Page 77 of Summer Heat
I didn't want to believe that she could walk away so easily from what we'd shared. But I didn't have any evidence to the contrary.
Maybe if I stepped up my game, if I was more romantic or more loving, she'd see what we had and how hard it would be to live apart.
"Are you ready to go to your dad's?" Kinsley asked Maya when we walked inside.
I forgot it was her weekend to be with him. I hated when she left.
"Can you help me pack?" Maya asked.
"After dinner. Now eat." Kinsley set the small table in the kitchen, and we dug in.
When I finally took a break, I leaned back and said, "That was delicious."
Kinsley shrugged. "It's just lasagna."
"What do you think, Maya?"
"It's good," she said simply, which was high praise from her.
We finished eating and started to clean up when the doorbell rang.
"That's Derek, and we haven't packed. Can you get the door?" Kinsley asked as she ushered Maya upstairs.
I didn't want to open the door for her ex, but I didn't have a choice. I didn't think she'd like it if I left him outside to fend for himself.
I smiled, thinking about whether he'd go away if no one answered the door.
Instead, I opened it and tried to pull myself together. I could be the adult in this situation. "Maya's packing. Want to come inside?"
The house smelled like marinara and melted cheese. There were toys strewn about the first floor, which Kinsley worried about but I enjoyed. It meant that someone lived here. A family. One I didn't want to let go of.
Derek stepped inside. "This is a nice house."
"A family home. You know how it is," I said matter-of-factly when I was positive he had no idea what I was talking about.
"You inherited it or something?"
"Or something," I said, feeling the need to be cryptic. I didn't owe this guy anything. Especially not the little girl I'd come to care so much about.
His jaw set. "I heard you've been filming the renovations with my daughter."
That was something we hadn't even thought about. What if Derek didn't want her filmed? I was fairly positive Kinsley was the one who was tasked with making decisions regarding their daughter, but I wasn't entirely sure how that worked. "It was something fun we did."
"I don't know if I like her hanging out with someone like you."
The someone like you zapped through my chest, causing more destruction in its wake than I liked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
His nose crinkled. "Everyone knows you're a player."
"Isn't that a concern for Kins, not Maya?" I'd stepped in for Maya when he hadn't. He had no business criticizing me in that role. But I had a feeling he was jealous about my relationship with Kinsley.
His eyes widened at the shortened nickname, but I didn't feel the need to explain myself or the nature of our relationship. I should talk to Kinsley about that before her ex.
He raised an indignant brow. "You think it's a good idea for a little girl to have her own streaming channel?"
That made me pause. "I don't know much about social media, but I'm fairly sure it's Kingston Construction's channel, not Maya's."
Maya jogged down the stairs and did her usual jump, this time from the third step.
