Page 3 of My Ex’s Dad

I choke on my breath. “What?”

“If you ever put out and satisfied him, he wouldn’t have been so lonely.” She shrugs one shoulder, tipping her chin up as she owns her betrayal.

“Liliana.” Roman stands, done with tugging his pants on. “It’s not what it looks like.”

I suck in another strangled breath, incredulous. “It looks like you had your dick inside another woman. It looks to me that you’re cheating with my best friend!” All my gloomy thoughts burn away, replaced by a rage I can’t even try to control. “Don’t tell me what this looks like, Roman. I can see with my own eyes!”

He sighs, like I’m the problem here. Walking toward me, he rubs his chin and glances back at Maeve for a second. “It’s just this one time. All right? We just⁠—”

“You betrayed me,” I shoot back, too fed up with him, with this day, with how lousy this supposedly new year was shaping up to be. “Both of you.” I aim my finger at them as if they need the emphasis.

“One time. It’s just this one time,” Roman starts again, following me as I hurry toward the bedroom. The bedroom where “our” bed is a mess.

“Oh, one time, huh?” I fling my hand at the bed.

He opens and closes his mouth, but it’s the absence of sincere remorse on his face that guts me.

“It doesn’t matter how many times it’s been. You cheated.” I slash my arm through the air. “And I’m done.” Without sparing him another look, I rush to the closet for the first bag I can find.

“What?” Now I’m getting a reaction out of him. He reaches for my hand, a scowl on his face when I jerk out of his reach. “You’re done? You think you get to say when we’re over?”

“You decided that we’re over. The second you fucked my best friend was the end,” I snarl at him and rush to grab my things.

“Just because I make one mistake⁠—”

“Don’t lie to me!” I growl. Shaking my head, I try to tune him out. This red-hot anger fills me with an urgency to sprint from this shock. So much for peace and quiet to think and plan. So much for counting on anyone to hear me out and help me through this dilemma about keeping the bakery alive.

“Hey!” He tries to block me at the door, but I shove him away. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I pull up to a stop and get in his face. “I’m not staying here!”

He scoffs, crossing his arms. “You think you can just get up and go? Walk away from me like that?” He snaps his fingers and smirks. “You’re ready to walk away from us?”

I glower at him then narrow my eyes at Maeve, who’s failing to hide a grin as she still sits naked on the couch, like she’s thriving on this drama. “Yeah. I’m ready. There is no more us.”

Shaking his head slowly, he gives me a once-over. Unlike the creep on the subway, Roman pierces me with a look of disdain. “Then go. It’s not like you were ever good enough for me, anyway.”

Spikes of heat hit me, ramping up my anger. My blood rushes faster, and my head aches with too much tension from all the stress of the day.

“You weren’t,” Maeve adds from the background.

It’s one thing for him to cheat on me. But my best friend? I gape at her for a second. “And you think you are?” I step back around Roman. “Enjoy my sloppy seconds, Maeve. Maybe he’ll figure out how to actually make a woman come since you’re so easy.”

She gasps and Roman follows me. “You lying bitch. I know—I can—” He growls again, spluttering for a comeback. “Don’t blame me for how bad it was. It was a fucking chore trying to ever make you come. You’re so fat and frigid, I deserve a motherfucking medal for trying with you!”

“Whatever you say, Roman.” I don’t look back, giving him the last word in that patronizing tone he’s never liked—the one that implies he’s too simple, too young, to get it.

“Don’t mock me,” he warns, reaching for my hand.

I wrench it free and grab the doorknob. “Don’t touch me.”

His face tightens again. “If you go out that door, don’t plan on coming back. Ever again.”

I laugh once, yanking the door open. He thinks I’m bluffing.

“Liliana, I mean it,” he growls. “No one gets to walk away from me.” He stabs a finger at his chest.

I smile slightly with all the ugliness of anger. “Watch me.”