Page 68 of Amor Prohibido

“Twins,” I deadpanned with a loving pat to my stomach. “I don’t know how we’ll cope.”

It was meant as a lighthearted comment, but his eyes clouded, and shadows passed behind them. “You’ll cope just fine, love.” He blinked, then looked past me and snorted.

Glancing behind me, I saw nothing out of the ordinary, so looked back at him in question. “What’s got your attention?”

He finished his second bite and pointed the now legless gingerbread man across the street. “Just watchin’ a train wreck waitin’ to happen over there. That poor schmuck’s stuck with that bimbo throwin’ herself at ‘im. I’m try’na decide if he likes or loathes her. I’m leanin’ t’wards loathe.”

Leon was a watchful soul. Anything that happened around town, he knew about it. I followed his cynical gaze in the direction he pointed and searched the busy coffee shop across the street for the elusive ‘couple’.

I spotted them immediately and my heart dived painfully into the pit of my stomach. The blood drained from my face and my vision blurred around the edges. As anger rose, my grip on my innocent lunch tightened. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Jace and…

Who the fuck was she?

Was that…? Was itAnna?The woman he had one date with straight after I told him I was pregnant?

Shock and hurt quickly gave way to hormone-heightened rage. I was about to storm across the road like a pregzilla when Leon’s clicking his tongue made me realise that I’d only be adding to the spectacle.

“B’n watchin’ ‘em for about fifteen minutes. She’s a keen one, tha’ one.” He snickered again as Slutty McSlut Face set her hand on my man’s arm and caressed it lovingly.Intimately.

Jace pulled away immediately and glared at her. It was blatantly obvious they had history. Hell, he spent three years away in the city doing God knows what. What I didn’t understand was why he was meeting someone here andnow.Without telling me. And by the looks of things, he wasn’t happy about it either.

“Malnacido! [Bastard].”

“Hey, love. You ‘kay?” Leon asked. He tapped a finger on my leg to get my attention.

I startled and forced my gaze to his. “I’m fine. I… Sorry, Leon, I’ve got to go.”

Unspoken understanding swam in his depths. “I’m sorry, love.” He sighed after glancing across the street again. “Thank you, an’ God bless.”

Managing a nod, I numbly walked back to work with my gorgeous new shoes, a crushed panini, a gingerbread man broken into a thousand pieces, and an internal organ that felt the same.

“Jesus, Jax! What the hell happened to you? You look like you’re about to pass out!” Alice exclaimed as soon as I pushed through the glass door of the flower shop.

She grabbed my shoulders and steered me toward the office, taking the bags from my hands in the process. I tried to shrug off her concern by claiming I had a sudden bout of heartburn. She semi-bought the excuse but pegged me with a suspicious frown, then frowned deeper at the paper bag that held my lunch.

“Eat this. It’s mangled as fuck, but you need food before you faint on my floor. I’ll ring Jace to come pick you up—”

“No!” I yelled, sounding panicked even to my own ears. “I mean, I’mfine.Like I said, heartburn was kicking my ass a minute ago. I’ll eat and drink, then see you back out there in five.”

She gave me another concerned once-over, no doubt seeing through the bogus excuse.

“Sing out if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

I won’t.

I’d already started an internal rant by the time she stepped from the room.

Fuck you, Jason Malone. Fuck you for worshipping the ground I walk on. Fuck you for being everything I didn’t realise I wanted and needed. Fuck you for making me love you more than life itself. And fuck you for breaking my heart worse than last time.

TWENTY-THREE

JAX

He wouldn’t, would he? Cheating? Hecouldn’tbe. I asked myself a million questions and didn’t know a single answer. The lack of a rational explanation only fuelled my suspicions and unrealistic scenarios of how this evening would play out once Jace got home. It felt like I was mentally preparing myself for a heart-shattering goodbye, and it slowly killed me more with each passing minute.

Huddling into the soft couch cushions, I took a massive swig from my wine glass, pretending it was the alcohol I needed. Frustratingly, orange juice and lemonade failed to numb the ache. I hated feeling vulnerable and exposed—especially when it came to Jace.

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