Page 89 of Sexting My Ex's Dad
But reality has a way of intruding, even in moments like these.
“Dad?” a tentative voice calls out. Is that Owen? I hadn’t even heard him coming in. I don’t have near enough time to pull away from Stella before his eyes land on us, still entwined in each other’s arms. He stares, even as I pull away from her before his jaw clenches, and realization washes over him.
He knows.
53
STELLA
“Stella? What the hell is this?” Owen demands accusingly.
I’ve been caught red handed. I shouldn’t care what Owen thinks; he’d been the one to dump me and get together with a new girl a week later; not even hesitating to plaster her all over social media.
Still, I’m sure there are better ways to find out your ex and dad are dating.
“Owen, we need to talk,” I say. Despite what he’d done, I didn’t hate him, and I’m not trying to hurt his feelings.
“Talk? About what?” His gaze flicks between Elio and me, his anger mounting. “About how you’re screwing my dad behind my back?” I swallow at his words, not knowing what to say to them. “That would explain why you didn’t want to get back together with me. Why go for me when you can get the newer model right?” He scoffs, shaking his head. “What does he have that’s better than me? More money?”
Why do people always immediately think that it’s about the money?
“Owen, listen—” Elio begins, but Owen cuts him off.
“Shut up!” he snarls, pointing an accusatory finger at Elio. “You just couldn’t wait to swoop in and play hero, could you, Dad?” he snaps. “You always have to be the one to save everyone, don’t you? Even if it means screwing over your own son. Oh, right, you couldn’t save everyone. That’s the reason Mom died, right? You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You never have.”
Mentions of Owen’s mother quiet Elio almost instantly. It almost makes me feel bad. From what I’d heard, it hadn’t even sounded like her death was Elio’s fault. But, that’s Owen – he always has to find someone else to blame.
“Owen, I understand that you’re angry,” I say, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “But you need to hear what we have to say, the same way that I heard you out.”
“Save it, Stella,” he spits, his eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. “How could you do this to me? I thought you cared about me!”
“Of course I care about you, Owen,” I reply, struggling to keep my composure. “But that doesn’t mean that we’re compatible! You’re the one that proved that.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t dump you to date your mom now, did I?” Owen snaps. The hurt in his eyes transforms into an icy rage as he glares at Elio. “Unbelievable. Both of you. Tell me that it was worth it, Dad. Tell me a quickie with her was worth it.”
“Owen, don’t say that,” I snap, my own anger flaring. “It’s not some quickie. I love him.”
My words seem to just make the situation worse. “Of course you’d say that, you slut,” he spits back, and I physically reel from the venom in his words.
Slut…? He’d never called me that word before.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Elio’s voice is deep. “Say whatever you want to me, but you don’t get to blame her.”
“Of course you’d defend her. Everyone is more important to you than your own son. Forget this. You two deserve each other. I’m done.”
Before he gets the chance to leave, the door shatters, and the sound of a gunshot rips through the air. My body reacts before my mind can catch up, dropping to the ground as shards of wood splinter around us. The acrid scent of gunpowder lingers in the air.
“Stella! Get down!” Elio shouts beside me, his voice full of urgency.
My heart races, hammering against my chest as I press myself flat on the floor. I barely notice the cold tile seeping through my clothes, my attention focused on the intruder now stalking towards us.
He’s a man I recognize from Elio’s office – the guard who’d tried to stop me from coming in. Massimo was his name, right? His eyes are wild, filled with rage and desperation.
I don’t get it. If he’s supposed to protect Elio, why is he standing here pointing a gun at all of us?
“Massimo?!” Elio exclaims, and I realize he has the same confusion in his eyes as me. “What are you doing?”
“I’ve been biding my time, Elio,” He laughs, eyes switching over to Owen. “You got one thing right, Elio doesn’t care about anyone but himself. I was treated like shit for you from the last few years, waiting until I could retaliate, until I could make you pay.”
