Page 35 of Stay for Me

To say I was furious because I had to come back to Hayden to deal with the mess that decided to waltz back into my life was an understatement. I was beyond pissed, and not just about the food.

The urge to bang my head against my steering wheel was strong when the back door of my building swung open, and my paralegal stepping out into the sunlight, his hands in his pockets, a scowl painted on his face. I kept my eyes on him as I grabbed my things and got out of the car, closing the door with my hip.

“Where is he?” I demanded.

Thomas’ brow furrowed, his jaw tight with anger. “I sure as hell didn’t put him in your office,” he deadpanned. “He’s in the waiting area.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

As I was about to pass him and walk through the door he held open, he caught my arm gently. My eyes met his, and I knew right then that not only would Thomas go to battle for me when it came to this job, but he would do so in every other aspect of life.

“I don’t want you alone with him,” he said.

The hair on the back of my neck rose, and an old, familiar fear slithered down my spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake. The idea of being alone with the man I thought I’d left behind was a nightmare in and of itself.

I nodded. “Okay, Thomas.”

“The second he says some shit I don’t like, I’m calling Chase,” he warned, his blue eyes cold.

I put my free hand on his shoulder. “Deal.”

Then, we went inside to face the impending doom that was my past catching up with me.

I dropped my stuff in my office, not even bothering to fully step inside before heading down the hall towards the front of my firm. My breath caught when I spotted him, the knife in my gut sinking deeper, causing more damage. The man rose from his seat the second he heard my heels clicking against the floor, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, lingering on my mid-section, then my hips, which were wider since the last we saw each other. In fact, every single aspect about me had changed since the last time I saw him.

When his eyes finally met mine, he decided it was the perfect time to open his stupid mouth, a mouth I thought I’d loved once.

“You’ve gained weight.”

I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth and glared at him, waiting.

He scratched his scruffy jaw, laughing to himself. “You don’t have anything to say to me?” he prompted, his ego clearly still in control.

I heard Thomas move from somewhere behind me, but he remained silent. My ex’s eyes shifted over to my paralegal. “Is this the kind of man you fuck now?” he sneered.

Personal growth wasn’t a term he was familiar with, I see.

“The kind of men I sleep with is no concern of yours, Lucas,” I said, my voice steady despite the alarm bells going off inside my head.

My ex was the exact kind of man my parents wanted me to marry. He was tall and strong, had a decent job in finance to provide me with a home, and, last but not least, he wanted kids. Lots and lots of kids. He also wanted me to stay home with said kids and forget about my career altogether. He wanted me to cook, clean, and raise the kids while he went off to God knows were, doing God knows what.

There was a point in my life when all I wanted was to be the perfect little housewife for him, but that all changed the second he decided to sleep with his assistant. He didn’t see a problem with it, and that was how I figured out he was a textbook narcissist—and a sexist. He didn’t respect me.

He saw me as a maid and a womb, nothing more.

“What makes you think you can talk to me like that, Diana?” he asked with a furrowed brow and flat lips.

I laughed so hard, my head fell back, feeling my freshly blown out hair hanging down my back. “I almost forgot how ridiculous you were, how egotistical,” I said, looking back at him.

His eyes scanned my hair, something he’d always loved. It was the only thing he’d ever complimented me on. “I don’t know why you’re being rude to me,” he pushed out, trying to keep his cool. I took pleasure in knowing he was fuming now. “Get the hell out of my office.”

He took a single step towards me, and Thomas cleared his throat. “I have the Sheriff on speed dial. Just a little FYI,” he drawled.

Lucas peeled his eyes from me to focus on Thomas. “What I have to say to her is none of your business, boy.”

“Then say what you have to say, Lucas,” I cut in. “What are you doing in Colorado?”

He looked at me as if I’d grown three heads, utterly confused. “Your dad called and told me you’re ready to come home.”

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