Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“No,” Shane rasped, his eyes on Iris. “I didn’t—”
“Get the fuck out,” I cut in flatly, my heart sinking.
“Katie—”
“Don’t call me Katie,” I ordered before turning to my mom. “I’m going to feed her in my room.”
I walked away.
“Kate!”
“She doesn’t want to see you,” I heard Bram growl behind me.
“We need to talk!”
I ignored Shane and continued to my room at the back of the house as tears fell down my face. I just wanted my kids.
* * *
“You can’t ignore him forever,” Anita chastised, rocking Iris back and forth while I got dressed. God, I was still swollen and tender from giving birth, and the stitches the doctor had given me itched like crazy.
“I don’t want to see him.”
“He should be able to see Iris, at least.”
“He’s seen her.”
“He hasn’t even held her yet.”
“Yeah, well, he’s a dick, and I don’t want her contaminated.”
“Look, I’m the first one who’d string him up in a tree out back…but shit, sis. This isn’t you.”
“What isn’t?” I asked while gently pulling on a nursing bra. My boobs had grown even more massive, and they felt almost hot to the touch. My milk still hadn’t come in, but the nurses told me that it should only be a couple of days. I hoped the girls would feel a little less like bowling balls when that happened; that shit was getting ridiculous.
“You, ignoring Shane. I know you’re mad, but nothing is going to get settled if you won’t even talk to him. You have no idea what he wants to say. Maybe he wants to let the kids live up here with you, but you’ll have no idea if you won’t even be in the same room with him.”
“I highly doubt he’ll let his children live with their aunt in another state. Get real.”
“You have no idea what he wants, Katiebear. That’s what I’m saying. If he sinceriously wants to work something out, don’t you want to?”
“Sinceriously?”
“What?”
“That isn’t even a word.”
“Yes it is.”
“Since when?”
“Since the hot guy from Arrow said it was. Stop changing the subject. He’s been here for two days. You need to talk to him.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. “But I’m taking Iris with me.”
I walked gingerly to Ani and grabbed my daughter from her aunt.
“How dare you steal that baby from her aunt!” Ani scolded.
“Really?” I asked, aghast.
“Too soon?”
“Yeah, way too soon. Asshole.”
I left the room as she snickered, and I hid my smile. Anita had always been a bit rough around the edges, but she’d be the first person to have your back in a fight, whether it was physical or verbal. She came to our family so late in our childhoods that I knew she felt a little out of the loop, but I’d always considered her my sister…even when she made completely inappropriate jokes. Eventually, she’d figure that out, too.
“Kate,” Shane said, standing from my parents’ kitchen table.
“Et tu, Brute?” I asked my dad, who was still seated. “I didn’t know you shared a table with douchebags.”
“That’s disgusting, Katie,” my dad replied.
“Not actual douche—oh forget it.” I shook my head. “What do you want, Shane?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Shane said hesitantly, his gaze darting between me and my dad.
“I’ll just go find your mother,” my dad announced, using his hands braced on the table to rise from his seat. “Gimme my granddaughter.”
“I just got her back,” I protested as he gently took her from me.
“You need to have this out,” he whispered back, kissing my cheek before walking away.
“Well?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Talk.”
“Kate—” Shane rubbed his hands over his scruffy face. “I thought I was doing the right thing—”
“Yeah, we’re done here,” I mumbled, shaking my head.
“Listen!” he snapped, jerking to his feet. “God, just listen for a second, would you?”
“What the hell else is there to say? I’ve given you everything, Shane,” I yelled back, my hands fisting. “I took your shit like I was thankful for the fertilizer! I took care of everything so you wouldn’t worry. Even when you were gone, even when you acted like you’d never known me. What the hell else could you want from me at this point?”
“I just want another chance,” he answered quietly. “I just want to make things right.”
“You want to make things right?” Bram scoffed from the doorway to the kitchen, startling me. I turned to find him fiddling with his phone.
He walked toward us and slid his phone across the table as my mom’s voice started to play from the speakers.
“You’re doing so good, sis. Just a couple more pushes!”
“I can’t,” I sobbed. “Where’s Shane?”
“Baby, we went over this. You know Shane’s not here.”
“I want Shane,” I begged desperately. “Please. Go get Shane, I want Shane. Go get him. Bram, where’s Shane?”
My mom’s voice murmured something unintelligible, but it didn’t seem to have an effect.