Page 32 of Shattered Union

I sigh. "It's not going to happen. Just forget it," I tell him. "Just make sure you're at Mam's house on Sunday. She'll be pissed if you miss yet another one."

He kisses my forehead. "I'll call you tomorrow," he says. "Don't forget to have a glass of water before you go to bed."

I laugh. "Okay, dad." I roll my eyes. "Thank you for the lift home."

He shakes his head. "I'm hardly going to let you and Ava get a taxi home, alone. I wasn't doing anything, and I needed to check in on you. Two birds, one stone."

I crinkle my nose at him. "Whatever. Go home and get some sleep."

He chuckles. "You're damned bossy, Callie girl."

I grin widely at him. "Yep, now shoo. I want to crawl into bed and sleep for a week."

He kisses my temple and moves back to his car. "I'll call you tomorrow," he tells me.

"Goodnight, Stephen," I call out as I walk toward my house.

I hear his laughter, followed by the closing of his car door. As soon as he pulls away from the curb, I hear another car door opening.

"Go home, Denis," I snap, as I reach into my handbag for my keys. My buzz is well and truly ruined.

"Mo ghrá," he says softly and those words shatter my heart open again. "Who was the arsehole?"

I tense at his words. I spin on my heel and face him. My anger pulsing through me. "Excuse you?" I snarl at him. Who the hell does he think he is?

"You heard," he growls, stepping closer to me.

I wish he hadn't. Seeing him again makes my knees go weak and my heart race. His stubble has grown longer, as has his hair, it's greyer than it had been. He looks tired, and I want to pull him into my arms and hold him.

God. What am I going to do? I hate that I still have feelings for him. That he still has this pull over me.

"Please, Denis. Please," I plead with him. "Go home. Don't do this."

"Callie, baby," he whispers. "God, I wish I could change things. I fucked up. But please. Let me explain."

My heart hurts. The pain is like a blister, a constant ebbing pain. It won't go away, no matter what, it won't go away. Seeing him again makes my pain intensify.

"Explain what? How you played me? I don't want to hear it. It's done, now please, leave me alone." I spin and move toward my front door. I quickly unlock it and push the door open.

Before I'm able to close it, he's pushing into my house and slamming the door closed behind us. He pulls me against him, twisting us so my back is pressed against the wall. "Now fucking listen to me," he growls, his lips inches away from mine.

I raise my hands and place them against his chest, pushing him away. But, it's like I'm trying to push a truck. His muscles are taut beneath my touch. "Please don't," I beg. My words are low and filled with pain.

"Zoe got pregnant with Danny when I was seventeen. I fucked her once and wore a condom. She tampered with it and got pregnant. I married her because she was carrying my baby. I never loved her. I tried. I fucking tried, but she's a bitch."

I bite back the sob that's climbing up my throat. He's hers, not mine. So why the hell does it hurt to hear him say he tried to love her.

"It was when she was pregnant with Chloe that I got a feeling she was cheating on me. That Chloe wasn't mine, biologically. But she's good. Real fucking good at playing people and, baby, she played me the most."

"You have a baby with her," I snap. Angry he's not listening to me. That he's continuing to push this shit on me.

He nods. "Yeah,mo chroí, Zoe had a baby. Gareth isn't mine biologically. I haven't fucked Zoe in over a decade."

I suck in a sharp breath at his admission. "What?"

"Yeah, you heard, baby. I have six children, and only two of them are mine biologically."

Oh my God. She's a fucking bitch. Who does that?

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