Page 116 of Diem

My skin burns at his words, but I slash my hand through the air. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

His eyes snap to mine and he snarls, “News flash…everything with you is my fucking business.”

We drop into silence, and I stare at him incredulously before covering my wobbly lips. Diem’s fucking mood swings are hard to follow. He wants me…he doesn’t. What the fuck?

“You’re insane. Insane!” I scream before turning away and staring at the wall.

Diem’s sigh parts my hair when he wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. Frozen, I stand stiff under his embrace and say, “Shouldn’t you be out buying diapers or some shit?”

His arms tighten before he huffs and says, “Nope. Not my monkey, not my fucking circus.”

“Are you serious?” I gasp turning in his embrace. Hailey is not my favorite person but that doesn’t mean Diem isn’t just as responsible for the mess the two of them made.

He shrugs and I gape before pointing at the window. “Go. Just go.”

“Maeve,” he growls, going to grab my chin but I flinch away, and he pauses.

“I didn’t think you could stoop any lower but leaving Hailey with this shit. Wow, just wow.”

Diem slashes his hand through the air, and I raise my chin when he barks, “I didn’t fuck Hailey. I don’t know who’sshitthis is, but it ain’t mine.”

Laughing out loud, I grab my aching stomach and gasp, “Really? You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes,” he growls.

“Fuck you,” I snarl.

“Look, I didn’t fuck her. It was fake.”

“Fake?” I say blankly. How can he possibly think that I’ll believe the bullshit spewing from his mouth? Why is he even bothering?

Sliding away from him, I avert my gaze because I don’t want to see his gorgeous treacherous eyes. “You need to leave.”

“I’m not done yet!” he explodes, and I flinch away. His passion no longer fuels me. In fact, I fear what it will lead to next.

“Why are you fucking acting like I’m going to hurt you? I’ve never hurt you in my life!” he says, and I turn to him, scoffing at his pained expression.

“Please, you’ve hurt me plenty,” I mutter.

“Fuck,” he rasps, running his hands through his hair. “None of this happened the way I wanted it to.”

“Me either,” I say bitterly. “And now a baby…withher.”

“Shit,” he rasps, grabbing my cheeks. “I didn’t touch her, Mae. Ididn’t.”

“Diem—“

“No, Maeve—“

“No. I don’t trust you. I don’t like you. Actually, I hate you. You need to leave,” I say shakily.

My skin burns with rage, and I welcome it because for the first time, I don’t feel anguish in his presence. I feel nothing but bone deep hate.

Except I can’t make Diem do anything and he stares at me with furrowed brows before saying, “Goddamit Mae!”

Beating against his chest, I pour my rage into my fists, hoping it fucking hurts him like he hurt me. “We have nothing more to say!”

He grabs my hands and rests them against his heart, saying softly, “Yes, we do! Sweetheart, I know this is confusing as fuck, but you have to trust me.”

---