Page 49 of Cold as (N)ice

I am, too.

And the baby will like him also because he’s a nice daddy.

Are you excited about the baby?She asked, having told him the good news when he got home from school this afternoon. He had been so thrilled about the upcoming addition, and it made her heart warm to see his easy acceptance.

Very! I hope it’s a boy so we can play together.

I will just be happy with whatever it is.

But a boy,Stephen signed again, smirking so much like Barrett in that moment that she laughed.

Fine – a boy or a girl,she added deliberately, playing with him.

Boy… boy… boy.

A soft chuckle slipped from Irene’s lips as she stepped away from the counter, making her way toward the kitchen island where her phone sat charging.

The house was quiet.

The only sound was the faint hum of the refrigerator and the rhythmic ticking of the clock above the stove. The warmth of the overhead lights cast a golden glow across the granite countertop, making everything feel safe, normal—how she wanted things to be.

Reaching for her phone, she fully expected to see a text from Barrett, maybe letting her know when he’d be home. Just something simple. Something steady. But as soon as her gaze landed on the screen, the air in the room seemed to thin.

Not Barrett.

Eric.

Her stomach clenched, dread coiling low in her belly as her finger hovered over the notification. She shouldn’t open it. She didn’t want to open it. But she already knew—ignoring him wouldn’t make him go away. Holding her breath, she tapped the screen.

The words struck like a slap to the face.

You moved out of the country? Seriously? What kind of mother rips her kid away from his father? You are such a selfish and horrible woman – but that’s fine. Two can play this game. You want to mess with me? Well, I don’t want to play. I’m sick of your games. You have 24 hours to drag the both of you back to Texas or else!

And you don’t want the else!

Irene’s breath hitched, and she gripped the edge of the counter to steady herself. The world tilted for a moment, nausea rising in her throat as she read the words again, then again, as if, somehow, they might change.

But they didn’t.

Her fingers trembled as she typed, every keystroke carrying the weight of years of exhaustion, of battles fought alone, of a past she had scraped and clawed her way free from.

We’re not doing this – and I told you to leave me alone. We aren’t married and haven’t been for over a year. You didn’t want anything to do with Stephen and told me to get rid of this baby. I’m happy – can’t you be happy for me and respect my boundaries?

Go away!

The words felt hollow. Useless.

Eric wouldn’t listen.

He never did.

The phone buzzed violently in her palm, Eric’s name flashing across the screen. A sharp pulse of fear shot through her, primal and immediate. She hit the side button, silencing the call, refusing to answer, refusing to hear whatever threats or manipulations he had lined up next.

Her heart pounded as she stared at the darkened screen, her mind racing. She had been so careful. So sure she was finally safe. But just like that, with a single message, he had shattered the illusion of peace.

And the worst part?

Shewashappy.

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