“Well, if you ever want to pick up some extra cash…” She trailed off, scanning the yard. “I’m sure we could come to an arrangement.”
Surely, she wasn’t implying what I thought she was…right?
When someone called her name, she waved and headed that direction. But not before glancing over her shoulder with a seductive grin that made my stomach turn. “Just think about it.”
I turned, only to discover Alexis watching me, her jaw tight. Of course, she’d seen the entire thing. I let out a deep sigh and tried to go over to her, but Cal intercepted me.
“Alexis sure knows how to throw a party.” He sipped his beer.
“Yep.” I tried to move past him, but he kept talking, his eyes on the pool where Sophia and her friends were sitting on the edge, watching the “mermaid” perform.
“You know, Sophia breaking her wrist worked out even better than I could’ve planned.”
“What?” I jerked my head back, feeling as if he’d slapped me.
“Yeah, well, with Alexis under so much stress, of course she’d turn to me for support. And who better to console her, who better to understand the pain she feels as a parent, than the father of her child.” God, his tone and his entire expression made me sick. He was such a fraud.
“Wow.” My mouth slackened as I tried to wrap my head around what he’d said. “Sophia deserves so much better. Alexis, too.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “And you think you’re it, huh?” He scoffed, leaning forward and lowering his voice. “You’ve been here—what? All of two months? And you suddenly think you’re an expert?”
“I’m not an expert,” I said. “But at least I’m here. I’m present day in and day out, which is more than I can say for you.”
“You’re paid to be here,” he sneered.
I clenched my fists, my body tensing as if for a fight. “It’s not about the money.”
He barked out a laugh, crossing his tattooed arms over his chest. “It’s not, huh?”
I shook my head. “I love Sophia, and I would love her whether I was paid to or not.”
“Ilove her,” he ground out.
“Then show her,” I said. “You don’t realize how much she craves your attention, your affection. And you don’t see how disappointed she is when you don’t call. Or how hard it is on Alexis to make excuses for you.”
“And who disappointed her yesterday, huh?” He jabbed my chest with his finger, and it took everything in me not to snap it off his hand. “Who let her down?”
I gnashed my teeth. He had no idea how terrible I felt about that.
“I was…”
“Yeah. Yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “‘Visiting a friend.’ Here’s a little piece of advice.” He leaned in, close enough for me to smell his aftershave. “I was here long before you, and I will be here long after. I was—and always will be—Sophia’s father.”
He didn’t deserve the title, and my blood boiled with rage. Why could a piece of shit like Cal be a father, and someone like Sam not have that opportunity? Sam would make an amazing dad, given the chance. Yet he was fighting for his life, and his fertility was shot. The more I thought about it—the unfairness of it all—the angrier I got.
But Cal wasn’t done. He tapped a finger to his lips. “I think the question now is…how long will it take me to get back with Alexis? And should I sleep with your little friend Kate to tide me over in the meantime?”
That’s it.
I reared my arm back and punched him square in the nose. He didn’t see it coming and stumbled backward. As I shook out my hand, I felt everyone’s eyes on us, watching us. And a sick feeling pooled in my gut, only growing worse when I saw Sophia staring at the two of us, eyes wide.
What had I done?
Cal took a few steps back, covering his nose with his hand. But I saw what no one else did—the sparkle in his eyes, the smirk, that told me he’d played me. And I’d done exactly what he’d hoped I would.
Fuck.
Chapter Twenty-Three
