Defensive Daddy

“I’m very serious.” I shifted my weight, standing my ground. “You should go.”

“But we were so good together.”

I’d have been well within my rights to laugh at the audacity of her statement, but I struggled to keep my tone just as soft as hers. “Were. It’s just a shame you figured that out too late, Zoey.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “I’ve forgiven you, I really have. But I mean it when I say, there’s no place for you here anymore. Not in this apartment, and not in my heart. Someone else holds that place now, and I hope you can find the same someday.”

I watched as she bit down on her lower lip, and I waited with bated breath to hear what kind of retort she’d come up with. Part of me wondered if her next words would be a threat to keep my son from me.

I never expected her to lean forward and kiss me.

Zoey’s lips pressed against mine just as quickly as her hands snaked around my waist, knocking me off balance. My weight had been on the wrong foot, and as I let go of the doorframe to push her away, it caused me to fall forward, closer to her instead of away.

It lasted only the briefest moment, and my hands were on her upper arms within seconds. I held her away from me, pissed off that her little stunt had allowed her to make it past the threshold. “What the hell, Zoey?” I hissed, my eyes wide in shock. “Did you not hear a damn word I just said?”

“Every one of them,” she confirmed, breathing hard. “But I think you’re making a big mistake.”

This time, I didn’t hold back the hollow laughter, and I let her go, taking a large step back. “That’s where you’re wrong. You made the mistake. Months ago.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, not wanting any remnant of her left on my skin. “I’m not going to ask you again, Zoey. I want you to leave. We’re done here.”

She crossed her arms, making every attempt to look defiant. But reality had finally sunk in, and doubt veiled her eyes. “You’re going to regret not—”

“I won’t,” I snapped. “But it’s nice to know you finally figured out what regret is. At least, I’m assuming you have, or else you probably wouldn’t be here now.”

“That’s not fair.” All the fight had gone out of her tone.

“No, it’s not, but neither was the way you left me. You were so convinced there had to be something better out there than me and Tommy, it never occurred to you that the way I loved you and him could actually be enough.”

Zoey’s throat moved as she swallowed, her jaw set in a tight line. “Does she?”

“She?”

“The woman you’re in love with now?” she said flatly. “Does she think your love is enough?”

I stared at her, silent. Then, “Yeah.” I nodded. “Yeah, I think she does. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure it is enough. I won’t make that mistake again.”

I wasn’t sure I meant to say any of those words out loud, but there they were, and I raised my gaze to meet hers. I felt just as deflated as she looked, just as defeated by the entire conversation as she sounded, but no animosity or anger fueled my last words to Zoey—the words I hadn’t had the chance to say when she walked away from me so many months before. “Goodbye, Zoey.”

She stood still as a statue, her intense eyes set on me, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Her lips parted, and I was certain she was about to resume her feeble argument.

Instead, her features softened, and she gave me a knowing nod.

“Goodbye, Coop.” She retreated without another word, her dark hair fanning out like a train behind her.

***

After that, all I wanted to do was sneak over to Samantha’s apartment and get lost in the little world between those four walls. That was the environment I craved, the one that included her, the smartest and sexiest woman ever to grace me with her presence, and the feisty little boy with a heart of gold and adorable smile.

That’s where I wanted to be. That’s where I wanted Tommy to be. That’s where we both belonged.

But Levi was with Ethan, Tommy was with his mother, and Samantha hadn’t called or texted yet, even though she should’ve been back home by now.

Why we weren’t tangled up in bed together by now was beyond me. The thought of it was enough motivation for me to text her first.

Rumor has it, there’s a pretty lady who lives down the hall, and she should be home by now. Things went okay with Ethan?

The response didn’t come immediately, which had me thinking she wasn’t actually there yet. When it finally buzzed, the response was short and sweet.

I’m home, just busy.

The curt text was like an alarm bell going off in my head. Not once in the past few months had Samantha ever waited two hours to tell me she was busy, especially not on a night when Levi was with his father. Besides, we’d made plans just last night, and she’d seemed to anticipate the impending alone time just as much as I did.