Page 21 of Finding Forever

Chris had some nerve showing up, like everything was fine. After getting Mycah’s hopes up and then abandoning him for more than half the trip. Maverick had gone completely rigid beside me, the muscles in his face completely drawn as he looked at Victoria and Chris clinging to each other.

Irritated, but fully aware that the kids didn’t need to witness anything that was about to happen, I shuffled them off to Maverick’s car—since his car was equipped with screens which allowed for watching movies—and turned the A/C on full blast.

By the time I made my way back to them, Victoria had the fakest smile plastered on her face while Chris looked aloof. Maverick was still radiating total disgust. My emotions mirrored his. Especially when Victoria turned her smiling face on me and addressed me.

Victoria was an absolutely gorgeous woman. I hated to admit that I could see why Chris was interested. What with her wide blue eyes and blonde hair that was slightly curled at the ends and pouty pink lips that matched her pink, tailor cut pant suit.

I was confident in my own physical beauty but I suddenly found myself wondering if Maverick was even attracted to me at all given the stark difference between his ex-wife and I. It was then that a nagging thought popped up at the back of my mind. One that begged the question of Maverick’s reasons behind his interest in me. Was he doing it to get back at Victoria, or worse, in an effort to get her back?

“We haven’t officially met.”

For a reason.

“I’m Victoria,” she said, offering me her hand. “But I’m sure you already know that.”

She smiled with an arrogant little shrug, as ifeveryonemust know her name, and I felt my blood simmering. This woman was a piece of work. Ignoring her proffered hand, I looked her up and down and remained silent.

“Forgive my ex-wife, Gina. She’s horrible at reading the room.” Contempt drenched every syllable Maverick spared in her direction.

Unconsciously, I drew closer to Maverick, relying on his strength and composure to get through this dreadful introduction. Victoria picked up on our closeness right away. “Hmm, you two seem cozy.”

“I’m lost on why you would care,” Maverick bit back. “You’re standing here flaunting your affair with your alleged driver in everyone’s face.”

“Oh, Maverick.” She waved him off. “You’ve been fussy these past few days.”

Fussy? What did she think he was? A child?

I’d had enough of her remarks, and it hadn’t even been five minutes yet. She didn’t deserve my energy. When I looked at Chris, his expression was void of any emotion. How he could look emotionless after blowing off our son’s vacation was beyond me.

“How could you abandon Mycah for two weeks when you’re the one who invited us on this trip?”

Chris met my gaze, but his eyes registered no remorse. It made me sick to my stomach.

“Did he enjoy himself?” He asked, like it didn’t really matter if he did or not.

“Chris, Mycah enjoying himself isn’t the issue here,” I stated.

“Why do you always have to look so stressed? Didn’t you just return from vacation?” Chris asked, ignoring my original query.

I swallowed the words that I wanted to spit at him. “If you really cared to know how Mycah spent the trip, then you should’ve been inclined to spend five minutes with him. You were barely around the first week and you completely disappeared for the last one. Mycah was excited about this trip,” I reminded him.

He shrugged. “At least you and him seem to have something going on. I’d say the trip wasn’t a complete waste.” He gestured to Maverick.

There was a lump forming in my throat as a bevy of emotions assailed me. I hated this. I hated him.

“Oh, darling, why so uptight? I only do these things because they’re court ordered.” She cut her eyes at Maverick. “But the dates just so happened to line up with when Chris was going to spend time with his son.”

Oh, it just so happened.

“When you really think about it, it worked out!” Victoria gushed, oblivious to every bodily cue Maverick and I were letting off. “The kids got their vacation. And my honey and I got to build on our budding relationship.”

She was positively beaming at this point.

Her honey? I thought I was going to be sick.

“We went to an adult-only resort and it was thebest. Right, my lovey?” She sighed blissfully.

To Chris’s credit, he looked a little embarrassed by her gushing. Finally, signs of a conscience.

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