars come and go. We've been looking everywhere. I suggest we just go back to the station and file a case," the cop said when they came back.

"What is the point of filing a case right now? At least we know where to look while we are still here. What happens if he goes somewhere else? Where do we look for him, then? We can't leave here!"

"So, what did you do earlier? Can't even two adults keep a child close? Unfortunately, we don't have enough staff to assist you in looking around in such a large area right now."

"Yes, given that it's been an hour, the only thing left to do is return to the station and file the case, and then we can send the squad to assist you," the second officer grumbled.

"Can you even find my child? I don't think so, based on how slow you move!" I cried. I felt Mom's tight squeeze on my hand, but all I could do was shake my head.

The cops seemed irritated, but I didn't care. Caleb was missing! How could this even happen?

"Is this how you treat the people you swore to protect?" A deep, booming voice made us all turn around.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes when I saw Tyler walking towards us, his gaze stern and burning fiercely as if he would devour the cops whole.