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He opened his mouth and closed it again. There weren’t the right words to make this better.
“You’re an asshole,” she hissed. “You’re so gutless you won’t even look at me.”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “And you’re right. I’m an asshole.” And she deserved better. So much more than a guy who couldn’t give her what she wanted. He needed to walk away for both their sakes.
“Okay then.” She stomped toward him. He stepped out of her way as she reached for the door handle, her expression frozen as her eyes turned to his. “I guess I’ll see you when I get back.”
He pulled his gaze away. It hurt too much to look at her. He nodded, but said nothing as she yanked the door open and stepped into the hall.
As the door slammed shut, he dropped his forehead to the wall, inhaling a ragg
ed breath as the pain of losing her throbbed through him.
He was an asshole. A jerk. And he definitely wasn’t good enough for her.
He’d done the right thing, so why did it hurt like hell?
27
Who knew it was possible to suffer from heartache while sitting around a sparkling blue pool in Hollywood Hills, watching your daughter play with her father as she giggled with glee?
Meghan shifted on her pool recliner, pulling her shades down over her eyes to hide the sadness. Isla called at her and she waved, painting a smile on her face.
“Dylan’s absolutely in love with her,” Natalie, Dylan’s fiancée said as he lifted Isla up and threw her over his shoulder. Isla squealed and started to splash him, making Dylan shake his wet hair at her, beads of chlorinated water flying all around them. “Thank you so much for agreeing to come here. It’s made him a happy man.”
It wasn’t exactly a hardship staying in a multi-million dollar house nestled into the tree lined slopes. Dylan’s housekeeper had made the guest suite up for Meghan and Isla. She’d cooed over the four poster bed with billowing white sheets and breathtaking view of the city, yet she still felt like she’d lost something so important to her.
“It’s made Isla happy, too,” Meghan said, watching her daughter swim underwater. She’d spent so much time in the pool since they’d arrived that Meghan joked she was turning into a mermaid. Isla had loved that idea.
“Can I ask you something?” Natalie asked, her English accent cutting through the warm air. She’d been nothing but welcoming to Isla and Meghan since they’d arrived, and Meghan appreciated her kindness. She was one of those beautiful English roses you read about in books, with her blonde hair and cool blue eyes, and pink lips that always seemed to be curled into a smile. She was successful in her own right, too. A screenwriter who was in demand in Hollywood.
“Shoot.” Meghan turned on her side and propped her chin on her hand.
“Why didn’t you sue Dylan for child support? He’s loaded. His money could have made your lives much easier.”
Meghan ran her tongue over her lips. “I didn’t need it. We’ve always been comfortable. I don’t have this kind of money…” she gestured at the pool and the two-story flat roofed modern house behind it. The windows were like mirrors in the afternoon sun, reflecting the beautiful vista of the city around them. “But I had more than enough. My grandmother left me a trust, and I’ve always made my own money.” Her thoughts drifted to the ice cream parlor. She’d ended up closing it for a week, rather than panic over staffing issues. She’d be back by the weekend, when the rush would be in full force. Until then, she’d survive.
“You’re my kind of woman,” Natalie said, her lips curling. “Who needs guys when you have girl power?” She lay her head back on her sun bed, smiling as Dylan climbed out of the pool, water dripping from his muscled torso. “Actually, scrap that. I do.”
Meghan smiled. It almost reached her eyes, though nobody could have seen it behind her dark lenses. Dylan walked over and kissed his fiancée’s cheek. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Girl power.” Natalie grinned at him.
Dylan wrinkled his nose. “Natalie grew up in London in the nineties. She was one of those kids obsessed by the Spice Girls. I keep trying to wash it out of her with some good American rock music, but she’s stubborn.”
“I loved the Spice Girls,” Meghan said. It was weird being here with the two of them, knowing that once upon a time she’d slept with Dylan. It didn’t seem to bother Natalie though. Or Dylan, for that matter.
There was zero chemistry between her and Dylan anyway. He was a nice, slightly scatterbrained guy, who seemed genuinely regretful that he’d neglected his daughter for so long. Meghan was almost certain it wasn’t just an act to impress his fiancée either.
“I’m gonna grab a drink. Can you keep an eye on Isla?” He nodded at the pool.
Meghan smiled, because that was her line. She’d have to get used to sharing her daughter. “I got it.”
He went inside, and Isla started swimming again, grabbing a float and climbing onto it.
“Do you have a guy back home?” Natalie asked her, sitting up to sip her soda.
Meghan pulled her lip between her teeth. Rich had barely been out of her mind since their argument on Sunday. For the last few days she’d checked her phone constantly, expecting an apology, an explanation… something.
