Page 96 of The Me I Left Behind

“Please excuse me.” The blonde sauntered off, her long legs crossing the living area toward the bedroom.

Lilly heard her speak as she moved inside the bedroom, “Sugar, your appointment is here.”

Unbelievable.

She stood in the center of the large living area, facing the bedroom, waiting, and watching the door the woman had disappeared into. She felt no emotion…was surprisingly calm. And vowed to stay that way until she walked out that door again.

“I don’t have a nine o’clock appointment, darling,” she heard Max say.

They chattered on, their voices lowered, and then finally, Max, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, pushed open the bedroom door and stepped into the living room.

He halted. “Lilly?” His expression morphed from shock to annoyance.

“Good day, Max.”

“What are you doing here?” He glanced back at the bedroom, then to her again.

“Unfinished business.”

He cocked his head and stepped closer. “Excuse me?”

Lilly held her calm demeanor as he approached. “Two things.” She lifted her chin. “One, you will never, ever touch me—or shall I say manhandle me?—again, like you did yesterday. Nor will you ever raise your voice to me—or my child—again.” She hadn’t intended to bring Leo into this, but suddenly, standing there looking at him, she realized if he could treat her with such disrespect, what kind of father would he be to her little boy?

You are doing the right thing, Lilly.

Max just stood there, waiting for her to finish. Frowning.

“And, two. Someone is looking for you. A man. He came to my house yesterday evening. He need not show up there again or I am calling the police—so fix whatever it is you need to fix, so he does not come back.”

He touched her forearm. “Lilly….”

She took two steps in the reverse, his hand falling. “Who is she?” Lilly nodded toward the bedroom.

He shrugged. “I don’t even remember her name.”

Lilly huffed and stepped away. “Goddamn bloody hell, Max!” She headed toward the exit. When her fingers found the doorknob and twisted, Max leaned against the door with force.

“Listen to me, Lilly.”

She glowered, her gaze meeting his. “No.”

“You have my son. We are connected, whether or not you want to be.”

Like hell, you bastard.“There are courts for that.”

“We’re not married, so we can work this out. C’mon, Lilly. I’ll move in with you. We can do all the things you want. I’ll take care of you and Leo. You’ll want for nothing. The only thing I ask is that I occasionally partake of a few liaisons of the sexual variety outside of our relationship. Harmless fun, really. Stress relief.”

Down time. Right-o.

To be honest, she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. “You mean that really works on women?”

He laughed, pushing away from the door. “Some women. It worked on my ex.”

“For a time, apparently.” Lilly didn’t mince words. “Well, it won’t work on me. I don’t need to be taken care of, Max. I have a job, money, a home, everything I need. And if I want sex? I can find it. I don’t need you for that, either. So, if you are proposing a deal here, my response is this—bloody fucking hell no.”

She twisted and pulled the doorknob and stepped out into the hallway.

Fucking wanker.

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