Page 39 of If You Love Me

“I’m sorry, babe. Why didn’t you say something before? You always talk to me when you make plans. You never just spring things on me at the last minute.”

“Ithoughtit would have been a nice surprise.”

He stepped into the room, wrapped in a towel. Coming to me, he kissed my forehead.

“It was a nice thought. Why don’t you come with us?”

“And be the fourth wheel? Yeah, no thanks. I’m already feeling like an afterthought, Tyrion. I didn’t hear from you all day, yesterday. What were you doing?”

“I made up the guest room so Evenie could have some privacy and not have to sleep with Summer. Then my in-laws called and invited me to a homecoming party for her—”

“So the whole day was about her, I see.”

“Baby, you can’t be seriously upset right now.”

“But I am, Tyrion. It’s been two days, and you’ve already put me on the back burner.”

“I haven’t put you on the back burner. I’m being supportive of my w—the mother of my child.”

“You can say wife. I can’t forget that you’re still legally married to her. When are you filing for the divorce?”

He sighed. “Can we pump the brakes for a second, Iona? Okay? There is a lot going on right now. She just got home. She’s getting re-acclimated to the world outside of that fucking basement. She’s getting to know our daughter. Can we just handle one thing at a time? Besides, now that she’s back, we’d have to go through the proper channels. It’s not as simple as filing the papers through the court and waiting a couple of months anymore.”

I wanted to scream. If he had just filed the paperwork a long time ago, this would have been a done deal.

“I feel like you’re playing in my face right now,” I said calmly.

“Well, I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m being honest.”

I nodded. “Okay, Tyrion.”

I walked out of the bedroom and almost bumped into Evenie as she rounded the corner.

“Leaving?” she asked.

I smirked. “No. Actually, I’m coming with you guys today. Since my kind gesture wasn’t thought out, I figured there was no need to miss out on the fun, even if it’s something I didn’t plan.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what Tyrion told you, but this was a day for us to spend with our child alone.”

“Well, she’s going to be my stepchild, so she’s mine too.”

She chuckled. “Not yet. Listen, I appreciate you building a relationship with her. She clearly loves you, and I’ll take that as a sign that you were good to her. Thank you for that. But I’m her mother. I’ve missed out on ten years with her, and I would like to enjoy time with her on my own. So respectfully, regardless of the invite her father extended to you, you can’t come today. Sorry.”

She brushed past me and went into Summer Rose’s door. It took everything in me not to snatch her back by her hair. I glared as she spoke softly to her before closing the door. When she got to Tyrion’s room again, she tapped on the door.

“Breakfast is ready!” she called.

“I’m coming!”

She turned to me. “Do I need to walk you out, or can you see yourself?”

I ran my tongue across my teeth as I glared at her. “I’ve got my eye on you.”

“Be careful about that. You might not like what you end up seeing.”

She brushed past me again and disappeared around the corner. I smirked to myself as I made my way to the front door. If this bitch wanted to play games, I could play games too.

“Mama!”I yelled, bursting into my childhood home.

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