I was already awake when Elodie’s alarm went off at six a.m. I hadn’t really slept, disappointment sitting heavy on my chest. I hadn’t meant to ask Elodie for more last night, but everything had just felt…right. I knew she had a lot of baggage, but I didn’t care. I liked her a lot. She was smart and kind and beautiful. And the fact that she was an amazing mother only made her more appealing. Nathan was a great kid, and since Rick was a dick, that awesomeness in him had to have come from Elodie. After we’d fucked like horny teenagers in the bathroom, we’d had slow, soul-connecting sex in her bed. At least I thought we had.

With her lying in my arms afterwards, I’d realised the thought of her dating anyone else was unbearable. I wanted her. And even though things had moved quickly between us, I wanted more. I didn’t want to see other women, and I sure as hell didn’t want her seeing other men. The words had tumbled from my mouth before I could even really consider the impact of them. But even in the silence that followed, I hadn’t wanted to take them back. I’d just wanted her to say yes.

But she hadn’t. And my feelings had been hurt, and so I’d sulked like a preschooler. Fucking dumb ass. Then I’d lain awake for the rest of the night, waiting for her to wake up so I could apologise and beg and grovel for her forgiveness. We could take this as slow as she wanted.

She sat up, the white sheets slipping off her still naked body, exposing her breasts and making my mouth dry. I turned away, already fighting a morning erection, which wasn’t helped by the sight of all that creamy skin and her pink nipples. She turned the alarm off and tucked the sheet up around her.

“You’d better go,” she said quietly. “Nathan will be awake soon.”

Right. That was why she’d set the alarm in the first place. So I could sneak out before Nathan woke up. With heavy limbs, I scooped up my clothes from the floor. I pulled on my shorts slowly, trying to think of what to say to close the gap between us this morning. Every speech I’d rehearsed in my head suddenly seemed stupid. She watched me as I turned my shirt out the right way, and I decided that a simple apology would go down better with her than any of the elaborate rubbish I’d come up with last night.

My fingers bunched in the fabric of my T-shirt as nerves tangled in my gut. I had feelings for her. I’d acknowledged them in the dark of the night and now it was all I could do to keep them to myself. I needed to fix this. “Elodie, I—”

Elodie’s head whipped around as three loud thumps came from the front door. She stood, pulling the sheet with her and lifted a blind to peek out the window. She dropped it quickly, and when she turned back to me, her eyes were wide. “It’s Rick.”

She dropped the sheet, yanking a silky robe from a hanger in her wardrobe, and slipped her arms through before tying it in a knot.

“Are you expecting him?” I asked, just as Rick thumped on the door again.

She shook her head quickly. “No, but he’s going to wake up Nathan if I don’t get out there.” She glanced at the door and then the window and I wondered if she was trying to work out if I could jump out of it without being seen. “Wait here, okay? I’ll come get you when the coast is clear.”

I frowned, but this was her show and her rules. Arguing with her wasn’t going to get us back to where we’d been last night before I’d opened my big mouth.

The banging came again and Elodie cursed quietly under her breath as she exited the room, leaving me with nothing to do but sit and brood. The house was so quiet and Elodie’s room was so close to the front door, I heard every footstep she made along the hallway before she stopped and the sound of turning locks floated back to me.

“What are you doing here?” Elodie hissed at Rick before he could say anything. “And why are you banging my door down? You’re going to wake up Nathan!”

I stared at the ceiling, not wanting to eavesdrop, but not really having much choice unless I put my head under a pillow. And after the scene Rick and Bree had created in the restaurant, my protective instincts were on alert. I didn’t trust Rick as far as I could throw him. I knew Elodie could handle herself, but I couldn’t just tune out.

“Let me in, Elodie. We need to talk.” There was a shuffling, and I didn’t hear any protests from Elodie, so I assumed she’d done what he asked. The front door closed, but there were no footsteps so I guessed they were still standing in the entry foyer.

“What do you want, Rick? I don’t even know why you’re here. It’s not your day to collect Nathan. Aren’t you still supposed to be on your honeymoon?”

“I didn’t go. Bree went by herself.”

My eyebrows shot up.

“What?” Elodie exclaimed, astonishment in her tone. She sounded as shocked as I was. “Why?”

“I’ve called it off. The whole thing. The honeymoon. The marriage. All of it. I made a huge mistake.”

There was a beat of silence between them and I would have given anything to see the look on Elodie’s face.

