Page 36 of Grumpy Ex's Secret Baby

“What do you mean by other toys? You shouldn’t have any other toys for her because she’s not going to be staying over at your home anytime soon.”

I took a deep breath as Haley started pacing. She was insufferable at times, but a part of me had always been attracted to the fire in her. Right now, when she was fuming, it was no exception.

“I bought her toys for when she comes over to my house. I was thinking that you could come over, and she could pick out her room. There’s one I think she’d like, but I don’t want to start building everything until she’s decided.”

Haley stopped in her tracks and spun to face me. Her face was bright red as she stared at me. If looks could kill, I would already be dead. She looked like she wanted to turn me inside out and bury me six feet deep.

“No,” Haley said, shaking her head. “You’re pushing too far and too fast. What the hell makes you think we can jump from one trip to the zoo to her moving in with you? It’s not happening.”

“I didn’t say she’d be moving in with me. I know that her home is with you, and I’m not going to upset her routine, even if I think it would be a good idea for you guys to move in with me because of this stalker situation.”

“Absolutely not,” Haley said, shaking her head. “No way in hell.”

“Think about it, Haley. It makes sense. I already have a good security system and connections that can help us.”

“Go to hell,” she muttered before spinning away from me.

She paced back and forth across the yard, her hands linked behind her head as she stared up at the clouds. If I had known that this was going to be this big of a deal, I wouldn’t have brought any of it up.

“Haley, I’m making a place for her in my life. I’m showing you that I want her to have her own place in my home, even though she isn’t staying there. I’m trying to do everything I can to show you that I want her in my life, and it’s still not good enough for you.”

I looked around and saw Bret standing in one of the windows. He grinned at me and gave me a thumbs-up. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Haley, not bothering to point out that her friend and likely all the neighbors were watching the show.

“I’m pissed that you think you need to buy things for her,” Haley said, some of the venom finally leaving her voice.

“I don’t think that I need to. I know you can buy things for her, but I wanted to buy for her things for my house.”

“And that’s another thing. Why do you assume that she’s ever going to be allowed over at your house?”

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “Haley, this is ridiculous. One day Trinity is going to be over at my house. She should have a place of her own.”

Haley scowled at me. She looked at the electric car as if it could give her more energy to keep fighting.

I wasn’t sure this would ever work between us at that moment. I thought that showing her I was making a place for Trinity in my life would have been a good thing. Instead, she was acting like I was going to rip our daughter out of her arms and never let her see Trinity again.

“What do you want from me?” I asked her, exhausted from the constant back and forth.

“I want to know what I’m supposed to do and how I’m supposed to feel about all of this massive shit storm that we’re going through.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know any more than you do.”

“That’s why this is so difficult,” she said. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “Alright. We’re not moving in with you. It’s not happening. That’s too much, and it will upset Trinity’s routine, and I don’t know what that will do to the kid.”

“Fine,” I said, knowing that she was right. “Then, at least let me pay to have the best security system I can get installed for you.”

Haley bit her bottom lip. I crossed the distance between us, pulling her into my arms. “You’re not alone anymore, Hales. Let me help with this.”

“Fine,” she said as she melted into my embrace. “You can help with that, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to have Trinity pick out a place at your house yet, either. She’s going to get confused.”

“I’m not returning everything I bought for her.”

“I know,” Haley said, pressing herself closer to me. “I just can’t do this…it’s too fast.”

“Then what do you want to do with the car? Even though Bret’s been watching us, I haven’t seen Trinity appear in the window once.”

“Can we put it in the garage for now? I’ll give it to her later today, but I need to be in a better headspace before then.”

“Okay,” I said, pulling away from her and picking up the car. I carried it into the garage only to find her following me.

---