The Life You Stole (Life Duet 2)

Two.

Two glasses.

Two plates.

One empty pizza pan.

Noah would have made three.

On some sort of super mommy autopilot, I ordered our pizza and drinks. I stiffened, as Ronin approached our table in my peripheral vision.

He bent over and kissed Anya’s head as she played in the highchair with crayons and a coloring sheet. “Listen, before you guys arrived, I offered to give Adrianne a ride home. She lives about two miles from here, and it’s dark. But I can tell her I can’t if—”

“You should give her a ride home.” I stared at my water, jaw set. If I looked at him, he would know how much he just destroyed my world. And I didn’t want him to see that in front of the kids.

Without another word, he weaved his way toward the exit.

I didn’t eat a bite of pizza or take a single sip of water. Mommy super autopilot fed my kids, wiped faces, and paid the bill.

“Daddy!” Franz broke free from my hand the second he saw Ronin leaning against the front of the Jeep.

I unlocked the doors as if he wasn’t there. When he tried to take Anya from me, I jerked my torso.

“Evie …”

I fastened her into her seat while Ronin made sure Franz was secured in his seat.

“Move,” I said, staring at his black boots. His jeans and T-shirt-clad body rested against the driver’s door, hands tucked into his front pockets.

“I’m driving you home.”

I didn’t give a shit to the whereabouts of his car. All I knew was I didn’t want him driving me home. Looking at me. Talking to me. Anything … I didn’t want anything he had to offer at that moment.

“Evie … don’t let your mind go there. It’s not what you think.”

“What I think is I need to get the kids to bed. I have a messy house to pick up. I need a shower. Get the fuck out of my way!”

I hoped Franz couldn’t hear us. My barely restrained anger threw out the F-bomb, and I instantly regretted it. Ronin grabbed my wrist and pried the key from my hand. Had the kids not been there, I would have walked home or taken a cab.

We drove home in silence. The late dinner put the kids to sleep before we pulled into the garage. Ronin shut off the ignition and reached for my hand. I jerked it away from him and climbed out of the Jeep.

Everything felt numb except my heart. It hurt.

This happened to other people not me. Ronin loved me. Was love no longer enough?

We carried the kids into the house where we pushed their half-awake little bodies through an abbreviated nighttime routine. After we closed their doors most of the way, I took three steps toward the messy kitchen before pivoting on my heels. Ronin stopped the second I turned toward him.

“How could you?” I whispered on a breath that felt like my very last one.

Ronin deflated with a wince, slowly shaking his head. “Evie …”

“Last night …” I couldn’t even say it. In my heart, I knew it wasn’t me the previous night. Even if I felt a little rejected. But seeing him with that woman left me without any words to express my true feelings.

“Evie, it wasn’t you.”

“It felt like—”

He pressed his finger to his lips as my words gained strength. Before I could risk another word waking the kids, Ronin brushed past me, right out the front door. I followed him. We didn’t fight often, but when we did, it was outside while the kids slept.

“You’re not this stupid.” The second I shut the door behind me, he had my face cradled in his hands. His words sharp. His grip tight. “I’m not cheating on you.”

I clawed at him, trying to free myself. “Let go of me!”

He released me, planting his hands on his hips, head down.

“You said Noah. Dinner with Noah.” I crossed my arms over my chest to protect my heart, but it was too late. Ronin already stabbed it with a guilty look and a dinner date ready to suck his dick.

“I did have dinner with Noah. Just as we finished eating, Adrianne walked past the booth. Noah had to get home. Adrianne sat down, and we just got to talking. Then you showed up with the kids. That’s it.”

I paused my tapping foot. On a laugh I shook my head. “No. That’s not it because you haven’t told me who the hell Adrianne is. All I know is when you looked at me in the restaurant all I could see was this pale, guilt-ridden expression on your face. Then you introduced me to this young, beautiful woman. And I swear … I swear to god, Ronin, she had the same look on her face. You both looked like you got caught! Caught by your wife. Caught by your kids!”