Chad

It was Richard’s first birthday, Kylie and Noah were holding a barbecue. I wanted to invite Ivy, but I just felt that it was too soon. Besides, I still hadn’t told her the truth. Every time I wanted to do it, something came up.

We were supposed to pretend that we’re a couple just to look at pre-schools and so far we had only been to one. She’d been to my place, and I’d been spending a lot more time at hers with the story of Olivia loving to babysit. Shit, I couldn’t wait for my mom to return from the cruise. Maybe then she’d knock some sense into me. I said from the start that in two weeks I would tell Ivy the truth, it was nearly five and the words still hadn’t left my mouth. Part of me wondered if I liked lying to her. If there was this sick part of me that was enjoying this game. I shook my head at the idea of it. I wasn’t like Joshua's dad, Brent, or any of the other jerks that I’d heard about. I was better than that, that was what I’d prided myself on, but now I wondered if I wa