Page 64 of Sneak Attack

Panicked.

“Go home, Selma. You don’t show up at my house and do this.”

“I tried calling. You didn’t answer. I got worried.”

“Bullshit,” Cole laughed, but it was cold and brutal. “You got your head all twisted up over seeing Eden in town and now you’re throwing a fit. The fact you evencameto my house is disgusting.”

“Why? Did I interrupt something? That’s what’s disgusting. You fucking that waste of space with our child in the house.”

“Don’t.” My spine straightened at his tone, evil and so low I so desperately wanted to see the look on Selma’s face. I was scared from here. How was she holding up?

“Who Ifuckor don’t, isn’t any of your goddamn business, either. We co-parent, Selma, and I’m so goddamn sick of your bullshit. Every time, every goddamn time you don’t get your way, you pull this insane shit with me. And it’s getting fucking old. Jasper might still be young, but someday he’s going to see how you are, how you treat people, and I know my boy. He’s not going to like it.”

“Threats again?” She whipped back.

My brows furrowed. Threats?

But there was something else in the way she spoke. Something I barely caught.

But leave it to Cole. “You’re slurring your words. Are you fucking drunk right now?”

She mumbled something I couldn’t hear and as desperate as I was to watch this, I stayed right where I was, out of sight from the front door and Selma’s wrath. Cole was doing his best to stay quiet and I had no doubt that was for Jasper’s sake, but there was a sudden, quick slam that made me jump and then he was in the living room, swiping his phone off the couch.

“Be back. You stay here. I swear to God…driving fucking drunk all the way here to see me. This is such bullshit.”

“What are you doing?”

He grabbed his phone off the table where he’d thrown it when the bell rang. “Calling the cops because Selma fucking drove here drunk, and I want that shit on the record. She pulled some bullshit early this week about me not being a good role model for Jasper and fuck her for that. I want this shit at least noted that she’s here, drunk and causing a disturbance so I can start a paper trail for any shit she does in case she tries to take me to court for Jasper.”

He didn’t give me a chance to reply.

Not like I had anything to say.

The front door slammed again, and this time, I moved. I ducked into the living room to see if I could see him.

They were both on the porch at the far end. Cole was on his phone. Selma’s mouth was moving, and her hands flailing in the air.

She turned, stomped down the front steps and as she did, Cole hurried after her. He still had his phone at his ear and with his other hand, he snagged the keys straight from hers. Turning, he chucked them into the dark.

“I fucking hate you!” Selma shouted and even from inside, her voice was shrill, loud enough to wake…

The floor upstairs creaked, and I spun as Jasper appeared at the top of stairs.

Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

This wasnotgood.

“Who are you?”

His words were slurred from sleep, his hair in complete disarray and dressed in shorts and T-shirt, skintight pajama set, snuggling the giraffe Cole mentioned earlier, tears flooded my eyes. No boy should have to see this. Or have a strange woman in his house.

With every second that passed, I wanted to run to him. Squeeze him.

“My name is Eden. I’m a friend of your dad’s.”

“Why you here?”

“We were talking. I stopped by to say hi.”

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