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“Did you find her?” I ask Michelle when I talk to her on the way home after dropping Ava off at daycare.
“Yeah, I did. I’m seeing her tomorrow,” Michelle says.
I asked her to find Noah’s sister. I don’t know how she did it, but I’m glad she did. Natalie needs this job, and I think she might be able to pull it off. She works so hard, and Kylie could do with a mother who’s more available.
If anyone gets it, it’s me.
The past few weeks haven’t been easy. I keep thinking about Noah. I try to keep him from my mind, but when I’m not actively avoiding thinking about him, he creeps in and I find myself remembering something he said or did, a smile on my face.
Pain and sorrow always follow it, and I hate it.
Only time will heal the wounds I created when I let him into my life again, only to leave. I don’t know how much time—I was hoping it would be better by now.
My phone rings. When I see Jean-Pierre’s name on my caller ID, I groan. I don’t want to talk to him, but I answer. The asshole hasn’t left me alone since I came back from the States. He keeps calling me.
“What is it, Jean-Pierre?” I ask. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“Because one of these days, you’re going to realize how much you miss me, and then I’ll be right here when you thought I would be gone.”
“That’s not happening. Why won’t you just stop? I’m not interested.”
“Come on, Raven,” he says. The way my name rolls of his French tongue used to be irresistible. Now, I cringe when he says it. “Why must you be so stubborn? You’re my girl. And I miss Ava. It’s not fair of you to keep her away from me. Just give me a chance, you’ll see. Everything will be different this time.”
“No, it won’t.”
“Let me talk to you in person. We can figure this out.”
“I’m not interested,” I say. “I have to go.”
I end the call before he can respond, and I toss my phone onto the passenger seat. I let out a frustrated groan. He’s not doing enough to be a legal threat, but he’s so damn irritating, and I’m sick and tired of his antics.
I park at the apartment and run up to get a stack of files from my home office to take to work with me. Michelle and I need to go over other employee options and ads if the interview with Natalie doesn’t work out, and I want to prepare before our video call tomorrow.
I’m in the office, looking for my files, when I hear a knock on the front door.
“Who’s there?” I ask and walk to the door. I didn’t buzz anyone up, but the door into the building doesn’t always shut right and delivery men often walk in without knowing where they’re headed.
When I open the door, Jean-Pierre stands there, grinning at me. His hair is longer than it was when I saw him last—shoulder-length now and combed back. He wears the tacky leather jacket he always insists on, and he smells like smoke.
“Oh, no,” I say and push the door shut again. But Jean-Pierre is quicker than I am and puts his foot in the door so it can’t shut so I can dead-bolt it. He’s stronger than I am and pushes the door open despite my leaning against it.
When he’s in the apartment, I step away from the door.
He looks around and breathes in deeply.
“You’ve always made a place so homey.”
“Leave, Jean-Pierre,” I say, my voice hard.
“Don’t do this,mon amour,” he says in a smooth voice. “Please, let’s just try again. I want you in my life. I miss you. And Ava.” He cranes his neck to look down the hallway. “Where is she?”
“She’s not here,” I say tightly.
Jean-Pierre knocks his head with the heel of his hand. “Of course, she’s at school. I forget you need somewhere to put her now that you don’t have me to help out.”
I clench my jaw. “If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.”
“And say what to them? My name is still on the lease,mon amour.I have every right to be here.”
