Page 53 of Grumpy Ex's Secret Baby

I thought Camille was going to launch herself over the desk at him. Her face was bright red as she slammed the paperwork down on the corner of his desk.

Before Drew could launch into another argument with Camille, I stood up and moved between the two, facing her.

“I’ll make whatever statement you need me to make, but I’m not going to sit here and listen to you two tear each other new ones. Have a little professionalism.”

With that said, I walked out the door and headed down the street to call for a cab. Though I had only been in the office for a few hours, I was ready for a break and wanted to see my sister. It had been too long since we had last been together—her visit to come figure out what was happening between Haley and I not included.

***

“What are you doing here?” Leigh asked as I walked into the home that she and Clarke shared. “It’s a long drive from the city. Are you out of your mind? I could have met you there.”

“I missed you too,” I said, pulling her into a tight hug.

Leigh laughed and hugged my back before stepping away. “You know, Haley called me not that long ago. She told me that she sent you packing, and now there’s a horde of men who might be killers following her around.”

I shrugged. “I did what I had to do to keep her safe.”

“What else has been happening?” Leigh asked as she led the way into her kitchen. “You look like you’ve been run over about a thousand times.”

“Well, I bought a ring, and as much as I want to give it to her, I don’t think now is the right time.”

“Now is most definitely not the right time. You need to slow down a little. Let her have some control in the relationship. Her entire life has been spinning out of control since the day you walked back into it, and even before then, she and Trinity were adjusting to life in a new home.”

I groaned and dropped down into one of her barstools. “I know you’re right. I just hate feeling helpless like this.”

Leigh smirked and held out her phone, hitting the record button. “Can you tell me I’m right again? I need evidence.”

I laughed and shoved her hand away, shaking my head. “I don’t know what to do.”

Leigh turned off the recording and put her phone in her pocket. “I can’t tell you what to do either, but I know you love them. Just give them some time and some space to work through this.”

I sighed and looked at Leigh, rolling my eyes. “When did you get to be the smarter sibling?”

“I’ve always been the smarter sibling. Now, what do you say I break out the ice cream, and we watch those shitty war movies you like?”

I grinned and tossed my suit jacket onto another barstool before rolling up my sleeves.

As much as I wanted to go back home and make everything right with Haley, she didn’t want to see me right now. She wanted her distance, and I was going to give it to her.

For the next month, I was going to spend time with my family and friends while I tried to figure out how she and I would ever work together.

21

HALEY

Twoweeksofendlessquestions from Trinity was getting old.

What I was afraid of had happened. She had gotten attached to Tyson, and then when I made him leave, she was left wondering where he went. Most days, there would be at least five questions before breakfast about where he was and when he was coming back.

It didn’t matter how many times I told her that he loved her and would be coming back soon. She still wanted to know where he was and why he had left.

“Momma,” Trinity said as she walked into the kitchen holding her doll. “Where is Ty?”

“He’ll be back soon,” I said as I flipped a toaster waffle onto a plate and put it down at her little dining table. “He had to go to work, but when he’s done, he’ll come back.”

She sat down in her chair and dropped the doll, grabbing her waffle and taking a bite. “I miss him.”

“I know, honey,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I miss him too, but Uncle Bret is going to be here soon to play with you.”

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