Page 135 of Make Me Trust Again
“Well, I’m in a hurry,” John snarls. “I’ve got places to be.”
I bet you are.
John’s gaze darts over my shoulder. “Is he ready?”
He’s a mess. There are dark circles under his eyes, a light layer of stubble covering his jaw as if he hadn’t shaved in days.
“Kyle’s grabbing his stuff. He’ll be out in a moment.”
“Of course, he can’t even be ready on time.”
The snide comment has my shoulders stiffening. “Do you really have to be such an asshole?”
John’s head snaps in my direction, his eyes throwing daggers at me. “If I were you, I’d watch your mouth.”
“Or what?” I clench my jaw. I’m so done with being his punching bag, especially since I’m not the one who’s done anything wrong. “I don’t get what the point is in all of this; you clearly don’t want to be here or want to spend time with Kyle. You have your shiny, perfect new family to keep you occupied, so why not just give up? Do you seriously enjoy hurting your son like this?”
John moves closer to me, his hard body brushing against mine as he looms over me, a lazy smile spreading over his lips. “Jealous, wife?”
Of course, that’s the part he’s focusing on. However, the truth is, the only thing I felt when I saw him with Lucy was anger. Anger because he was out with her and her son as if they were his family. Anger because he looked at our son and turned his head as if he wasn’t there. Anger when he went one step further and embraced the other boy as if he was his own. At that moment, I genuinely hated him for what he was doing to our son, and yet, I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do to protect him from this heartbreak.
John lifts his hand and slides his fingers over my chin. The hair at my nape rises at his touch, a shudder of unease running down my spine, so I push it away and tilt my chin back. I refuse to cower down in front of him any longer. “Of what? Your side piece? I don’t care about you or her. Do whatever the hell you want now that we’re divorced. But what I care about is you ignoring your son in public and making him feel embarrassed.”
“Maybe if you gave me a normal son, I wouldn’t need to do it.”
Hot boiling rage courses through me at his cruel words. My hand rises, but John’s faster, his fingers wrapping around my wrist as he cackles. “Careful, Rose. Your temper is showing.”
“You’re such a piece of shit, John.”
“And you’re still stuck with me.”
I grind my teeth at him, tugging my hand out of his grasp, but he only tightens his hold. “Let go of me.”
“But I thought you wanted this.”
I pull harder, my skin burning from his strong grip. He’s enjoying it, the asshole.
The sound of rushing footsteps is followed by a low growl as Teddy slips out onto the porch.
John takes a step back immediately, dropping my hand as if it burned him, his attention going to the dog. “What the fuck’s that?”
“That’s Teddy,” Kyle says as he rushes to the dog and wraps his arms around him. The dog shifts slightly, not once moving his attention from John. “We got him at the shelter.”
The vein in John’s forehead throbs visibly as he grinds out, “I told you that I don’t want rats in my house.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing that he’sourdog, and he’ll be staying atourhome.” I tap the side of my leg, like I’ve seen Chase do. “Teddy, come.”
Teddy keeps his attention on John for a second longer, but then he comes to me.
John’s eyes narrow at me before he snaps his finger and points at the car. “Let’s get going. I’ve already wasted enough time.”
My stomach churns with unease. Kyle glances at me, and I can see his throat bob. He withdraws into himself visibly in front of my eyes, his eyes losing all of their spark.
I curl my fingers, digging my nails into my palms, and focus on that pain as I put my mask in place and crouch down in front of Kyle, kissing the top of his head.
Just a few days, okay? I’ll see you soon.
Kyle nods silently, but there is no conviction on his face. His arms wrap around my middle, hugging me tightly. When he pulls back, he does the same to Teddy before getting to his feet.
