Page 31 of The Homewrecker's Fate

“Some of them are. Some grow out of it.”

“And some grow into it.”

“That’s true too,” he agreed. “Anyway, after I started to outgrow everyone and sports were thrown into the mix, being tormented for my dad’s shitty habit pretty much ceased. Still, I can’t stand the smell.”

“I’ve never been a smoker, and neither were my parents, so no worries there.” We managed to get some food ordered before I managed to speak again. “Your story is a good reminder, though.”

“Yeah? Of what?”

“That pretty much every decision I make from here on out will have an impact on my daughter. You were bullied because of your dad’s habit. I never want my children to face that, if I can help it.”

Brax smiled sweetly at me. “Sweetheart, kids will bully you just because they’re not happy. It happens. The best you can do is to teach her it’s not okay to do that and how to handle it if it happens to her.”

“It’s a scary place to be,” I admitted. “I always thought when I had a baby it would be with a partner at my side who not only loved me, but would take the responsibility of raising a child with me seriously.”

“You can still have that.”

“Maybe,” I all but whispered. There was no way I’d get my hopes up about Braxton being there for us. He was Mel’s person, even if not romantically. I’d be lying if a small part of me wasn’t concerned that this was all some wild ruse to get back at the homewrecking whore. It wasn’t that Mel was a bad person, or Brax for that matter, but after Rich’s betrayal and the way I was treated at work, trusting someone felt a bit harder than before.

“What’s with the frown lines?”

“Is this real?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

“The diner? Yeah, and the food is amazing, too. Just wait until…” His words trailed off when I started to shake my head. “Okay, you’re going to have to elaborate.”

“Please, don’t take this the wrong way.”

“Well, that’s never good to hear from the woman you’re crushing on.”

The blush that warmed my cheeks couldn’t be helped even if I was in the middle of having doubts. “Rich lied.”

“Yeah, he’s a dick.”

I nodded. “He lied and then the people at work…” I paused for a moment as something sank in that I hadn’t really thought about before. “Cliff lied for him, too. Mel said she spoke to Cliff that night that Rich took off, that he was Rich’s alibi for who he’d been with. The thing is, I thought he was my friend. If not a friend, at least someone who respected me.”

“Not sure where you’re going with this.”

“It just feels like the betrayals keep stacking up. They are like being stabbed with a serrated blade instead of a smooth one. What Rich did might have left a cut, but it would have been a clean one. When I add in Cliff’s betrayal and possibly one of my few friends, Bridgette, as well…” I paused as a shiver ran down my spine. “Then the way people at work treated me. I was assaulted by a woman who had come on to Rich numerous times, even after she knew we were seeing one another. She assaulted me for doing something in ignorance that she would have done knowingly.”

Our food was delivered and halted the conversation until our server walked away. “I guess, I’m-”

“I see,” Brax put in before my rambling thoughts could go any further. “You’re worried that me being interested in you isn’t real and there’s some scheme to make you pay for hurting Mel.”

I nodded my head, but refused to apologize.

“Avi, if you had known about Rich and you were really that woman – the one who would knowingly carry on a relationship with a taken man – I wouldn’t have a second to spare for you. Revenge is stupid. How do you get revenge for lives that are ruined that way? Besides, in the big scheme of things, that woman wouldn’t even be the problem. Mel’s husband was the issue. He’s the one who stepped out of his marriage. He’s the one I wish horrible karma on, and even then, he’s not worth my time. Plus, there’s the fact that, no matter what, he’s still the father of Mel’s children. So, even though I’d like to kick him in the balls until the fucker can’t breed anymore, I can’t really do that because the kids would lose someone else in their life over his mistakes.”

“Okay-”

“I’m not done,” Brax cut in before I could question things. “The fact is, you are not that woman. The person I met, besides being physically stunning in every way…” He noticed as I slid my hand over my burgeoning baby bump and grinned down at my gesture. “Yes, even with your teeny bump, you’re hands down the most beautiful woman I’ve laid eyes on. It isn’t just the physical. You have this quiet calmness to you that I admire. Your strength in dealing with everything and not becoming a completely batshit crazy basket case, is also admirable. The kindness you offered Mel and her kids, your patience, and the way you handled Rich’s bullshit…” He shook his head and then aimed a brilliant smile my way. “This is real, Avi. We’re real. I’m not an idiot. I can almost understand why Rich was tempted with you. Almost. Mel’s a wonderful woman and he’s a lucky as fuck man to have the family he does. Undeserving, lucky fuck. While I can’t imagine having all he does and following temptation, it’s easy to see why.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stuffed a French fry in my mouth and waited.

“I’m not stupid. I know what I have sitting in front of me and I’m willing to wait until you can catch up and let go of those insecurities that asshole left you with.”

“What do you have in front of you?” I asked hesitantly.

“My future.” He said it with such conviction that I believed him fully. Then, Brax winked and picked up his burger. As he stuffed his face, I started nibbling on my food and couldn’t help the way my own smile took over and wouldn’t let go.

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