Page 32 of Exposed

“I didn’t say that. I…”

“You had fucking Stockholm syndrome, Brooklyn!”

“No I didn’t.”

“You were kidnapped. You were trapped. You weren’t thinking straight! You had a child with a mobster.”

She slapped me hard across the face.

I hadn’t expected it. I just stared at her, my cheek burning.

“Like you didn’t break your promises to me?” she said. “Sleeping with half of New York City?”

“I didn’t break a single fucking promise to you. And even if I had? It’s because you let me think you were dead. Instead of being brave enough to face me.”

“Go to hell, Matt.” She turned and started walking away.

“Yeah, run away!” I yelled at her back. “Like you always do!”

“Go fuck away your pain, like you always do.”

She kept walking. But I wasn’t surprised. That’s all she ever did. And I was right the first time. She was a fucking liar.

Chapter 14

Sunday

Brooklyn

“Oh, no,” Tanner said as soon as I stepped into the house.

I’d tried to calm down on my way back here. But I probably had some dried mascara on my cheeks.

“Tell me what happened.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about it. Matthew Caldwell was an asshole and had always been an asshole.Run away like you always do?Fuck him. He didn’t even know me anymore. And I didn’t run away. I left because I thought he was happy. And I’d stayed put for 15 years at the lake house with a man who I loved. A man who’d never yelled terrible things at me. I wasn’t some flaky runaway.

“What are you two up to?” I asked as I sat down next to them on the floor. It appeared as thought they were just playing with some sticks.

Jacob lifted up the longest stick. “Abuelo took me for a walk so we could find some new swords!”

I smiled and ruffled his hair. “That’s a big one.”

Jacob smacked my leg with it.

“Ow. Sweet boy, you can’t actually hit people with those. It hurts.”

“But it doesn’t hurt Abuelo. See?” He whacked Tanner with it even harder than he’d hit me.

Tanner had no reaction. But then he must have seen my face. “Oh,” Tanner said and cleared his throat. “Woe is me. Ouch. Sticks hurt. Listen to your mother.”

Jacob frowned at him. “But you…”

“Yes, I am as easy to hurt as any other person.”

“But you said…”

“Nonsense, little man. Sticks hurt people. No hitting.”

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