TIFFIN 3

94

Guilt ran through me as we waited for the ambulance. As a team, Jo and I had decided that it had been best to not move Chad.

I couldn't tell whether Hero had broken a bone, but I was willing to bet that he'd done his damnedest. 

I stared down at the bruised mess of a man on the ground, shaking my head, though he probably couldn't see me through his swollen lids. 

"What on earth were you thinking?"

"He was thinking that he wanted a death wish." 

My head swiveled towards Hero, who looked anything but remorseful.

He stared at me from under his thick lashes, his hands resting in the pockets of his jeans. 

Damn this man. He looked so fucking good right now and he knew it. 

I wanted nothing more than to yank him to me and let him take me against the fridge and... 

No. I couldn't. Not only was this my best friend's house but he had some explaining to do. I was still pissed at his behavior and he needed to learn that I wasn't about to give in at the drop of a hat. 

No matter how much it hurt to turn him away. 

"I can't do this right now." I mumbled.

"Can't do what?" Hero snapped. "I don't know why you're trying so hard to protect this piece of shit." 

"That piece of shit is family." I pointed out. "You nearly killed him. I don't know what's gotten into you." 

He advanced on me, causing me to retreat a step. 

"Shit." He cursed. "I won't fucking hurt you. You know that better than anyone. He put his damn hands on you. No one touches what's mine." 

I glared. 

"How many times do I have to tell you: you don't own me. When we married each other, I never promised to obey and be some meek submissive." 

Hero clenched his teeth. 

"What? Did you like him kissing you like he did? Did you miss your date that bad? Making up for lost time?" 

I gasped, shocked that he would suggest such a thing. 

"Of course not. The entire time he was flirting with me and begging for a second chance, I let him know that I was happy enough with my husband." 

"Happy enough?" He snarled. "Are you sure that's how you felt?" 

I didn't know what to say. Certainly it was possible that I hadn't verbally expressed that I was happy with Hero and wanted nothing to do with Chad, but I hadn't encouraged him either. 

"What do you want from me?" I whispered.

He fixed me with a steely stare. 

"I want you to be honest with me. Ever since I returned, things have changed. You're not the person I left mere months ago." 

I narrowed my eyes. 

"You want to talk about honesty, frat boy? What about your sudden attitude change? What about you texting your molester and not telling me? How about you acting like a jerk after you spent time with that.." 

I couldn't finish my sentence. It hurt too much to think about the perfect bimbo he had on his arm. 

Hero sighed, drawing out a long breath. 

"I didn't even reply to Diedre. Check my phone. I don't fucking care. And that bitch from the park... She meant nothing." 

I scoffed. 

"So you claim. You've asked about whether I missed Chad. What about you? Did you miss your glory days of nailing anyone you could?" 

When he didn't answer, I laughed. 

"See? You don't deny it." 

"Yes," Hero murmured, making me stop in my tracks. "There was a moment I imagined what life would be like if I was single. That chick, for a brief moment, made me think about how life could be." 

I sucked in a sharp breath, ready to burst into tears but I managed to refrain. I was too strong for this. The only reason he was talking down to me like this was because he wanted to hurt me. 

"You know what?" I snapped. "I have changed. I've become a distressed woman. I'm a mother. My priorities have shifted. All this drama, I could forgive. Your personality change, your outbursts, even your moment with that girl I could forgive. The one thing I cannot? How you treat our child." 

When he didn't reply, I went on. 

"You treat her like a nuisance, a bother. You lash out whenever she does things like whine or laugh. Then, you say that you never wanted her... I don't care how you feel about it. I will parent her on my own if I have to." 

Hero's breathing became labored. 

"This is how you really feel?" 

I nodded. 

"Absolutely." 

After a moment of silence, a knock sounded on the front door. Josephine rushed from an open door, grabbing me by the arm. 

"Come on. That will be the paramedics." 

I tipped my head, turning back to Hero. 

"You've heard what I have to say. I don't want you near me. Go home." 

I didn't bother giving him a last glance as I knelt down to press a kiss to Chad's forehead.

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