Letting myself be happy with a woman isn’t wrong, but that woman being Jordan is what could break whatever faith he has left in his parents. Why can’t I stop? Why does my heart hurt so much every time she smiles? Or chews on her thumbnail or stands on her tiptoes to reach something in the kitchen or fucking blinks, for Christ’s sake?
I walk into the kitchen and pour coffee into my travel mug. I fasten the lid and grab my lunch out of the fridge, throwing in some extra chips, since I don’t have time for breakfast.
The doorbell suddenly rings, and I turn, scowling. Who’s showing up this time of morning?
Leaving everything on the counter, I walk to the front door and lean over, peering out the front window.
And speak of the devil…
My ex stands out there in nylon workout pants and a matching tank top. Her hair is up in a messy brown bun, but she has a full face of make-up on. She’s the only person I know who gets made-up to go to the gym.
Of course, she probably only goes to meet guys.
I pull open the door, trying to be quiet, so Jordan doesn’t stir.
“What do you want?” I say, holding open the door.
“Well, you’re nice,” she sneers, keeping her arms crossed over her chest. “Ever the asshole, huh?”
And without waiting for an invitation, she walks in, pushing past my arm.
“If you’re showing up at my door at five in the morning, it can’t be good,” I say, closing the door. “Are you drunk?”
She walks into the kitchen, tosses her keys on my counter, and spins around, facing me. “Why is my son living at some random girl’s house and not with you?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes at her fake concern which is just an excuse to be invasive. “He’s welcome to come home any time,” I explain, heading for the stool and grabbing my T-shirt. “He’s the one who left.”
“Because you’re allowing Jordan to stay. Why?”
I pull the garment over my head. “If you want to know what’s going on with Cole, ask Cole. As for who I rent out a room to, that’s none of your business.”
I comb my fingers through my hair, having forgotten to style it. She’s quiet for a moment, and I don’t look at her as I pull my phone off the charger and stick it in my pocket.
She steps up to my side and takes my chin, forcing me to face her.
I jerk away. “What?”
“You’re flushed.”
“It’s warm out,” I retort.
But underneath my skin, my blood warms and my heart pounds harder. I pick up my coffee, taking a sip to conceal my nervousness. The woman is a shark. She can smell blood across an ocean.
“I know what you look like after you come,” she charges. “So, question is… Is it the sweet piece of teen ass upstairs or someone new?”
I slam my mug down, glaring at her. “That’s enough.”
Goddammit. I forgot how smart she is. I haven’t even left the house yet, and I can’t even get what I’m feeling by the one person I’ve run into. Awesome.
Heading over to the table, I sit down and pull on my socks and boots and gather up everything I need for the day.
“Cole quit his job at the plant,” she finally tells me. “Three days ago.”
I look up, stopping what I’m doing. Three days?
“Let me give you a tip,” she condescends. “Parenting didn’t stop when he turned eighteen and you no longer had to pay child support. He still needs you.”
“Forgive me if I don’t take parenting lessons from a woman who got pregnant so she’d have a meal ticket for the rest of her life.” I turn to her, pinning her with my stare. “Maybe he quit, so he wouldn’t have to work for nothing, since you guilt him into giving you half of his paychecks.”