Flinging open the front door, I found Ford standing there, key in his hand. Of course I had to bump into him on my way out. As if I could ever manage a clean getaway when Ford Malone was involved.
“Emzee,” he said, sounding pleasantly surprised.
“You,” I replied, practically spitting the word.
My eyes were tearing up, still burning with the image of Claudia sprawled across his sheets, that cruel, gloating smile of hers. A smile I knew all too well.
I didn’t care that Ford looked glad to see me—it was too little, too late for that.
When he’d said he needed space, cheating on me with his vile ex-girlfriend was the last thing I imagined he needed that space for.
At least I no longer felt guilty about what I’d done to him. As far as I was concerned, Ford’s actions only proved that I had made the right choice when I’d run away from Chicago. That not telling him about the baby, and yes, even forging his signature so we could get divorced, had been the right thing. I didn’t feel bad about any of it anymore, because Ford had just proven, without a doubt, that I couldn’t trust him.
All those sweet words about being in love with me and wanting us to be together and being unable to let me go, they had all been just that—words.Lies.
Ford didn’t want me. Not really. He only ever wanted what he couldn’t have, and so the second he was certain I’d make myself available to him again, just like I always had, he’d run right back into Claudia’s arms.
All my guilt over what I’d done evaporated completely.
Ford’s expression of happiness morphed into confusion as I pushed past him and stormed into the hallway.
“Em?”
I turned around.
“Fuck you,” I said, my voice cold as ice. “We’re done. We can fight about custody in court.”
Ford
Chapter 18
The slam of the door seemed to echo in my ears as I stood in the entryway of my apartment, wondering what the fuck had just happened.
I had no idea why Emzee had just run off like that, clearly pissed off at me and talking about future custody battles. What was even more frustrating was that I’d thought we were finally on the same page. After I got back to New York and spent some time alone trying to clear my head, I’d realized that I already knew exactly what I wanted. It was the same thing I’d been wanting for a while—her. I wanted to be with my best friend forever, for real. No fake relationship, no fake wedding, no fake marriage. I wanted us to build a life and a family together. I was determined to make it happen, no matter what it took. That’s what I’d been readying myself to tell her.
And instead I came home to…that.
What was she so angry about?
I’d told her I’d need some time to myself, and that she should reach out when she returned to Brooklyn. Had she been waiting for me to make the first move instead? Was it a miscommunication that had gotten blown out of proportion? Why was it always one step forward, two steps back with her lately? It was like I couldn’t get off her shit list no matter how hard I tried. Regardless, I wasn’t going to let another little tiff come between us. It was time for me to lay it all out. Spill my guts. Tell her how I really felt, and commit myself to her and the baby going forward. After today, we’d only be stronger.
I had to go after her.
Just as I was about to run out the door, the floor creaked behind me. I turned around, and what I saw stopped me in my tracks. There it was. There was the problem.
Fucking Claudia. In some ridiculous pink lace getup with a garter belt and strappy things hanging off it. She may as well have been naked for all it covered.
“Hello, lover,” she purred, crawling from the bedroom toward me on her hands and knees.
I knew she was trying to be seductive, but it had zero effect on me.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demanded.
Emzee’s response—the cussing and the door slamming—made perfect sense now.
Claudia was on her knees now, her lower lip, which was stained with a deep red lipstick, stuck out in a pout. “I’m here foryou,” she said.
“Funny, because I sure as hell didn’t invite you here,” I said, getting more irritated by the minute. “How did you even get in?”
