‘I thought you’d appreciate the heads-up.’ He sneered. ‘Now here I am, an eight-hour drive later, face-to-face with the woman who stole my money and publicly humiliated me.’
‘Is that why you’re here? Over a measly $500 and some embarrassment?’
‘Hell no. You’re not worth the energy.’ He exchanged his grin for a crooked frown, the lip ring weighing down half of his mouth.
‘Then why are you here? And why have you been stalking me?’
He laughed, but I didn’t find this conversation funny in the least.
‘Stalking you? You need to get over yourself. No one’s stalking you but the demons you’re running from. You should trust the hairs on the back of your neck. There’s a reason you have them. I’m not here for you; I’m here for me.’
No surprise there. Everything was always about him. ‘I’m listening. What do you want?’ I was ready to be done with this conversation, done with Noah. For good.
He pushed against the door behind me, and I stepped forward to block him.
‘You’ve got some balls, standing up to me.’
‘I learned to fight back after I left your sorry ass.’
‘Oh, come on. Where’s your hospitality? Let’s go inside and have a nice little chat.’ He wasn’t asking though, as he shoved his weight forward.
I rammed him back a pace. ‘Screw you. I don’t owe you a chat. And I’m certainly not letting you inside my home.’
‘Why? Are you ashamed of me? Or is it that you don’t want your new little family to find out about me? I’m your dirty little secret, aren’t I?’
Not so much a secret anymore as a shame I didn’t want to introduce them to. I hoped Harper wouldn’t come looking for me. I just needed to find out what he wanted so I could get rid of him.
‘I saw your new man. He doesn’t look very good in bed.’ I heard the insecurity between the folds of his words. He was picking a fight because he was jealous.
‘I thought you weren’t stalking me. That sure sounds like stalking.’
‘I bet having sex with him is like doing community service, isn’t it?’
Noah wasn’t exactly wrong. The first time with Lane was polite rom-com sex. I almost had my doubts about being with him after that, a man who always read the fine print and respected speed limits. But then things changed, like he had something to prove. It had intensified from PG-family-friendly sex, to passionate put-a-baby-in-me sex. I brought the animal out in him, and he brought the love out in me.
‘That’s none of your business. Just get to the point, Noah. Why are you here?’
Clawing at his wrist, I dragged him to the corner of the front porch where we’d draw the least amount of attention. He coiled his tattooed arm around my neck like we were buddies. I hated him for coming here. I hated his ugly thoughts that turned into ugly words that spewed from his ugly mouth. I shoved his arm off of me.
‘I know you have to go back to playing house and all, but I have a gift for you.’ He handed me a large manila envelope that I hadn’t even noticed him holding this whole time.
‘What is this?’
‘Open it and find out.’
I unclasped the seal and looked inside. Sliding a thin stack of papers out, I read the top line aloud: ‘Divorce Agreement.’ It tasted so sweet to say it. ‘You’re giving me a divorce?’
‘Yup.’
‘What’s the catch?’ Noah always had a catch.
‘While you were off stealing my money and playing hide-and-seek, I met a girl. I want to marry her. Legit, unlike your fake little family. But to do that, I need a divorce.’
There had to be more than this. Noah didn’t care about convention or propriety. Certainly no girl was worth all the hassle of finding me, coming all the way down here, and arranging for this divorce agreement just so that he could make an honest woman of her.
‘What’s so special about this girl?’
‘What’s so special about your guy? When it’s love, it’s love.’
‘That poor girl has no idea what hell she’s in for with you.’
‘No, Candace, I’m a changed man. True love brought out the good in me. You and I, we were toxic. But this girl pulls me apart like taffy. That darkness that used to own me, she’s the light that makes it scatter.’
Who was this person speaking? The pretty prose didn’t match the skull tattoo on his arm.
‘Waxing poetic over her, huh? You really have changed.’ No, Noah loved no one but himself. There was something else. ‘It can’t be that she’s that good in bed. She has something to offer you. Something no one else can give you.’
Noah’s jaw dropped in mock offense. ‘You think so little of me.’
‘That’s because I know you.’
And that was when the puzzle pieces clicked into place. ‘You finally found yourself a trust fund girl, didn’t you? You always told me you would.’
He laughed. ‘You do know me.’
Of course. There was the catch. A rich girl, someone who could give him a fresh start. I wondered if perhaps she could give Lane and I a fresh start too. We could run away to some exotic beach together, or maybe a cute little farm in the rural foothills where we’d raise our child on fields of flowers. For once, Noah could be my ticket to something better.
‘Fine, I’ll sign this. But only on one condition. I want paid. I want recompense for all the pain you caused me, all the babies you took from me, all the scars you left me with.’
I watched to see if he understood me. He did.
‘How much is all that worth?’
‘How rich is your new girlfriend?’
He scoffed. ‘Wow, and here I thought you had changed into a nice girl. How about ten grand?’
‘Ha! I don’t think so. My autograph is worth way more than that. I’m thinking closer to ten … times ten.’
‘One hundred grand? Are you kidding me
