Page 126 of Seal the Deal

Charlie’s voice tightens. "The harm is you don’t communicate, Alex. It’s 9 p.m. on a school night. The kids need stability. You agreed to that.”

He leans forward, smirking. "They seemed pretty happy to see me, especially Meadow."

That smirk nearly does me in. The urge to knock him out is growing, but I force myself to stay quiet. Charlie’s in charge here.

"That’s not the point," Charlie says, her voice firmer. "They need consistency. You can’t just drop in and expect everything to be fine. If you want to be part of their lives, show up in ways that matter.”

Alex hesitates, his bravado slipping for just a second. But he shrugs it off. "I don’t need to check in every time I want to seemykids. Last I checked, I’m still their dad."

I can’t hold back. "You sure? Because it looks like you breeze in when it suits you. That’s not being a dad—that’s being a visitor."

His stare sharpens, locking onto mine. "And what doyouknow about being a dad, huh? You think playing house with my wife for a few months makes you an expert?”

"Ex-wife," I bite back.

The air shifts. But I catch Charlie’s gaze—pleading for calm—and I take a breath. "I know enough to show up. Every day. That’s what they deserve."

Alex stands, finally facing me. "You think you can replace me, Jake? Thinkyou’retheir father now?"

He’s good-looking in that polished, too-perfect Ken doll kind of way—lean, six feet tall, blond hair combed back like he’s just come from a business meeting. I could easily pummel him. The way he’s sizing me up tells me he knows it too, so I stand my ground, glaring down at him.

"I’m not replacing anyone. But I’m sure as shit not gonna let you screw them up."

Charlie steps between us, her voice sharp. "Enough. The kids need us to be adults about this, Alex.”

He glances at her, then smugly back at me. "Well, isn’t this cozy? The perfect little family playing house, huh? But let’s not forget, I’ve got more of a right to be here than he does.”

Charlie’s voice is cold as ice. "We talked about this. You don’t get to come and go whenever you want. Communicate or don’t come at all."

Alex’s smirk falters, just for a second. But he recovers quickly, sliding his mask back on. "Alright, I’ll play by your rules, Lottie."

"Her name isCharlie."

Charlie crosses her arms tighter, but I can see how drained she is. This whole thing is taking a toll on her, and it pisses me off how easily Alex plays the victim. "You don’t care about them, Alex," she says. "If you did, you’d stick to the plan. Not just pop in on the off chance.”

Good girl.

Alex shrugs nonchalantly, but there’s an edge to his voice now. “You know Lottie, maybe we should rethink visitation, then. If you’re going to be strict about this, maybe it’s time to revisit that custody agreement.”

My fists clench. It’s bullshit, but the way Charlie stiffens tells me she’s taking him seriously. He’s a snake, throwing out empty threats just to get a rise out of her.

"Don’t, Alex." Her voice is steady despite the tremble. "This isn’t about you or me. It’s about what’s best for the kids.”

“Oh, I’m sure you think so. But it’s funny—just when I thought you couldn’t do any worse, you bringhiminto their lives.” He flicks his gaze toward me like I’m dirt on his shoe. “Must be nice, though. Handing off your responsibilities to someone who doesn’t know better.”

I’m done.

I step in front of Charlie, shielding her from the venom spouting from this asshole.

“You don’t get to waltz in and act like you give a damn. You don’t get to threaten custody like you’re some devoted father when you’re anything but. And you sure as fuck don’t get to stand here insulting Charlie because your ego can’t handle the life she’s builtwithout you.”

He stiffens, like he knows I’m two seconds away from putting his face through the wall. But he doesn’t back down completely. Instead, he throws on that fake smile, like he’s won.

Charlie steps up to the front door, opening it with steel in her voice. "If you can’t stick to the boundaries we agreed on, then we’lldefinitelyrevisit custody. And trust me Alex, you won’t like how that turns out."

Silence. I can see the wheels turning in his head. Then he sighs, grabbing his coat. "Fine. Have it your way. But I’ll be back to see them. I’m here for the next week."

He throws one last look my way as he heads out the door. "I’ll be in touch,Lottie."

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