Page 12 of Choosing Forever
His flinch is obvious, my choice of words striking true. I swallow the apology that slithers up my throat before it can escape.
“Right. Great, then,” he says, nodding as his back foot moves.
“If that was all you wanted, I have to finish attendance.”
“Yeah, that’s all.”
I tip my chin. “Have a great day, then.”
His nostrils flare as he takes a full step back and then stops, palming the wall of the little alcove we’re in. I freeze, trapped beneath the weight of his sharp gaze. He taps his fingers against the cement wall, and I can’t help but steal a look at the one that used to wear a simple gold band.
Emotion burns the backs of my eyes. I release a tight breath and meet his stare again.
“Do you still live in town?” he blurts.
My brain runs a mile a minute, trying to make sense of thatquestion. Not only is it inappropriate for this setting, but it’s not his place to ask at all, regardless of where we are.
I tighten my hold on the doorknob, reassuring myself of the escape route. “That isn’t any of your business.”
“Fuck if it isn’t, Elle. You’re a ghost in this town.”
“My name is Delaney, Darren. Not Elle,” I hiss, the air growing too thin.
He leans forward, the brim of his cap shading the bottom half of his face. “You’ll always be Elle to me.”
“It’s a good thing I’m nothing to you anymore, then. Me being your daughter’s teacher doesn’t change that. Nothing will. So, you can leave now. If you need to speak with me again, you can send an email or call the front office and leave a message. You can find all of that information in the welcome package that will be in Abbie’s backpack this afternoon.”
I’m proud that my voice doesn’t crack the way my chest is.
Darren’s muscles coil like he’s preparing to move closer to me, but I step back before he can, shaking my head. It’s like he came here planning to confuse me. Maybe even confuse himself, too, if his pained expression is anything to go by.
“Hold on, Delaney. I want to be cordial, at least. We can’t ignore each other forever.”
“Is that what we’ve been doing? Ignoring each other?” I ask, huffing in disbelief at his gall.
So what if I’ve been ignoring him? What else did he expect?
“Yeah, I’d say so. The last time I saw you was Bryce’s opening night at Into The Shade.”
I look past him at the empty hall before replying, “This isn’t the time to be talking about anything other than your daughter’s education.”
“So meet me another time to talk about something other than that.”
“No. No, I won’tmeet you another time. You need to leave now,” I say, pushing the last sentence out a bit harder as I try and wrap my head around that.
Bryce’s opening at the tattoo studio was like . . . eight months ago. My relationship with Daisy had me unable to turn her invitation down the way I wanted to when it was first brought up. The group of women in their circle have been too welcoming for me to reject such an important moment. Especially because of Darren.
Poppy might be his sister, but she was good to me before we broke up, and now, she’s back in my life. Even if she kept her distance from me the same way I did her brother for far too many years.
Him bringing that day up now, as if he has any damn right to, isn’t helping his case in the slightest.
“At least think about it,” he pleads.
“I don’t need to. It won’t be happening. And even if it were, the moment we’re spotted in public together, it will be Sasha standing in front of me right here. I won’t be the subject of her abuse again.”
He sucks in a breath before ripping his hat off and threading fingers through his hair. The dark locks gleam, healthy and thick, before they’re trapped beneath the cap again.
“She has no say in who I speak with,” he argues tensely.
