Page 151 of Can't Touch This

That I could share him? That I could be step-mum with custody dealings with Michelle freaking Homewrecker?

Hell no.

I just couldn’t do it.

I loved him.

I was in love with him.

I thought I could keep him all for myself—minus family gatherings and social engagements. I didn’t want to share. With anyone. Let alone an ex-lover.

It hurt so goddamn much.

I need…I need.

I need to think.

To hide.

To run.

Turning around, I bolted.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

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Ryder

ONE MOMENT, VESPER WAS LOOKING in my direction, the next she’d vanished into the setting sun, the flick of blonde curls the last thing I saw of her.

My heart lurched. My body moved on its own accord, hurtling me down the stairs to the grass. Everything inside said to charge after her. To fix whatever mess Michelle had caused but anger didn’t let me.

Instead, I stalked toward Michelle who’d chosen the two Chiweenies that I’d always remember from the night Vesper was sick and the first time she let me care for her. “You can’t have those.”

I tried to pry Corn from Michelle’s arms, but Chip yipped happily from Nate’s embrace. The boundary between doing right and wrong crippled me. I didn’t want to prevent these two awesome creatures from finding a forever home, but I couldn’t get past my disgust for this woman.

What should I do?

“Still haven’t been able to drop the controlling issues huh, Ry?”

“Don’t you dare call me that.”

“Little touchy, don’t you think?”

I glanced toward the river where Vesper had vanished to. My heart pulled me that way, but I had to finish this business first. “What did you say to her?”

“Nothing that wasn’t true.” She smirked, her gaze landing on Nate.

Something itched inside me. Something not nice. “How old is he?”

Michelle blinked, not expecting such a question. “Nate? He’s um…” Her eyes glazed, either unable to remember her own son’s birthday or doing her best to lie about it.

Nothing’s changed.

Once a liar. Always a liar.

But the kid ruined the day or saved it, depending on whose point of view.

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