Page 115 of Mine For The Winter

“You two?Again?” He laughed but there was no humor in it. “Fucking hell, you do love sloppy seconds.”

Kris’ jaw tightened. “I’d suggest you shut the hell up in front of the mother of your child.”

“Yeah, well I’ve wondered about that, too.”

Kelly stiffened. “Shut the hell up.”

Kris knew exactly what he meant. And he wanted to beat the smirk off his ex-friend’s face.

“Come on now,” Paul said, clearing his throat. “Cole is sick. Let’s keep calm.”

“It’s just all too convenient, isn’t it?” Lyle said, looking at Kris. “You always did have the hots for her, even when she was my girl. Especially when she was mine. Typical rich kid, always wanting what’s not his.”

“There wasn’t anything between us,” Kelly said, her voice low. “Apart from us both trying to save you from killing yourself.”

“That’s why he asked you to leave with him, right?” Lyle’s voice was loud enough for the other people in the waiting room to turn and look at them.

Kris glanced at Kelly. Her face was red, her cheeks stained with tears. He hated seeing her like this. Hated hearing her being treated like this by Lyle even more. When she was at her lowest, scared for Cole, and beating herself up over it.

He had no idea how he and Lyle had ever been friends.

“This isn’t the time,” Kris said, his voice low.

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” Lyle asked him. “Haven’t you done enough already?”

The waiting room door opened and a nurse strode in, glancing at the four of them standing in the corner.

“Is there a problem here?” he asked. “Because we can’t have shouting in the waiting room.”

“My only problem is him,” Lyle said, pointing at Kris. “He’s not a relative, he shouldn’t be here.”

The nurse turned to Kris. “Are you the stepfather?”

He shook his head. “I’m a family friend.”

Lyle snorted. “The fuck he is.”

The nurse ignored Lyle. “Could I ask you to wait outside in the main hospital waiting area? Just for the comfort of the rest of our visitors.”

Kelly caught his gaze. There was fear in her eyes. He hated that so much. He’d left her looking that way before, and it was going to kill him to do it again.

“You okay with that?” he asked, his voice low. Because if she wasn’t he’d do whatever it took to stay with her.

She nodded. And yeah, it hurt a little. But he wasn’t the one whose kid was in surgery right now. “I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need me.”

“Thank you,” Kelly whispered, and he walked toward the door, the nurse following behind him.

It was weird how much it felt like he was walking away again. From the woman who needed him.

He hated it. And he fucking hated Lyle.

And yeah, maybe he was jealous of him, too.

* * *

Mortification washed over Kelly as she watched Kris being practically escorted out of the surgical waiting room. She felt furious, too. Wanted to scream at Lyle, but then that would just cause more problems.

So she sank down into an empty chair facing the doorway where the doctor would come out once Cole’s surgery was over. Her cheeks blazed as the people in the waiting room watched her every move, as though they wanted a repeat of the drama earlier.

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