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I turned away. “You’re his father. You get to choose.”
“Clearly, I don’t.”
“Why do you have to say it like that?”
He shook his head, chugged the rest of his beer, and crumpled the can. After tossing it into the bin, he shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m tired.”
“Rest is in order.”
“No, I thought I’d go for a jog instead, Galanthia.”
It had been a while since I had glowered at him. “What has gotten into you? The night was fine. Dinner was fantastic. Are you angry because I put Leo to bed?”
“You could have asked first.”
“You could have said something.”
He threw his hands up. “Fine. I should have said something. You win. Are you happy about it now?”
“Why is it always like this with you?”
“Like what?”
Retreat!
Directives from my superiors echoed through my mind as my flight response urged me to abandon my station.
All soldiers must retreat!
Both hands met the table. Sturdy ground was what my soul craved. This foundation was entirely unmanageable, a fault line on which the house would crumble with enough earthquakes.
Couldn’t Xavier see that we had built our lives on these false pretenses? He wanted a mother for his child, but he didn’t want it to be me. He just wanted me around long enough for him to satiate his lust.
His brows knotted up. “Where are you going?”
The audacity of that question sent me chortling to the door. “I’m sure you can infer plenty from my actions.”
“Are you ditching me again?”
“I can’t ditch someone who already decided they prefer my absence.”
Streetlamps waited for me beyond the door. Behind me towered a leaden prison in which I knew I would lose myself. Xavier had no clue what he wanted. While I empathized with that, I didn’t find it fair that he was toying with me while he sorted it out. Uncertainty had been a common thread between us. Perhaps it was time to bury it.
Even if it hurt.
Chapter 21 - Xavier
One Week Later
Bethany crouched next to me to adjust the teacups on the tray. “You sure you don’t need anything, Xavier?”
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
She was hovering again. She’d been doing it all week, ever since news had broken out about Galanthia stomping away from my house the night of our dinner.
Something about seeing Galanthia put my child to bed had irked me. Like I couldn’t really do it myself or something.
Or something.
