Page 29 of Scarred Heart

But I knew.

Did he think he didn’t stick out like a sore thumb sitting in a Bentley on this block?

“I’ll be right back.You stay here.”I didn’t wait long enough to hear Hannah’s response and closed the car door.Now that I had Spencer in my sights, nothing was going to stop me from finding out what the hell was going on.

He stepped out of the car, holding his hands up in front of him.“Just listen,” he said.

“No.You just listen,” I snapped, caught between outrage and a strange sense of relief.“What the hell are you doing here?I hear nothing from you for days, then I find you sitting here?I thought you were back home.”

“Is there anything wrong with me coming down to see her?Is that a crime?”Arching an eyebrow, he added, “You’re the lawyer.Tell me.”

“Don’t even hand me that shit,” I hissed.To think, I spent the weekfighting to convince myself it would be a good thing if he ghosted us while my heart ached.Would I ever stop being a glutton for punishment?

“It’s the truth.I wanted to see her.I didn’t think you would want that, but I couldn’t help myself.You can’t expect me to forget she exists.”The corners of his mouth tugged upward.“She’s a beautiful kid.She looks just like you.”

And there I went, melting into a puddle and soaking into the asphalt.Hearing him talk that way about her was something out of the sort of dream I never dared imagine coming true.I always wondered what he would think of her.

What the hell was I thinking?This was why things were better before we met up again.He always fucked with my head, whether or not he knew it.

I stood up straight, shaking my head.“No.You are not allowed to sit out here like some creepy stalker and freak her out if she notices.How could you?”It came out all at once, the words tumbling over each other.My heart was racing a mile a minute, and there was a roaring in my ears.

Dammit, why did he have to do this?

Lifting a shoulder, he retorted, “You’re the one who came over here and made a thing about it.She didn’t notice me all week.”

I hated that he was right.It took a little of the heat out of my rage as I processed what he was saying.“All week?”My mouth fell open.

“There’s a lot of time to make up for.”Out of so much confusion, what confused me most was how mellow he seemed.Normally, he would meet my anger with his own shitty attitude.That was how it always was back in the day, and it wasn’t like we hadn’t antagonized each other recently.

“Either way,” I whispered.“It’s unacceptable.”A glance over my shoulder told me Hannah was waiting in the car, probably on her tablet.Right then, I didn’t mind.I preferred the distraction.

“What is so unacceptable about wanting to see my daughter?”he asked.

His daughter.Damn my weak, stupid heart for fluttering when he said that.Damn me for being so easy to melt, especially when it didn’t seem he was trying to melt me.There was nothing sneaky about his attitude.He wasn’t being coy.He wasn’t screwing with my head, even if that was how it felt.It was all my fault, wanting to give in like this.

“Maybe we could start with boundaries?”I suggested, getting myself back on track.We had to talk about the things that really mattered.“If you want to meet her, let’s make a plan.Let’s decide together what would be best for her.That’s all I’m asking.”

Yet another trait Hannah had picked up from him—the sly look so much like the one she gave me minutes ago.“So you’re saying you want me to meet her?”

I didn’t know what I was saying.Why did he sound hopeful?Did he mean it?“I’m saying don’t hurt my kid.That’s it.”

“Mom?”

Oh, fuck me.Hannah’s soft question made my insides shrivel like desiccated leaves.I turned and found her standing behind me, staring over my shoulder before her gaze flicked back to me.“Everything okay?”she asked.

I would hate him forever if he screwed this up.Putting on a smile, I said, “Fine, sweetie.Just give me one more minute, and I’ll be with you.”

She glanced at him again.What was she thinking?Did she notice the way her eyes mirrored his—sharp and piercing, with a hint of mischief lurking in the corners?Or the subtle curve of her lips that echoed his own.Did she know?Could she sense it?The silence twisted between us, and I held my breath, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down.That was almost too paranoid to be taken seriously, but it was a very real fear.

Smirking, she said, “You don’t have to pretend.”

I was going to die right there on the spot.It was painful to pretend everything was fine, but I managed to ask, “Pretend what?Nobody’s pretending.”

“You can introduce me to your boyfriend.Jeez.”Her wide, wicked little grin both came as a relief and deepened the pile of shit I was sinking into.

“Sweetie, he’s not… I mean, it’s not…”

“I’m a friend of your mom.”Somehow, Spencer managed to sound normal while I had forgotten most of the words I had ever learned.He stepped up beside me and extended a hand.“My name is Spencer.What’s yours?”

---