“Fine”—she forced a smile that made her face want to crack—“we’ll be together when you get back.”

“I’m glad you understand.” Relief softened his tone. “I’m going to walk up to Tenth and grab a cab.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll try to text, but I’ve got a packed schedule.”

“I’d love to hear from you, if you have time.”

“Goodbye, Natalie.”

“Bye.”

He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. For the first time, she felt no pull, no desire, nothing but animosity, nothing but the sting of betrayal. He turned and left her then, walking toward bustling Tenth Avenue. She watched him stride away, her heart pounding in her chest, her throat, her ears. And then she called after him.

“You don’t mind if I hang out with Violet for the next couple of weeks, do you?”

The words halted him. He whirled around. “What?”

She closed the distance between them. “Once we’re together, I’ll stop. But . . . I’ll be all alone here. I don’t really have any friends, and I really like your daughter.” Her words were pointed. “I like her a lot.”

His handsome face darkened with rage. “You fucking cunt,” he growled. “Stay away from Violet or I’ll . . .”

“Or you’ll what?”

“I’ll kill you,” he said quietly. “Don’t think I won’t.”

“You’re going to kill me?” she repeated, her voice loud and shrill. “You’re threatening my life right now?” Passersby were glancing over, alerted to the dramatic scene. What did they see? A distinguished older man vibrating with anger. A girl in a floral dress shrieking at him like an angry shrew. Did Nat look unstable? Insane? She felt it. Her self-control was slipping away, her last shred of decorum dissipating. But she was too full of rage and hate to stop.

“Fuck you, Gabe!” she spat, the momentum of her outburst building. “I’m not going away. Violet wants me, and she hates you. I’ll take your family away from you! I’ll bring you to your fucking knees!”

Gabe’s face was pale and bloodless. The loathing in his eyes was obscured by his glasses, but she could feel it coming off him, tangible waves of hate. For a moment, she thought he would grab her by the throat and choke her to death right there in broad daylight. But he didn’t. He just turned to go.

She caught his wrist, her nails digging into his flesh. It felt good to hurt him. “Don’t you fucking walk away from me,” she growled.

But Gabe didn’t flinch, though she could feel his skin breaking under her talons. He wrenched his arm from her grasp and quickly but calmly walked away.

“I hate you!” she screamed after him, her composure abandoning her completely. Tears and snot streamed down her face, spit flew from her lips. She was a monster, a horrid, frothing, monster. But still . . . she couldn’t stop. “I’ll destroy you, you selfish prick! I’ll fucking kill you!”

He kept walking, never turning back, like he was impervious to her words. But she knew how to hurt him. Her hands were shaking so hard she feared she’d drop her phone on the sidewalk. But somehow, she managed to send the text to Violet.