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“Hello, Elodie,” I say. “Is Jean-Pierre home?”
“He is,” his mother says and calls him. She turns back to me. “We miss you. And little Ava.”
“We miss you, too,” I say.
Of all the people I had in my life when Jean-Pierre and I were dating, his mother is the one person I’m sad to have lost. I wanted to keep a friendship with her, but with Jean-Pierre living with her, it’s not possible. She was wonderful from the start, and when Jean-Pierre and I broke up, she was understanding about it.
Footsteps sound, and a moment later, Jean-Pierre opens the door wider. Elodie leaves us to it.
“What are you doing here?” he asks. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.”
“I don’t.”
“Come on,mon amour, you can’t—”
“Stop calling me that,” I snap. “I’m here to tell you to back off. Noah and I are serious. He’s Ava’s father. If you keep doing this, I’m going to call the police.”
“No, you won’t,” he says. He crosses his arms over his chest and widens his stance. His smile is cocky, arrogant. “Come on,mon—Raven. It’s me.”
“I’m not kidding,” I say. “You didn’t do enough at first for me to have a case, but you did now. I’ve been keeping track of all the times you’ve done something, and I’ll get a restraining order against you if you won’t listen.”
He clenches his jaw, eyes flashing in anger.
“You can’t tell me he makes you happy.”
“He does.”
“What does he have that I don’t?”
“I don’t have the time to list it all.” At the insult, anger flickers across his face. “But I’m here to tell you once and for all, stay out of my life. We were something, once. But you have no say over either of us, now. And I’m happy. If you care about us at all, then let us go and let us be happy.”
Jean-Pierre narrows his eyes. “We had something, you know.”
“Yeah, we did. Once upon a time. But things change. Sometimes, good things end.”
“Your relationship with him will end, too. I know you, Raven. You’re too scared to be loved. You’re too chicken to make anything work.”
I bristle at that, but I don’t fall for the bait. He wants a fight, and I’m not going to give it to him.
“Maybe,” I say, forcing myself to stay calm. “But he’s a chance I’m willing to take. And whether it ends or not, it has nothing to do with you. You can’t afford a restraining order on your name, not with your business.”
I’ve got him there. Jean-Pierre relies on his image to the public.
“Fine,” he finally says. “But you’re making a mistake.”
I don’t answer him.
“Goodbye, Jean-Pierre,” I say instead and turn away from him.
When I climb into my car, relief washes over me. I needed to get that off my chest. I needed him to know that I’m not going to let him mess with me anymore. I was a pushover for a long time, thinking I wasn’t worth being treated right. But that’s different, now. I’m worth a hell of a lot more than Jean-Pierre sees when he looks at me, and he needs to get the hell out of my life so I can move forward and be happy.
I put the car in drive and head toward the apartment. Because Iamhappy. Happier than I’ve ever been.
When I stop in my parking spot in front of the apartment, I glance up. The kitchen lights are on. I text Noah that I’m back at the apartment and head up to start making supper.
They get back a short while later.
“Mommy!” Ava cries and runs to me to give me a hug. “What are we eating?”
