"Twenty-three missed calls are in your phone, that’s how many times I’ve called you."
Rome didn't even look at the screen. "I seen 'em."
"You saw them?" She laughed with one brow raised, looking more disgusted than amused. "And you still ignored every last one."
"I been busy."
"Busy?"
Her eyes flicked toward me for the first time before landing right back on him. "You got time to play house, but you don’t have five minutes to call me back after I went to the doctor?"
Rome clenched his jaws. "I said I'll handle the bill."
"When?" She snapped.
"When I get to it."
"No." She took one step closer. "You gone handle it now."
The little girl tugged gently on Ashley's hand. "Mommy..."
Ashley looked down for a split second and rubbed her daughter on top of her head without taking her eyes off Rome. I then realized this wasn't a woman trying to embarrass him. This was a woman who'd gotten tired of waiting on his ass. Rome took another step toward Ashley, putting just enough space between the two of us that whatever he said next wouldn't too many people wouldn’t hear, including me but too bad Ashley wasn't interested in whispering.
"You really gone stand here and keep acting like I'm bothering you?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "That's what we doing now?"
"I told you I'll call you."
"You don’t gotta call me."
His frowned. "What?"
"I said..." she repeated, speaking slower this time. "You don't have to call me."
For the first time since she'd walked into the store, she smiled the kind of smile people wore after they'd already made up their mind about something. "I already know where you live."
Rome's expression became darker. "What the fuck that supposed to mean?"
"It mean exactly what I said."
"You threatening me Ashley? I promise you don’t know me like you think you do." He warned.
Ashley laughed softly and shook her head. "I don't have to threaten you, Rome. I gave you every opportunity to handle this behind closed doors, so I’ll let child support handle it." She looked him dead in his face. "You ignored me."
"Like I said, I been busy and I don’t owe you shit."
"No,” she said. "You've been hiding."
"I don't hide from nobody."
"Really?" She took one slow step toward him until they were damn near nose to nose.
"You got about five seconds to leave me the fuck alone,” he told her again. Me watching him hold his composure was crazy since I knew firsthand he probably wanted to break her jaw right here, right now.
Ashley didn't move. "Or what?"
"I ain't gone tell you again."
"And I ain't either."
