Page 111 of Strictly the Worst

Angela reads every word out loud. I roll my eyes at her. “Give me that,” I say, grabbing it back from her.

And then somebody clears their throat.

My first thought is that it’s Zoe. She only just left, so she’s almost certainly forgotten something. And the poor kid definitely doesn’t need to hear that about her mom. I turn to apologize to her, but instead Jared is standing in the doorway.

“Oops.” Angela puts my phone on the mantlepiece above the fireplace.

“Zoe already left,” I tell him, my voice thick. “Did she not come back to the car?”

“Yeah, she’s waiting for me there.” Jared’s voice is slow. “Can I have a word, please?”

I glance over at Angela, who seems very interested in her nails. She’s turning her hand this way and that, staring at it like she might find all the answers to the meaning of life in her cuticles.

“Now?” I ask, my voice lifting with alarm. “Aren’t you going to be late to meet your parents?”

“It won’t take long.”

“Don’t mind me,” Angela says lightly. “I’ll go make us another coffee.”

“Not for me,” Jared says.

“I wasn’t offering you one.” She rolls her eyes at him and leaves the room, her footsteps padding toward the kitchen.

“I see your friends are delightful as usual.” Jared lifts a brow as he looks around the living room. “How long until the rest of this place is done?”

“A couple more months.” I can already feel the annoyance rising in me. I know I shouldn’t let him get to me, but somehow he always does.

“It’s not good for Zoe to live like this.”

My jaw tightens. “What can I do for you, Jared?”

He lets out a long breath, like being near me is actually painful for him. “Zoe said she stayed at another man’s house with you last Saturday night. Isn’t that something you should have consulted me about?”

“We stayed at a friend’s house,” I correct him. “In his spare room because we had a problem with the bathroom here. There was nothing to consult about.”

“A friend from work?”

“That’s right.” I hate that I have to explain myself to him. Especially after he spent time in another woman’s bed while we were married.

And truth be told, I’m lying. I didn’t just stay in his guest room. Linc came in there with me. My cheeks pink up at the memory of what we did.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Jared asks, looking totally serious.

“Why would I call you?” It’s a genuine question.

“Because if my daughter needs a place to stay, I’d like to know. I could have spoken to Melissa. We could have let you stay in our spare room.”

I can’t help it, I start to laugh. “Seriously?” The thought of me staying with him and his new partner is unbelievable. He can’t mean it.

“I’m completely serious, Tessa. I don’t want you taking my daughter to strangers’ houses.”

“He isn’t a stranger. I told you, he’s a friend.”

“A friend that you fuck?”

His words feel like a slap to my face. This is so like him. His standards aren’t just double, they’re cubed.

“That’s none of your business,” I tell him, hating the way my face is going red.

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