Page 71 of Laws of Love
Knox sighed. “That sounds like a you problem.”
No one was going to think that hard about it. Hell, when they separated, that news was all over within a few weeks of it happening, and now that they were divorced, those with common sense could put two and two together. However, Mia’s friends weren’t among those people.
She was mad about the wrong thing, in his opinion. Not that she had a reason to be, but he wouldn’t point that out. She would use it as flimsy fuel for the fire she’d worked herself into.
“Do you know how many of these pictures are circulating?”
Knox shrugged. “No, and I don’t care. My personal life has nothing to do with you, Mia. Why are you here?”
“It has everything to do with me when you’re trying to make me look stupid!”
“You’re doing that to yourself, showing up here and yelling as if you have no common sense. Besides, I don’t ask what you do with your personal time. Don’t come here worried about mine.”
Before she could respond, Knox closed and locked the door. He’d been correct. He hadn’t been in the mood for what Mia had shown up for.
She banged on his door, but Knox ignored her as he grabbed the laundry basket and went down the hall to put the clothes away. The banging continued for several minutes until she got fed up with him ignoring her. She let out a noise that floated through the door, reminiscent of a banshee, and then she was gone.
Knox shook his head. He wasn’t supposed to have to deal with this shit. He guessed that was wishful thinking because it seemed she would still show up at his place for bullshit. The only difference now was that she didn’t have their daughter to use against him, and he didn’t have to talk to her when she showed up unannounced.
Knox walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He pulled out his phone and began making a list of things he needed from the grocery store. He would wait several more minutes before he left. He wouldn’t put it past Mia to be waiting in the parking lot to continue to vent her unwarranted frustrations to him.
When fifteen minutes passed, he texted his mother, letting her know he was going to the store but should be home within an hour. That way, if they cut their outing short, she wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t at home.
Aiva sat at her desk, going over a few emails. She’d taken off the Monday after they’d returned from vacation to prepare herself for the upcoming work week. She was able to push off several of her meetings, and she’d had no mediations or court dates scheduled for the previous week. Now, she was playing catch-up. She had several clients she needed to meet with before the week was out because she planned to schedule mediations over the next two weeks.
She knew things would be hectic when she returned to work, but it was worth it. She’d had fun spending the week with Knox and Yasmine, getting to know him better and getting to know Yasmine. She was happy that the little girl seemed to like her.
Knox was the first man Aiva had dated with a child, and she knew that as close as they were, if she and Yasmine didn’t get along, it would spell disaster for her relationship. Honestly, Aiva would have ended it because she wouldn’t want to put a child in that situation, to have them be around someone they didn’t like. She was glad that hadn’t been the case.
She liked Knox, enjoyed spending time with him, and their relationship had been great over the past few months. The last thing she wanted was to stop seeing him, but she would have because Yasmine’s well-being came first, and Aiva would not force a relationship with her. If it didn’t build organically, it wouldn’t be worth it. Luckily, she didn’t have to deal with that.
Aiva was meeting up with Knox and Yasmine on Saturday afternoon so they could go to the craft store to get materials to scrapbook their vacation. She’d told Yasmine they could and planned on keeping her word. Then she was meeting with her sisters on Sunday for brunch, and she was sure they would ask her how everything went. She was grateful they hadn’t bombarded her with calls, but she knew it was because they were waiting to see her in person.
Aiva was replying to an email when she heard Finx’s voice approaching her office.
“You can’t just barge in,” he stated, and a second later, Mia was standing in her doorway. “Ms. Neel, I apologize. I tried to tell her—”
“It’s fine, Finx,” Aiva stated, cutting him off. “Close the door for us, please.” She turned her attention back to Mia. “Have a seat.” She gestured to the two chairs in front of her desk.
Mia plopped down in one, crossing one leg over the other. “Look, I’m not here for pleasantries.”
“I didn’t think you were.”
Aiva had a good idea why Mia forwent any manners she may have had and stormed into her place of business. Marreigh sent Aiva a text last night containing images of her, Knox, and Yasmine on vacation. The pictures weren’t intimate per se, but it was clear they were more than friends.
“You need to stay away from my husband.”
“Your ex-husband,” Aiva corrected. “And I won’t do that.”
“Excuse you? I don’t think you understand how your little tryst will make me look, how it will affect me.”
“You are absolutely correct, and I don’t care. How you look is the least of my worries. Honestly, once your divorce was final, I forgot you existed.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. Unless Yasmine brought up her mother, Aiva didn’t think about the other woman or that she was now dating her ex-husband. Mia didn’t take up space in her mind, and she didn’t allow her to take up space in her relationship.
Mia glared at her, nostrils flaring, and Aiva cocked a brow at her. “You were fucking my husband while representing him, weren’t you?”
“Ex-husband, and no. I wasn’t. Not that it’s any of your business.”
