Oh, well.
“I’m Sarah.” She waves at the couple.
“Jimmy.” He raises his hand.
“You look good,” Owen comments to me, and Jace gives me a look that clearly says I told you so.
“How’s New York treating you?” I ask, changing the subject.
Owen pushes his dark hair from his eyes and shrugs. “Not bad.”
An awkward silence descends on the table, and I shift uncomfortably in my chair.
If it wasn’t for Greyson, I swear I wouldn’t be here right now.
Harry clears his throat, his eyes zeroing in on Jace.
“Jacen Kensington, I’m surprised to see you here.”
“It’s Jace,” he grinds out between his teeth. “And I don’t know why you’d be surprised considering you knew Nova and I were dating years ago.”
Harry’s lips twist. “I figured with Nova’s age she’d move on. She certainly moved on from my son.”
My jaw drops to the floor and my face heats with anger. Harry and his wife forced Owen to leave me. I didn’t end the relationship. I was the one who was a teenager and pregnant and absolutely terrified.
Jace’s fists flex and he opens his mouth, ready to defend me.
I beat him to it.
I don’t care who’s at this table, I will not let Harry Mitchell walk all over us.
I may have done it once, but not now.
“How dare you,” I snap, my voice rising. “Owen broke up with me. He’s one who left me alone and pregnant, because you” —I shove a finger in his direction— “made him. You’re nothing but a nasty excuse for a human being. I don’t even know why you’re here. You don’t deserve to know this little boy.” I place my hand on Greyson’s shoulder. “He’s good and you’re … you’re … not.”
Jace looks at me with admiration in his eyes and mouths I love you.
I smile back at him. If I didn’t find my soulmate when I met Jace then I came pretty damn close.
Harry clears his throat and fiddles with his tie, his face growing increasingly red.
To Jimmy and Sarah, he says, “I’m terribly sorry. Novalee has always been unstable.”
I gasp. I want
to throttle him.
Everything that comes out of this man’s mouth is a fucking lie. I guess that’s why he’s such a good politician.
Sarah tilts her head, appraising him. “Funny, because I’ve now known Nova for … what? Five years?” She turns to her husband and then back to Harry. “And I’ve never, not once, found her to be unstable.” She throws his word back to him. “You, on the other hand, this is our first time meeting and I could say the same about you.”
Harry’s eyes bulge out of his head.
Go Sarah. I mentally fist-bump.
Harry sputters and finally comes to a stand. “I will not be insulted this way.” He stands up, buttoning his suit jacket. “Claudia, Owen, let’s go.” He moves away, expecting them to follow.
Claudia does, but Owen stays seated.