Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Why are you here, Darren? Other than to insult me all over again.”
“I...It’s...”
Hope lifted a palm to stop his sputtering and pushed off the kitchen counter where she’d been leaning. “By the way, you left a couple of boxes behind. I’ll get them for you.”
“No need. I’ll just be bringing them back when I move back in.”
Hope’s head jerked back from his audacity. “I said I’d give you a chance to speak. I let you speak. Now it’s my turn. You won’t be moving back in, Darren. You not only disrespected me by trying to dictate where I could work, but you disrespected everyone—guests and employees alike—at the Double D by calling them perverts and worse. I’m done. Truthfully, I’m much happier without you. I want to keep it that way.”
“Ouch.”
“Funny, I felt the same way when you insisted that teaching yoga wasn’t a real job.”
“I didn’t mean it.”
“It came out of your mouth,” she reminded him.
“I was worried about you teaching there. Anyone who goes to a place like that has no morals.”
“Then you’re also saying that I have no morals.”
“Hope, we were good together. We were happy together.”
“I thought so, too, until you showed your true colors. But once you left, I realized I wasn’t as happy as I thought.” She wasn’t going to unnecessarily get into the boring sex.
“You just need to give me a chance.”
“No, I don’t. You had your chance and you blew it.”
“This is my house, too.”
“It was your house until you left me with the mortgage payments.”
“There’s equity in this house that belongs to me.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Is there? Have you seen the mortgage statement recently? Do you know how much was paid down on the principal? And I made the down payment, not you. So, it’s my house, not ours. If you want to take over the monthly payments and all the expenses, you are free to buy me out. Take the house and I’ll move out.”
She really didn’t want to do that, but she didn’t doubt that Darren wouldn’t want to take over the payments on his own.
“Now, you had your say. I’m going to grab the boxes you forgot.” Without waiting for a response, she headed over to the coat closet and pulled out the two small boxes.
She returned to the kitchen and shoved the stacked boxes at him. “Here you go and please don’t come back. I’m loving my life right now with you not in it.”
She ignored his muttered curse and as soon as he had a good grip on the boxes, she went to the junk drawer and pulled out the card she had written one night.
“And don’t forget this.” She placed the envelope on top of the boxes he was holding. “I would’ve mailed it but you never left your forwarding address.”
His eyes dropped to it. “What is it?”
“A thank you card.”
His brow furrowed. “For what?”
“For leaving and letting me find the two men who love and accept me as I am.”
His mouth dropped open. “What do you mean, two men?”
“Just what I said. But I’m no longer your business so I don’t have to explain.”
“It sounds like you’re being a slut.”
“You’re welcome to think what you’d like. Just do it elsewhere.” She went to the door and opened it, swinging out a hand. “I hope you have a great life, Darren. I plan on doing the same.”
After a slight hesitation and a mumble she couldn’t understand—nor did she want to—he headed outside. She gave him a wave and shut the door to that particular chapter of her life.
A few minutes later, a pounding at her front door made her heart take a tumble.
Now what? She thought she’d made herself clear.
When she flung open the door, she swallowed the words she had geared up to say to her ex.
“He’s gone.”
“Of course he’s gone,” she told Cam. “Did you really think I was going to let him slide back into my life and my home?” Nevermind that he had called her a slut. Cam and Nolan didn’t need to know that.
Hope stepped back to allow them inside.
But before she even finished closing the door, Cam said, “We need to have a serious discussion.”
“Right now?” she asked his back as he moved farther into the kitchen.
He turned, leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there a better time?”
“Is this because of Darren trying to get me back?”
“Having him show up was a reality check. It reminded us how we don’t want to lose you. Ever.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
Maybe, maybe not, but they needed to stake their claim to be completely sure it never happened. “Nolan and I discussed it on the way over.”
Her brow furrowed. “Discussed what?”
“I’m getting to that.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Well, hurry up!”
When he chuckled at her fake outrage and she whacked him in the gut with the back of her hand. He released an overly dramatic oof, then pulled her into his arms.