“I’m sure that’s how it went.”
“I also didn’t tell August to sleep with her.” Rhianna chokes on her drink on the other side of me as my eyes go wide. “Really, Rylee, there is no need to be angry at me. I think this is a good thing. Now you know what type of person he really is.” I push my seat back and reach for my phone, then walk out the door as my mother calls my name.
“She didn’t take Winter. Just relax, she’ll be back,” I hear Rhianna say to my mother.
Stepping outside, I press call, and August picks up on the second ring. “I need you to do me a favor. You owe me.”
“What do you need?”
“Come to my parents’ house. We’re having dinner. I’ll save you a plate.”
“Rich girl.” He tries to argue with his term of endearment thrown my way, but I will not take no for an answer this time. “Nope. Come now. You put us in this mess, you can get us the hell out of it. If not for me, then do it at least for our daughter.”
I hear him huff into the phone, then the jangle of his keys. “I would’ve done it for you.” He hangs up, and I know he’s on his way.
I walk back inside and slide my phone into my pocket.
“Good, you’re back,” my mother says. “Now, what do you plan to do about the situation?”
“You should set another seat. Noah is coming over.”
Rhianna looks at me, knowing he’s sleeping with the baby. She turned on the nanny cam before and saw him snuggled up in the rocking chair with their little boy lying on him as he slept. She wanted to call to wake them, but the baby hasn’t been sleeping well and neither has Noah.
I watch as Mother gets up and prepares another plate. I drink my wine as Rhianna raises her brows at me, and I simply offer her a small smirk as I wait.
It doesn’t take August long, and when I hear the chime of the doorbell, I get up to answer it before anyone else can. I open the door and there stands August, dressed in black slacks and a button-up shirt looking fine.
“You didn’t have to dress up for this,” I tell him, holding the door open wider.
“I was in the process of meeting clients,” he says, pulling at his tie.
“For your woodwork?” I ask, hopeful.
“Yes. Now, am I going to regret this?”
I nod, smiling. “Yes.” I smirk. “Yes, you are.”
“That smile is positively evil,” he says, as I shut the door and nod for him to follow me through the house. As soon as we walk into the dining room, Winter spots August and runs over to him, her little arms wrapping around his legs in a tight hold.
“Auggie, you’re here,” Winter says, pulling back and holding out her hands for him to pick her up. He does and kisses her cheek, beaming at her like she is the best thing that has ever happened to him. I like that smile. It makes my stomach flutter, and want to fly away.
Mother’s face is red, her lips are in a long thin line, and she looks like she’s ready to explode.
“Look, Mother, now August is here to tell you all about his wicked ways.” August glares at me as I place a hand on his shoulder and pat it. “Good luck to you.” I clap for Winter and she comes to me then I walk her back to her table, out of earshot, and tell her to eat before I step back to the dining room. August is standing at the table, looking unsure, putting his weight on one leg then the other. I take my seat and pull out the chair between myself and Rhianna and tell him to sit. He eyes it, and I can tell he wants to fight me but sits anyway.
“I thought, instead of asking me about August, you can ask him directly. That way you can stop…” I pin my mother with a glare, “… asking me. How does that sound?” I smile and reach for my wine.
“You should have asked first,” Mother says through firmly gritted teeth.
“There is no fun in that, and he’s here now. And August wants to answer all your questions.” I look at him. “Don’t you, August? My mother is genuinely concerned about what you did. You know … with Mrs. Lee all those years ago.”
August coughs uncomfortably, and those beautiful green eyes lock on to mine, with promises of payback shining in their depths.
“Yes, August, why don’t you tell us what you did to Anderson’s mother?” Beckham chimes in.
Rhianna hits him in the arm. “You shut up. You are the biggest slut of them all. You have no right to talk.” Rhianna looks to August. “You don’t have to answer them.”