Page 115 of My Ex's Brothers

It brings back so much. So many memories. So many moments of pain, weakness.

“Is that how you want to play it, Mia? Fine,” he says as he gets back into his driver’s seat. The birds chirp outside, the sun is shining. But the darkness clouding me right now is not missed.

“What do you want?” I ask, my voice stronger. I glare at him.

“I thought it would be pretty obvious, baby. I want you back.”

I shake my head. “Does your wife know you want me back?” I ask. “Or your other girlfriends?”

“Amelia…things between Riley and I are?—”

“Complicated?” I ask, the venom in my voice most evident.

“Yes. We’re getting a divorce.”

“You are unbelievable,” I say. Lyla squeals in the back seat, oblivious to the truth. As she should be. I keep my voice low, my gaze pointed. “You were with her when I had Lyla. I had your fucking child, and you were what? With her? With them? You lied to me!”

“I told you, it was complicated. Riley and I?—”

“No. You don’t get to do that, Dex. You don’t get to have your cake and eat it too.”

“Don’t act like you’re innocent, Mia. I saw you with my brother. Holding hands. Really? He’s not me. He’ll never be able to satisfy you. He’s a fucking coward. Couldn’t pick you up from a fucking floor, baby. You know you’re only playing games with Dane because he looks like me. And we both know how much you fucking love me.”

“I do not love you,” I say, the words loud and clear, with so much conviction my bones shake.

He scoffs. “You loved me enough to have my fucking baby. Or did you forget that?”

“What we had was not love,” I say. “Yes, you gave me my daughter and I will always love her. But you? You left us, Dex. You left us at that hospital, you left us after every game to go toher.You left us when you chose her.”

He reaches out for me and I move away.

“Do not touch me,” I bite out.

“Lyla needs her father, Amelia. You can play pretend with Dane all you want, but he will never be her father. I am.”

“Lyla has more than enough fathers to love her the way you can’t.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he asks.

I shove open the door. “It means this conversation is over, Dexter. I am done.Weare done.”

I grab Lyla in her car seat as he follows me.

“You can’t do this, Mia. I have rights,” he says. “You can’t keep my kid from me.”

I glare at him. “You should have thought about that before you crawled into bed with yourwifewhile I gave birth to your daughter.”

I give him my back and do the only thing I can do. I start walking.

“Where the fuck you going to go, Mia? Huh? You going to walk to Timbuktu, baby?”

“Away from you,” I say. “And I swear to God, Dexter, if you follow me, I will call the fucking cops.”

“You want to play those games, Mia, fine. I’ll play. I’ll see you in fucking court.”

The revving of his engine shakes the ground. Or is that me shaking?

He speeds off, leaving me where I stand. I walk with Lyla in her carrier until I hit the Hot To Trot Coffee Shop, and only when I sit down do I breathe.

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