Page 24 of The Biggest Secret
He stares at me. I say, “Your sister,” and he says, “My sister,” at the same time. It elicits a small smile as he takes a sip to cover it up.
My feet have moved me to the island across from him and I spot a glass of wine on the counter.
“This for me?” He nods and I furrow my brows. “How’d you know?”
“My sister shot me a text but failed to mention that she gave you the code. She told me not to be an asshole and to listen.” Then a smirk. “And not to stare.”
I frown but reply, “She told me the same.” Then I catch his ‘stare’ comment as he’s blatantly staring at my chest. I was in such a hurry to get over here I didn’t bother putting on a bra. My tank is clearly see-through and I’m showing every goosebump raised on my body. I cross my arms quickly, trying to cover myself and turn from him.
“Don’t hide yourself from me. I’ve seen it all already.”
I turn back slowly, catching his eyes which he drags back to mine, still with that smirk our son has now inherited.
“Yes, you have. But it’s been a long time. Things have... changed.” I’ve never been ashamed of my body, but since having Dominic, I’m not the fresh young hot body I used to be. I’ve accepted and even love theextra pounds and stretch marks that show the life I created, but someone else may not feel the same.
Can you be attracted to someone you hate?
“Too long,” he says under his breath, but I catch it.
I reach for the glass.
“This isn’t a trap, right? I won’t get handcuffed and thrown into a van when I reach for this glass? Seems how a mom might get kidnapped around here.”
He scoffs. “It’s like you never left.”
“No?”
He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he walks past me and into the living room.
“Come sit,” he commands as he leans back in an oversized chair. He takes another pull from his drink, swallows, and lays his head against the back of the chair and sighs.
I take another drink but leave my glass and sit across from him on the sofa. His legs are long and solid. He’s gained muscle since I’ve seen him. He’s always been good-looking, but the added years and muscle have turned him into a man.
And I missed the change.
He picks his head up and looks to me with wonder. “Can I ask questions? I mean, can you tell me about him? Dominic? I don’t know anything about him,” his voice trails off.
I clear my throat. “Of course.” I begin again, still getting stuck. “He’s eighteen months old.” I watch him as he’s clearly trying to calculate time. “He was born a week early and was still almost nine pounds.” I grimace, still feeling that delivery. “He sleeps through the night, likes bananas and chocolate together, loves to play with his race cars…” I let my words linger as Adam’s face takes on a strange haze and he looks away from me. “Is that not what you want to know?”
He looks at me again, scrubbing his hand over his face again. “No, I… I mean, yes, I want to know that stuff.” He shrugs. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to know, or not know. I’m trying here, CJ. I just—I’m sorry for yelling. And storming out earlier,” he sighs. “We really made a mess of things huh?” His use of the word ‘we’ catches meoff guard.
“We?”
“Yes, Chels, I’m taking responsibility here too. My sister reminded me it takes two to fuck things up.”
I chuckle. “She always did have a way with words.”
He grins but then grows solemn.
“What happened to us?” I ask.
“You left.”
“You left me, too!”
“I had a family to take care of.”
“And what was I?”
