Page 72 of Loving You

Monty went stiff all over and hadn’t realized he’d taken a step away until Adele grabbed him and shook his head. Monty swallowed thickly and nodded.

“Yes, I can blame you. I can blame you for being a piece-of-shit father and a piece-of-shit husband. I should have left you years ago, but I was the moron who believed you could be better.”

“Than what? Seriously, we could have sent that one back. Things would have gone back to normal. When he was in that fucking-ass boarding school, things could’ve gone back to normal, but you wouldn’t let it!”

“You were already fucking half of your staff by then,” Bronx spat.

“I was lonely.”

“I don’t care.” Bronx let out a high, tight laugh. “I think that’s the funniest part about this, Jules. I don’t care. I stopped giving a shit about you the moment you gave up on my son.”

“Our son.”

“Since fucking when? You only threatened custody to hurt me. You broke into my home—a crime, by the way?—”

“Your home.” Jules sneered.

Bronx let out a heavy sigh. “How’d you even get this address anyway?”

There was a long pause, and then he said, “You can get any address if you pay enough. And I don’t know why you care so much. It’s not even your house.”

Bronx laughed. “I know. It’s my brother’s, and I think he hates you more than I do. In fact, I know he does because I don’t hate you.”

Monty’s heart did a weird flip.

“I knew you didn’t. Baby, please?—”

“I don’t feel anything about you,” Bronx went on like Jules hadn’t spoken. “I haven’t for a long time. I didn’t feel anything when I found your note. My heart hurt for Lucas because it was proof you really did do everything you could to let him down. But I don’t think I’ve ever been in love with you. When we met, I was young, and I had no idea what I was doing. You showed me all the ways it was wrong to be with someone.”

Jules laughed. “Like you’re an expert on love? Please. I didn’t love you either, Bronx. No one has, and you know it. Your brother tolerates you because he knows you need him. All of our friends chose me in the divorce because you’re fucking boring and useless. Lucas only wanted to be with you because you let him do whatever he wants. No one cares about you. Now, tell me, how pathetic does that make you?”

That was when they snapped. Fuck doing this peacefully.

Adele moved before Monty could. He was in the kitchenwith Monty at his heels, and Monty made no move to stop him because he was done listening to that bullshit.

“I think it’s time for you to leave.”

Jules looked nothing like Monty expected. He was thin, tall, with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. His hair was styled, but it looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks. He was in designer clothes, but they were unkempt, and they reeked of booze.

“Who the fuck is this, now?”

Adele glanced at Monty, then at Bronx, who looked a little shocked. “I’m his best friend. I’m also the fire chief, so I’d be very careful what you say next. Oh, and this is his boyfriend,” Adele said, stepping to the side.

Monty squared his shoulders. “The one adopting Lucas after Bronx and I get married.”

Jules’s eyes darted between Bronx and Monty, and then he burst into laughter. “How much did you pay them for this? This is fucking elaborate, babe. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Before Bronx could answer, there were more footsteps in the hallway. Dallas and Kylen burst into the kitchen, Dallas looking like he was ready to do a murder. A violent, bloody one.

“You have some nerve,” Dallas spat. He walked over and stood in front of Bronx. “You broke my fucking door.”

Jules looked a little scared now. “What’s going on? Why are all these people here?”

“Because I called almost everyone who cares about my dad,” came a voice from the kitchen doorway. Everyone turned at once to see Lucas standing there with his phone in one hand, the other on the wall to keep himself oriented. “All the people who love Dad and want to see you fucking buried.”

“Lukie—”

“Don’t,” Lucas said in a low, dangerous voice, “ever call me that. I mean ever. Dad?”

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