Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“I wonder why.”
“Like I said, I’m not sure. Inspector Nolan assured me he will have a lot of local help. He seems okay with it, so I’m confident.”
“Inspector Nolan makes you feel safe?”
“Oh my God, yes. Doesn’t he do the same for you?”
“Yeah,” I answered thoughtfully, “he does.” There was no denying that with Cord in the room, I felt protected. “So you’re okay with going?”
“I can’t continue like this. I’m having a baby. I will not have whoever is out there coming after my son. I need this to be over. I have a life to go on with. I have friends and family I want to spend time with, and I need to come to an agreement with Breckin about how he plans to help or not help with this child. If it’s nothing, then it’s nothing, but I need to know.”
I nodded. “That’s between you and him.”
“No,” she said, raising her voice for the first time. “It’s between the three of us if you plan to stay with him. You have a say too.”
“Dr.—”
She cut me off. “Celia. We should at least have that.”
It was stupid not to. “Celia. We’ve been over for a while, and I have no plans to—”
“Listen,” she began hesitantly, her voice trembling a bit. “I know it’s hard, but I think if you told him to leave you, he would do the right thing and help me raise my son, perhaps even choose to be a husband and father.”
“I already told him to help you in any way he can,” I informed her, rising from the chair.
“You did?” She was obviously shocked—the way the color drained from her face told me so.
“I did. You can ask him yourself if you don’t believe me.”
“Why would I not believe you?” she asked sincerely. “You’ve been nothing but honest with me.”
“Here’s the thing: I know you want him, or you wouldn’t have gone back after you spoke to him the first time.”
She nodded.
“I’m sure the two of you can work out something that will be best for everyone.”
“Tracy, I don’t know what to—”
“Don’t say anything. It’s not necessary. Just know that your way to him is clear. I’m completely out of the picture.”
She looked stunned. “You’re amazing.”
I was done was what I was.
I left the living room and went into the kitchen. Breckin was sitting at the kitchen table, head in hands, and didn’t look up when I came in. If it had been my house, the cup I was holding would have been history—I would have smashed it into a thousand pieces. As it was, I used every drop of self-control I had to place it gently in the sink. I looked from my father to Beth to Joanna and back to my ex again. They had all heard—maybe not every word, but enough.
I looked over at Joanna. “I’m not mad at you, okay?”
Her eyes were huge as she gazed at me. “You’re not?”
“No, why would I be? You had no idea.” I sighed deeply, suddenly exhausted.
So without another word, I left them there and went to the stairs.
My brothers were sitting on them, both with coffee, also having heard it all. Alex lifted his head and looked at me as I started up, and Evan squeezed my hand before I could get by. Cord was waiting for me at the top of the stairs.
“I am not going to fuckin’ Vermont with my ex and his pregnant lover. Is that clear?”
“We’ll see,” he said evenly, looking at me hard.
“No, we won’t see. I am so done with this whole thing.”
“You don’t get to be done until your stalker says you are.” He drilled his finger into my collarbone as he spoke. “Don’t you get it? You are not in control here. You might be in the driver’s seat with this little domestic drama you’ve got going with your ex and his knocked-up dish on the side, but as far as the attempts on your life are concerned, you have no power, and you are not the one calling the shots. Don’t delude yourself. You will do what I say.” He poked me one last time for emphasis. I was sure I would have a bruise.
“Fuck you, Cord. I’d rather get shot than have to listen to you.”
He was going to really launch into me, I could tell by the way he squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, but I walked around him, went back into the bedroom, and slammed the door behind me. I sank down onto the bed, then buried myself under the covers and closed my eyes. I was almost asleep when my phone rang. It was Dimah.
“Shit,” I said instead of hello. “I forgot to call and say I wasn’t going to be in this morning. I’m sorry.”
“I knew you would not be in. You were hurt on Saturday. It is only Monday.”