Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“Do you want to pick, or do you want me to surprise you?”
“Surprise,” I said instantly.
Kyle smiled like he already knew that would be my answer. “Tired of making decisions all day every day?”
“You have no idea.”
He chuckled, tilting my chin before his lips found mine. “I can imagine,” he murmured, and then my whole body was tingling, just like it always did when that man kissed me.
Suddenly, the front door banged open, the sound of the springs hitting their max rattling through the house.
And Marshall stormed in.
I jumped out of my skin at the commotion, heart galloping, but I didn’t even have time to process what was happening before Kyle had me behind him, his chest puffed and his gaze murderous on my ex-husband. Marshall stopped at the sight, sneering at us both like he’d caught us red-handed in an affair.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt breakfast?”
“As a matter of fact, you did,” Kyle said. “I think you should turn around and walk out that door and try again — with a knock this time.”
Marshall’s jaw popped, and he took a big step toward us, his thick finger pointing at Kyle. “Don’t you tell me what to do, you fucking punk. That’s my wife and child.”
“Ex-wife,” Kyle pointed out.
I ran a shaky hand gently over Kyle’s arm, stepping around him to face Marshall with my chin held high. Adrenaline was rushing through me, the memories of similar scenes with my ex’s wrath playing out in my mind like a highlight reel. But I held my chin tall, my back straight, shoulders back, eyes assuring Kyle as much as just having him there assured me.
I didn’t have to get close to Marshall to smell the alcohol on his breath.
Red beer. I remembered it well. It was his favorite way to start a morning.
“Marshall, you know you’re not allowed to show up here unannounced. And you sure as hell are not allowed to storm in like you own the place.”
“It was my money that bought it,” he shot back, which made me grit my teeth.
All of it was always his money when we got divorced, as if I did nothing in the marriage but take up oxygen and give him something to hit.
“And it’s my day with Sebastian,” he continued.
“Which means you can pick him up from camp, just like we discussed,” I said, keeping my voice calm and ignoring his attempts to goad me. “But only if you sober up. And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your voice down.”
“I think I’ll keep it raised. Because in what universe did I agree to letting you have another man around my son?”
I tried to settle myself with a long breath. “Marshall, we are divorced. You do not get to dictate who I spend my time with.”
“But I get to dictate who my son is around. You’re not going to be some fucking whore with a train of men coming in and out of his life. I’ll—”
Kyle rushed him so fast he was a blur, and then Marshall was being shoved outside onto the front porch.
“Talk to her like that one more time, and you won’t have teeth to form the words,” I heard Kyle threaten as the glass door slammed shut behind them.
But then, I heard a door creak, and I whipped around to find Sebastian peeking out of his door at the end of the hallway.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said, hoping my smile was convincing that everything was okay. I glanced back out at where Marshall and Kyle were obviously in a heated argument on the lawn, but as much as I wanted to know what was being said, I wanted to make sure my son was okay more.
I made my way down the hall to him, and as soon as I made it to his door, Sebastian hugged my legs tight, burying his face in my stomach like he did when he was sick.
Or scared.
I sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Everything is okay,” I promised him.
“I don’t like when Daddy yells at you.”
My eyes shut, and I let out a long breath before replying, “I don’t like it either, baby.”
“Kyle never yells at us.”
Another squeeze of my heart. “No, he doesn’t.”
“He loves you.”
At that, I smirked, dropping down to his level and brushing his hair from his face. “I don’t know about that, but I know he cares about both of us.”
Sebastian nodded, looking down at his sneakers.
“You okay?” I asked him.
He nodded again, but then shook his head. “Sometimes I have a bad thought.”
I frowned. “Well, you can tell Mommy. There’s no judgment here. Remember?”
Sebastian swayed a bit side to side, his eyes on his shoes still, and I thought I heard the front door open and close somewhere behind us.
“Sometimes, I wish Kyle was my dad, instead.”