Page 8 of Finally, Our Forever

“Tinder? Who should join Tinder?” my dad walks in and asks.

My eyes go wide. My daddy does not need to hear me talk about joining a dating site, let alone Tinder. That’s what the girls at work call ‘the hookup site.’ I disengage from Ms. Anna and clear my throat. “No one in this kitchen is joining Tinder. I do not need a hookup.”

My mom snorts from her corner of the kitchen, and I send that crazy woman a glare. She may be one of my very best friends, but she’d better not start talking about me hooking up with some random guy while my daddy is around.

“I think maybe a hook up would be good for you—loosen you up a little. Relieve some of that stress you’re always carrying around with you these days,” Mom says.

I raise my eyebrow at the woman who birthed me. “Now, you listen up, crazy lady. I’m stressed because I’m a single parent. I’m teaching America’s future hoodlums. My ex thinks we should get back together—”

Whoops, I didn’t mean to blurt that one out. Everyone in the kitchen snaps their eyes to mine. Oh shit.

I point at Momma. “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t started goading me in front of Daddy, I wouldn’t have opened my mouth,” I say, disgruntled, now that I have to spill the beans about this morning.

Daddy is looking at me like I’d better start talking. He’s never been a patient man. So, I cave and tell them everything that happened. They listen quietly until I’ve finished.

“He still has a key to your house?” Daddy asks, a little louder than necessary.

I sigh in defeat. “I took the one he had with him this morning, but I’m not sure. I told him I wanted any copies that he made, but who knows what he has.”

I stop and think for a minute. “What else does he have that I don’t know about?” My eyes fill with tears, and I stare at my daddy, the only man I can count on to hold me up when I can’t do it myself. He pulls me in for a hug and squeezes me tight.

“The fucker better not have any more,” he says as he rubs my back.

“Any more what?” I hear Mr. Paul ask.

I pull away from Daddy and see Mr. Paul and Reece standing in the now crowded kitchen. I quickly wipe my eyes, not wanting Reece to see me like this. I dare a glance at him, and he looks murderous as he listens to my father relay what happened this morning.

“You think he would do something, Maci?” Reece asks. I’m surprised, but a little touched, that he’s acting like he cares. It’s probably his instincts kicking in from his job.

I bite my lip and shrug my shoulder. “He’s been more intense than usual. I have no clue what’s going on with him, but he’s definitely been acting strange. He even has it in his head that we should get back together.”

“Yeah, that isn’t fucking happening” he mutters under his breath, but everyone hears. “He shouldn’t have keys to your house. That’s an invasion of privacy. Keep an eye out and see if you notice things missing or out of place. Call me immediately if you do, Maci.”

I eye him, appreciative that he cares that I’m safe. But also, I’m pissed. Like, who. The. Fuck?

“I’ve got this, you guys. He’s not going to do anything.”

“Maci. I’m not fucking playing around here. You better tell me if anything happens,” Reece warns.

I lose it. Walking up to him, I push my finger into his chest. His hard chest. Damn.

“I’d better tell you? Who the fuck do you think you are? I haven’t talked to you in years, Reece. Years!”

I poke him again and he snarls at me.

“The last time you talked to me, you basically told me that I was nothing to you and never was.” Poke. “Then, you left me there feeling about an inch tall,” I say, shoving my thumb and pointer finger an inch apart in his face. “So, excuse me if I don’t listen when you command me to do what you say. I can handle MY shit—HAVE been handling MY shit—for a long time now. I will continue to handle MY shit in the future. I don’t need anyone to swoop in and save the day, when I can, in fact, do it my own damn self!”

Reece’s mouth hangs open in shock. Fire burns behind his eyes and I know he’s pissed. He also doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this argument. He did treat me like shit the last time we talked.

Looking away from him, I stare at everyone surrounding me in the kitchen. Our parents look at me with shock and pride. Zoning in on them, I decide it’s time to leave.

“Bye, Momma and Daddy. It’s time for me and Bennett to skedaddle. See you all later,” I throw over my shoulder with a wave and go to find my son.

I collect Bennett from outside where he is throwing the ball with some of my parents’ friends.

“Okay, buddy. We gotta get going.”

“Ah Mom, the game isn’t over. I don’t wanna go yet.”

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