Page 11 of Grumpy Ex's Secret Baby

There hadn’t been any updates since the police report either. I thought that the Richmond Valley Sheriff’s Office had either forgotten about me or had done their job but had nothing to tell me. Either way, news on my stalker hadn’t reached me.

“I think you should go,” Bret said, his voice echoing through the hallway to the living room.

“Bret, who is it?” I asked as I got up and set my ice cream to the side before heading to the door. Tyson stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, leaning against the frame and looking more handsome than when I saw him last.

“Hello, Haley,” he said, his voice tight as he looked past me and into my home. “I think we have some talking to do. Don’t you?”

Panic rushed through me as I stared at him, wondering what he was talking about. My heart hammered in my chest as I did the only thing I could think of doing. I slammed the door in his face and twisted the lock.

“What are you doing?” Bret asked, looking down at me.

“He never called. He doesn’t get to be here and start demanding that we talk about whatever it is he wants to talk about! He’s just acting like an arrogant asshole who is used to getting his way. I don’t even know how he found my address!”

Bret gave me a flat look. “Haley, you moved like six doors down from his childhood home.”

My cheeks flamed as I shrugged. “It was cheap and available.”

“You never shut up about him. Maybe you should just open the door and find out what he wants to talk to you about.”

“Are you on his side or mine?”

Bret shrugged and smirked as he unlocked the door. “I don’t know. Depends on the day, but I think right now you’re being a little irrational. Just talk to him.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at the door. “Do you think he’s gone yet?”

Bret opened the door wide and laughed as Tyson put his foot inside the house, blocking me from closing the door again.

“I think he’s still there.”

“Why don’t we talk about this like adults?” Tyson asked, still glancing into the house as if he was searching for someone or something.

I looked at him, wondering what he knew that I didn’t. His jaw was set in a hard line, and those brown eyes looked like they were on fire. Bret patted my shoulder before disappearing into the house. I suspected that he was going to play dolls with Trinity and keep her entertained while I dealt with Tyson.

“So, you have the balls to come here and demand that we talk after not bothering to call or text me for weeks, even after I gave you my phone number?”

His eyes softened for a moment before the glare returned. “I lost my work bag. Laptop and phone were both in it and stolen at some point while I was on the way back to the city. I couldn’t call because I didn’t have your number anymore.”

“You know what, Tyson? It really doesn’t matter anyway. Why don’t you just go, and we can go back to living our own lives?”

“Either you talk to me, Haley, or I get lawyers involved.”

I was about to shut the door when he threatened me. Pausing, I cocked an eyebrow and crossed my arms.

“Get your lawyers involved with what?”

“My paternal rights.”

In that moment, my world came crashing down around me. I don’t know what I thought he wanted to talk about, but it wasn’t this. I didn’t think that he would find out about Trinity this soon. Based on the gossip I heard in the diner earlier, he had only just gotten here last night.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to close the door again.

Tyson’s hand shot out and stopped the door from closing, his foot wedging further inside. I looked up at him to see the fury written across his face.

“Haley, I’m serious. We either work this out like fucking adults, or I will call my lawyers and get them involved. If I’m that girl’s father, I deserve a chance to have a place in her life.”

“And what if you aren’t the father ofmydaughter?” I asked, biting back the tears that threatened to spill over.

When I decided not to tell him about Trinity, it had been done from a place of wanting to protect her. Four years ago, Tyson was still running wild with models and actors. I had seen the stories splashed across social media. I knew that the paparazzi were following him around. I had seen the new girl on his arm every other week, and I made a decision that I refused to regret for the last four years.

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