Pause (Larsen Bros)

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You and everything to do with you is behind me now. I couldn’t mean it more if I tried, Ryan,” I say. “The divorce was neither a cry for help nor a plea for your attention. There are no do-overs or second chances. We’re done. Finished. Kaput. Never again do I want you to darken my doorstep. Now kindly get the fuck out of here.”

For a moment his face blanks, incredulous. Over the message, my choice of language, or a combination of both, I don’t know. Then he about-faces and stomps off to his car. The door opens, he climbs in, then slams the door shut. The engine turns on and he drives off with the screeching of tires. Oh thank God for that.

I slump in relief.

“On a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you at me right now?” asks Leif in a somewhat concerned voice. Also, he’s still covered in bruises, which I hate.

“You scared me. You could have been seriously injured.”

“Nah,” he drawls. “By that sad sack of shit? Never. I can take him. Another minute and I’d have . . . I’m saying the wrong thing, aren’t I?”

“Yes.” My mouth is flat and unimpressed. “Do not be a cool dude right now. My nerves are way too raw to handle it.”

“Sorry.”

“Do you want some ice for that shiner?” asks Ed.

“Nah, I’ll see to it later,” says Leif.

Ed looks back and forth between the two of us. “Well, if you two are okay, I might give you some space and head off.”

“Yeah,” says Leif. “Thanks.”

Ed nods and jogs off down the road. Happy to get the hell away from the couple-fight vibes we’re no doubt giving off by the bucket load.

“Do you even know why you’re in trouble?” I ask.

“Um. Well . . .” He gingerly touches his swollen lip and is rewarded with a wince. “You sort of said you could handle it and ah . . .”

“Go on.”

“I didn’t like the way he was talking to you.”

I say nothing.

“Hated the way he grabbed you,” he continues. “That was really way the fuck out of line.”

I cock my head. “And yet we’re discussing your involvement in the incident, not his.”

“You wanted me to let you handle it and I didn’t,” he admits finally, meeting my eyes.

“That’s right.”

He slowly nods. “So you’re really pissed, huh?”

“No.” I sigh. “More worried about you than angry. And don’t give me that tough-guy crap again. Violence neither impresses me nor turns me on.”

“Got it. It’s been like a decade since I’ve been in a fistfight, honestly. Oh, no, about eight years. I forgot about that one time . . . at any rate, it’s not something I tend to go around making a habit out of,” he says. “That’s the point I’m making here.”

“I’m very glad to hear that. This situation should never recur, but if it does, please let me decide how to handle my ex-husband in the future.” I square my shoulders. “I realize him grabbing me was a long way from okay, but I had things under control.”

“Understood. But if it ever goes any further than that . . . I can’t stand by and let you get hurt. You understand that, right?” he asks. “I’m not trying to start anything or act like a dick, I’m just stating a fact.”

“Yes, I understand. Though I don’t think it would ever come to that.”

“No one does until it happens. He’s not exactly behaving in a rational manner these days, is he?”

I blow out a breath. “No.”

“So you’ll be careful, right?”

“Yes.”

He goes to smile, then stops because of his poor face. “You know, Clem goes to a self-defense class every week. She shows us some of her moves sometimes, and I bet she’d have had that jerk in line in a flash. Much better than amateur hour with me. Maybe if you were ever interested you could give it a go?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Please do. Because the thought of him hurting you or something else happening to you and me not being there to protect you is doing my head in.”

“Leif. I’m okay. We’re both fine . . . apart from some marks.”

“Yeah.” He hangs his head, reaching out to take hold of one of my hands. “Are you sure you’re okay, Anna?”

“My butt may be slightly bruised. But otherwise I’m good.”

“You don’t want to check with a doctor just in case?”

“Not necessary,” I say. “The ground was soft. It wasn’t much of a fall. And I’ll write down everything that happened just in case we need details in the future. Guess I should check with my lawyer to see what the protocol is for dealing with him harassing me.”

“Very good idea. There’s also security cameras covering all around the building and the front street since Clem got attacked out here. We’ll ask for a copy of today’s events, huh?”