“Well, that’s…I don’t even know what that is. I’m sorry?”

I stifled a laugh. Bree and Rick were as fickle as each other. It didn’t surprise me their relationship had crumbled so easily. Nothing good came from a relationship that started in a sea of lies and betrayal.

“I made a huge mistake, baby. I never loved her. Not the way I love you. I just got restless and sidetracked and, well, the grass isn’t greener on the other side. I know that now.”

The smile fell from my face and I pushed to my feet. Anger boiled through me. He had to be kidding. He couldn’t possibly think he could come crawling back here after cheating on Elodie and then she’d take him back. We might not have been officially a couple, but there was something between us. We both knew it. I knew Rick had seen it that night at the restaurant. That was probably what had set this into motion. Jealous prick. I paced the length of the room, fighting the urge to storm out there and punch Rick in his dickish face. But I knew Elodie wouldn’t appreciate that.

“You’ve got balls, Rick. I give you that,” Elodie said, sounding tired.

I wanted to high-five her.

“You cheat on me, divorce me, marry someone else. Then less than a month later, you want to come back?”

There was more shuffling before Rick’s voice came again, pleading this time. “I know, Ellie, I fucked things up royally. I know. But we’ve been together since we were kids. You’re my other half. My soulmate. I don’t work right without you. I see that now. I just need one more chance. I can make this up to you and to Nathan. I’ll work less, and we can go on a family holiday, just the three of us, like you’ve been asking me to do for years.”

I wanted to gag on the bullshit spewing from his lips, but I didn’t hear Elodie’s response. She’d lowered her voice, and all I could make out was a murmur. Did she not want me to hear what she was saying? My gut began to churn as a sick feeling swept over me. She wasn’t seriously falling for this bullshit, was she? What if she was? What if she still loved him, or thought Nathan would be better off with them together?

Curiosity got the better of me, and even though Elodie had told me to stay put, I padded down the hall on bare feet and poked my head cautiously around the corner. Elodie had her back to me, but Rick’s gaze flicked to mine. Surprise and horror washed over Rick’s face as I stepped into the foyer and crossed my arms over my chest.

A blur of red and blue pyjamas and messed up blond hair ran past me as if I weren’t even there and skidded around the corner. “Daddy!” In a second, Rick’s confusion morphed into a calculating smile that made my skin crawl.

Nathan took a running leap at his father and Rick grunted softly as he caught him and lifted him up into his arms. “Hey, buddy!” He ruffled Nathan’s hair and kissed his cheek.

“Rick, you should go. We’ll talk about this later. Now isn’t a good time.”

“What?! NO! Daddy, stay! Please!” Nathan yelled.

Elodie reached out and stroked the back of her hand down Nathan’s arm. “Daddy can’t stay, Nate. This isn’t his home anymore. He needs to go back to his place.”

“Yes, it is his home!” Nathan wailed, his face scrunching up. “It is! I want him to stay.”

Rick used his free hand to cup the side of Elodie’s face. He tugged her close and anger burned in my chest as I watched her go without resisting. Her head tilted back as she looked up at him. “It was always you and me, Ellie. We’re a family. Let me come home and make it up to you. Can’t you see how much it means to Nathan?”

Rick’s head lowered until his lips hovered just over Elodie’s, but I’d seen enough. I closed the space between the happy family and where I stood as an outsider.

“Jamison!” Elodie gasped. Like she’d forgotten I was even there. Rick’s eyes darted to mine and the smugness practically glowed from him. If Nathan hadn’t been nestled in his arms with his head on Rick’s shoulder, I would have shoved his ugly face into a wall.

I picked up my shoes at the door and reached for the door handle, and Elodie’s slim fingers wrapped around my wrist. “Jamison, wait!”

I whirled around, noticing Rick had moved further into the house, standing in the living room doorway like a returning fucking king, home from some battle.

Fuck. Him.

I looked down at Elodie’s hand, feeling the disappointment of last night’s discussion course though me and mingle with the anger. Had she just been waiting for him to come back this entire time? Is that why she wouldn’t make a commitment to me?

I softened my voice. This may not have gone the way I’d wanted it to, but I wasn’t going to lower myself to being an asshole about it. “It’s fine, Elodie. I get it. You’re a family. And he’s Nathan’s dad.”

“But, I—”

I sighed. “Am I wrong?”

Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t correct me.

“Thought so,” I said sadly.

“Wait! Jamison, I—”

Her fingers slipped from my arm as I turned the doorknob and let myself out.