“Yeah, yeah. Now, get back over there.” He slaps my ass, and I grin at him before walking back to the last place I want to be.
Riley’s back is facing me. She appears to be on the phone with someone. She hasn’t noticed my presence, and I can hear what she’s saying from here. I can’t help but slow down and eavesdrop.
“What?” she asks.
Silence.
“No, of course he doesn’t know. What kind of idiot do you take me for?”
I stop dead in my tracks. Who doesn’t know?
“He won’t. I won’t let him.”
Him… Who’s him?
“Okay. I’ll catch you later, girl. Bye.” She hangs up.
So many scenarios are spinning in my head. Who is she talking about? Haze’s words return to me. Give her the benefit of the doubt. It’s probably a misunderstanding. She must be talking about a surprise she’s organizing for someone.
I take a deep breath and join her, sitting down on my towel. As much as I love Haze, I won’t force it. If she doesn’t say a word to me until the boys return, so be it. She sees me but doesn’t speak. Awkward and hateful silence it is. I get my phone out of my pocket and pretend to text.
That’s when she turns to me.
“I can’t believe you’re actually still here.”
There it is. She’s finally showing her true colors.
“Excuse me?” is all I can muster.
“Wow, you really can’t take a hint, can you? In a week tops, Haze will be mine again and you’ll be nothing but a memory.” She pushes her perfectly straight black hair over her shoulder.
I knew she was after Haze all along. But seeing her finally drop the act still shocks me. She’s got some nerve, that’s for sure. I open my mouth to speak, but she beats me to it.
“Let’s be honest. Do you seriously think that you stand a chance against me? I’m his first love, Winter. Not to mention the mother of his child. I’m the one he’s supposed to be with and you’re just…” She pauses, looking me up and down. “A filler. A distraction.”
I can’t even form a sentence.
“You may have him thinking that he’s in love with you right now, but sooner or later, he’ll come to his senses and do what’s best for Jake.”
I finally manage to get a word in. “Let me guess, what’s best is to be with you?”
She nods.
“Then what? You’re going to get married? Have a bunch more babies and live happily ever after?” I say with mockery all over my face.
“Exactly.” She smiles and fidgets with her manicured nails. “Why are you even fighting this? We both know this isn’t what you want. It never was. You don’t want to be the stepmom. You don’t want to be with a guy who has a kid at your age.”
For the first time since the beginning of her speech, she waits for a reply. But now that she wants one, I can’t give it to her.
“So please… please do us all a favor and have enough self-respect to walk away.”
My gaze shifts to Jacob, who’s playing with his toys. He’s not paying attention and is completely clueless as to how much of an awful person his mother is. How did such an evil woman create such a sweetheart?
“Or what?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Or I’ll have to get rid of you myself.”
“Do you really think that I’m scared of you?”