Page 80 of Amor Prohibido

“I came all this way just to see you—”

“No, you came all this way to stir up shit like you always do. I told you, I never want to see you again. Like,ever. Leave!” He raised his voice with his last demand, and her smile finally faltered.

Her discomposure coincided with a startled squawk from nearby. Natalie bent and hushed whatever was tucked out of sight around the side of the doorway.

When she stood, I felt the blood drain from my body and the void was promptly filled by waves of dizziness. I clung to the door frame as a shocked gasp left my mouth. Jace’s arms immediately slid around my body for support.

“Wha— You?” Words refused to form through the white-noise haze.

“Why the hell did you bring it here?” Jace snarled, temper and disconnection overruling all other emotions in his tone.

How could he be so callous towards her unless…

Her voice finally sounded hesitant while trying to reason with a seething Jace. “I just thought you would want to see him.”

I looked down into the car capsule that snugly held a baby boy who must have been only a few months old.

My heart—oh my heart!It shattered painfully into a thousand irreplaceable pieces as my mind drew conclusions between Jace, Nat, and the baby. I struggled to breathe around my squeezing throat as a panic attack hooked its claws into my chest and climbed higher.

“What the hell in your goddamn mind makes you think I would want to see him? Seriously?” Jace barked.

When Natalie came up blank and could only shrug, or perhaps she was adjusting the weight of the baby capsule in her grip, Jace continued his verbal assault.

“Leave now, Natalie. I don’t want anything to do with you. You have no right to be here, and you have no right to come back.Go.”His last word was whispered so quietly it held no room for argument.

Nat and I both knew it. In this moment, he was a different person. A stranger. Even though he was protecting me, I didn’t like this side of him at all.

He flicked the door shut in her face and unfurled his fists. Over and over, they balled and unclenched in time to his heavy panting.

I pressed myself against the wall when he turned to me. While I wasn’t scared, trepidation vibrated through me as he prowled closer. He caged me with his body, forearms propped on the wall either side of my face and rested his head in the juncture of my neck.

Each warm pant compounded the heat of my skin. We both fought to steady our breath: him due to rage, and me trying to keep my emotions locked down.

I didn’t know the full story, but it felt like my world had blown apart since the moment I opened the door. The sound of a car driving away broke the final straw, and I let out a shuddering exhale.

“Fuck, J. I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Jace murmured into my hair.

I trembled from shock, and, despite my inner turmoil, I felt completely numb and… shattered. All I knew was I needed some breathing space, and right now that meant I needed distance from Jace.

“You need to leave.”

He jerked back. The torment in his eyes hurt my heart impossibly further. He was pained, still irate, and now becoming desperate. “No. I’m not leaving.”

“Yes, you are.” I held up a hand and squeezed my eyes closed. “I just need some space and I need you to leave.”

“The baby’s not mine, sweetheart. And Natalie means nothing to me.”

I met his gaze and slowly shook my head in disbelief. “Wow, Jace, just… wow. Is that all you’ve got to say?”

“Yeah, because it’s the truth.”

“Get the fuck out.”

“No, goddammit,I’m not fucking leaving.Not like this.Not a fucking chance!”

I raised my chin in defiance and took his power away. “Get out before I make it a permanent arrangement, and I’ll call Darren to make it happen.”

Anger flashed in his eyes at the mention of involving Darren. Jace felt like he had everything to prove, especially to Darren, so mentioning his name was a low blow; one I needed to throw because I needed alone time and wasn’t in a fit state of mind to drive.

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