Page 127 of Losing Faith

He lets out a scoff. “Hell no.”

I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me feel better. “You’re better than me.” I shrug. “I don’t take back anything I said about second chances, but I’d hate her just a little bit.”

“I can’t.” He shakes his head at himself now. “I tried hating her, but I can’t.”

“Maybe you’re still in love with her,” I tease but as the words leave my mouth, I’m immediately holding my breath as I wait for him to deny it.

“Maybe I am.”

Kill. Me. Now.

A smile grows on his face as he studies whatever face I’m wearing. “That was a joke,” he whispers and I force a smile on my face as my shoulders ease.

“Does being in love with my ex immediately mean I fail all your tests?”

I narrow my eyes at his teasing tone. “The ex is a whole other category of test and it isn’t looking too good since you, one, have pictures of her and two, are still stalking her.”

While it seems like I’m joking, I’m definitely not.

“I haven’t stalked her in over two years,” he counters.

“That doesn’t make the pictures disappear from your phone.”

He pulls out his phone before swiping a few times. After a minute, he sets it in front of me. “Gone.”

I let out a scoff. “You did not.”

“It’s not like I need them.” He shrugs. “The ones of her and Belle are still there in case I show her, but her alone or us alone are gone.”

I don’t move, but he nods to the phone and I’m too nosy to ignore an unlocked phone. Swiping it from the table, I look at the album name.

“Skye?” I glance up at him and he only nods. I look back at the album and my heartachesat pictures of them as a family. She really does look happy during her pregnancy. Her belly is huge and Jackson looks through the roof as he’s holding a baby dress to her stomach.

I feel myself smiling at pictures of Isabelle as an infant in their arms. When I see one that looks familiar, I tap on it and realize it’s from the newborn photoshoot Jackson has in his office.

I always assumed Isabelle had that photoshoot alone, but there are tons of pictures of the three of them in matching pastel pink outfits.

Pulling in a deep breath, I hand Jackson the phone back, deciding I’ve put myself through enough misery.

“Why didn’t you marry her?” Nope. Not enough misery I guess.

He smiles, but it looks bitter. “She didn’t want to get married.” He raises his brows unamusingly. “Clearly, it wasmeshe didn’t want to marry,” he mumbles.

All I hear is thathe wantedto marry her, and I think I’m done for the night.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jackson

Therewasashiftinthe air at some point while I was talking to Lisette, but I noticed too late.

We ate dinner with an awkward stiffness and I kept replaying our conversation in my head, trying to pinpoint what I said that made her walls go up.

My parents didn’t make a return, which doesn’t surprise me. I know my mom was too prideful to come back, so I’m going to have to go see her tomorrow or tonight if I value my sanity and don’t want to hear a lecture from my dad.

I feel bad for losing my temper with her, and while I don’t think I’m in the wrong for setting boundaries, I can’t say that to her. If I want her to speak to me again, I'll have to accept defeat. It’s not healthy, but it’s how she is.

I only said what I said because I know her, and I know she’ll go behind my back and find Skye. If she does, I meant what I said about keeping her away from my kid. I just can’t tell her that either because she’ll disown me or say I’m an ungrateful, disgraceful, and a thousand Spanish curse words of a son.

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