“He’s angry.” Ella said, stepping fully into the house and shutting the door with a quiet firmness.

“What did you tell him?” I asked, suspicious now. Jeremiah seemed to like Philip, which was out of character for him. Jeremiah and I had always been close.

7

Ella

“Not one damn thing.” Did he really think I’d speak ill to Jeremiah about his own father?

Much as I wanted to shove Simon, I didn’t. Mainly because I didn’t trust myself to touch him. I’d missed his scent, his heat, the feel of his callused fingers on my lips, throat, breasts. Time to shut down that thought. Right now. Bringing forth the memory of Monique wrapped around Simon, her lips pressed to his, doused my need, leaving me cold and weary.

“Jeremiah’s always loved me—”

“He still does.”

I pulled off my gloves and struggled out of my coat. Simon took a step forward as though to help, but I shook my head hard. I couldn’t stand him to touch me. Not now that he’d been with Monique. My skin crawled and my insides ached. Had Simon slept with her, then come to my bed? Had our baby been made after he started his affair? After knowing he planned to leave me? I settled onto the edge of a chair, my knees weak and unable to support me.

“—and he wouldn’t avoid me unless you told him something.”

“I’ve said nothing. But kids talk--and you and your lover are hot news.”

“My…” he sputtered. “I don’t have a lover, but it appears you do. You ran right into your ex’s arms, did you?”

If my mouth hadn’t already fallen open, I might have been able to lock my jaw against the next words. “You—the man who flaunted his new lover in front of both your son and me—are going to claim that I did something wrong when I hugged an old friend?” I turned away. “Just get out.”

“No. I’m not leaving this house until I talk to my son. Not until I have the proper documentation to prove the child you’re carrying is—”

“Get out!” I screamed, standing up, my hands fisted at my sides. “Get out of my parents’ house and don’t ever contact me again. Ever.”

Simon’s flushed cheeks and narrowed eyes fell into a slack mask of shock. My temper was slow to burn, but once it ignited, it burned white hot and incinerated everyone in the vicinity.

“You lying, cheating scum!” I kicked him in the shin, hard. “I said get out. I don’t want to hear one more word from you.”

“Too damn bad. I want to know about the baby—”

“Then you should’ve asked before you decided to divorce me.” My voice was high-pitched and sharp.

“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant,” he growled back.