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“No, it was not while we were married.” I leave out the “not technically,” since Tucker and I did meet before either of us was divorced.
“So when? Are you doing this to get back at me?”
Gah! How many times is he going to ask me that stupid question?
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Bowie.” I sigh, then add, “Me and Tucker seeing each other has nothing to do with you or Naomie.”
“You know she’s still sleeping with him, right?” he prompts, and although I do not believe him, not even a little bit, just the thought of him with her makes my skin crawl. “You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true.”
“If you think that’s true, then why are you still seeing her?” I raise a brow.
“I told you before that it’s not serious between her and me.”
“You have her around our son,” I point out, because if I didn’t think what Tucker and I have could possibly go somewhere, there is no way I would have him around Kingston. And if he were a guy I was just banging, I would never bring him near my son.
“All right, then it’s complicated,” he says, and I shake my head at how ridiculous he sounds.
“How long are you staying?” I ask.
“Why?” His jaw clenches. “Do you want me to leave before he shows up?”
“I don’t care if you’re here or not when Tucker gets here. But if you’re sticking around for a few minutes, I’m going to finish getting dressed.”
“You want me to watch our son while you go get dressed to go on a date with another man?”
“Never mind. I’ll wait.” I walk past him and take a seat next to Kingston at the table, hoping he at least has it in him to keep quiet while our son is around.
“Go get dressed. I’ll sit with him,” he grumbles, coming to stand over me, and with another deep breath that does nothing to help with how annoyed I am, I get up without looking at him and walk to my room.
It doesn’t take me long to get dressed, since I’m just wearing jeans and a sweater, so when I’m done, I actually think about just hiding in my room and waiting for Tucker to arrive. That way, I don’t have to deal with Bowie. The constant questions are irritating, and even if I can understand why he’s curious, it bothers me that he expects me to answer them. Especially when he’s the one who set the rules for how we will address each other’s relationships going forward. And yeah, it might say something not so nice about me that I’m doing to him what I hated him doing to me, but I don’t care.
When I get back into the living room, Kingston is done eating, so I take his plate to the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher, busying myself in the kitchen while he and his dad hang out on the couch. Before long, there is a knock at the door, and I see Bowie look at me, then down the hall with his jaw tight.
I don’t bother checking the peephole when I reach the door. I open it, and in an instant, the tension in my body is released when my eyes connect with Tucker’s.
“Hi.” I step back to let him inside and drop my eyes to his hands. Like earlier today, they are clenched tight, like he’s holding himself back from touching me, and there is something about him doing that that makes me want his touch even more. “We’re ready. I just need to get my purse.”
I lead him into the living room, and when Kingston sees him, his face lights up, and he runs to Tucker and grabs his hand. With my breath held in the back of my throat, I watch my baby introduce Tucker to his dad, not knowing they have met. And although I can feel the air in the room get thick with tension, both men play it off for Kingston’s sake.
I grab my bag from the counter along with my cell, then usher Kingston to the front door to get on his shoes while both men follow us. After we get outside and I lock up, Kingston walks ahead with Bowie, and Tucker takes my hand.
“I’ll see you tomorrow after school,” Bowie tells Kingston, giving him a hug when we reach the end of the sidewalk, and I hate the reminder that he won’t be with me tomorrow. “Later.” His gaze comes to Tucker and me and pings back and forth between us.
“Later.” I hold out my free hand to Kingston, and he runs toward me and grabs it as I look up at Tucker. “We can take my car, since I have a car seat.”
“Do you have your keys?” I nod, getting them out of my bag, and he takes them from me. I don’t even ask if he’s going to drive. I’m pretty sure he would be offended if I told him he was sitting in the passenger seat. Actually, he might get physically ill just from the suggestion alone. Opening the back door for Kingston, I watch him buckle in, then I make sure he’s strapped in properly before I close it.
