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“He didn’t exactly push her off, the way Jake would for you. No beat it or fuck off, he just stood there watching her gyrating at him with her hands on his chest. Then it hit me, if I wasn’t there then he would’ve totally fucked her.” She brings a red-rimmed set of heartbroken eyes to me and I sigh. I know how soul destroying that kind of insecurity can be. Hunter probably wasn’t even aware of the affect his indifference to the girl had on Leila.
“I know he wouldn’t have. You’re not giving him a chance, Leila. You’re so sure he’s going to disappoint you and hurt you that you’re looking for fault. Looking to push him away.” I take her hand in mine, trying for mature and direct. Sarah can be the soft one, I need Leila to see sense.
“Did you confront him?” Sarah is watching her with the same expression as me, maybe she’s decided logical is the best route too.
“Of c
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The DJ nods at Leila and seems to put on whatever request she has made as she moves back with a satisfied fake smile on that little face.The sound of Pink “So What!” starts flowing across the room and I know Leila is trying to convey to Daniel that she doesn’t care one iota about his presence. She’s in full defensive mode and the walls are up. Her song choice is one of attitude and I don’t need you.So definitively Leila She’s obviously found her spark again and Daniel better bring his backbone.She turns to saucily saunter away from the DJ booth and I’m drawn to the fact that Daniel is almost upon her, catching her arm mid-stride, she recoils and tries to haul it from him. But he just keeps a strong hold tugging her back with him by the wrist to the booth. His arm stretched out as she tries to go the opposite way, but he k
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“Come on, baby, let’s get you home.” He kisses me gently on the temple and for once I’m not arguing, I’m completely exhausted and happy to be going home to curl up with him. I can’t imagine anything more tempting in the world.He pulls me up with him and starts looking around for something.“I didn’t bring a coat if that’s what you’re looking for.” I yawn again, ignoring the look of irritation pass over his brow. He picks up his leather jacket and puts it on me instead. I smile, especially when he tugs me forward to zip me up like a child. I get a tiny vision in my head of Jake doing this for his child. He’s an absolute natural and I can’t help but notice the sheer envy on the two brunettes faces at the way he’s tending to me.“Danny? I’m taking Emma home.” Daniel lifts his bottle in acknowledgment over Leila’s head then goes back to saying something close
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I catch the way he’s looking at me and I get it. He thought he knew love until he found it with the right person and my stomach somersault, a little jump of happiness, probably mildly inappropriate right now.“I know, but I should’ve seen her what she was, the way she always twisted things, so she was the victim. For years, she had me hating you, believing that you broke her heart and she could never trust me because of it. Too stupid to realize it was all her and you were just as much a part of the fall out as I was.” He looks genuinely sorry. There’s something decent coming through about Ben, despite what I know of him and the past, underneath all that anger and rivalry is a guy that once meant a lot to Jake.“And now? … Your obviously still in love her if you wanted to try again?” Jake watches Ben intensely and Ben shrugs.“I was … Maybe I still am. I don’t know. I never could understand why
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Getting into her apartment is easy enough; all Jake needs to do is bark two words into the intercom.“I’m here,” and she lets us in without any hesitation.Whore.She has the shock of her life when she answers the door, in nothing more than lace bra and panties under a see-through robe and is faced with two angry men and a seething little blonde girlfriend. All I can do is balk and take in her slutty attire, she truly believed he was coming to fuck her.What planet is she from?Marissa visibly steps back mouth gaping, before recovering her equilibrium, making no attempt at covering herself. She glances swiftly at Ben, noticing him seems to knock the wind out of her sails and she pulls her robe across her protruding bump.“What the fuck is this?!” She snap
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“I never did I?” Jake sounds shocked. My head snaps up to him wondering what he sees close-up in that cocky whore’s face that I can’t. She hesitates and looks back at him, like she’s been caught, and she loses the mask for a millisecond. It quickly draws back up, but I think even Ben caught it, a tiny flicker of shit he knows.“Yes, you did,” she snaps a little too quickly. The flicker turns into a full-on twitch as she has trouble keeping her face under control.“No, I didn’t. I can tell when you’re lying to my face … I never had sex with you, did I?” Jake’s tone has completely dispersed, instead of rage he sounds shocked, something in his brain whirring and clicking. Figuring it all out, trying to work through the drunken haze of a night he still can’t remember.“Marissa? Surely even you couldn’t scrape as low as that?” Ben snorts in absolute disgust
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“I can’t get my head around it.” Jake utters for the hundredth time as we lie in bed, our bodies entwined. My exhaustion has dissipated, giving way to mind-numbing silence after the events of the evening.We finally have freedom … from her.We’ve been home for a few hours and yet mostly all we’ve done is lie together and talk. Hours spent regurgitating the fact that there is no other baby, wondering how his family are going to react and how different things will be from now on without it hanging over us. It’s still too surreal to really believe and emotions between us have been swirling like crazy.“I can’t believe it’s over,” I exclaim out loud, hearing him sigh again. A happy heavy relief kind of noise.“Me either, it feels like it’s been consuming me … us
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Nora is staying here aa housemaid since Jake’s going to be here at least once a week and Mathews is training the new security to be positioned here since we’ll be taking him to the new house; their choice of course, always so loyal to Jake.Jefferson will be keeping on driving Jake around when he’s here and Mathews will be spending time chauffeuring and protecting me in the Hamptons, as well as training the new security staff at the house. Jake has kept on the previous owner’s house staff and once we’re moved in, they’re all coming back to work as they did before. Jake has this all effortlessly organized and everything smoothly in place.I admit the thought of cooks and cleaners and chauffeurs is no longer something I balk at; a life looking after my child without the stress that most mothers endure sounds like heaven to me. I know how lucky I am not to have to worry about mundane house tasks or troubles with money. I am finally acce
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Gazing up at the crappy brown building that houses “The Haven” homeless shelter, an internal wave of anxiety builds up inside of me, like an all-consuming black hole, now that I’m faced with old memories. Jake is standing behind me with hands on my shoulders, a kiss on my neck brings me back to the present.“Call me and I’ll come, okay?” His voice is a reminder that I can do this, I can be strong enough because of him.“I know. Now leave, before I change my mind about going to the hotel first.” I giggle as his hand skims my ass; he’s a tempting distraction to what I know I need to do.“If I’d known you were this torn about it, I would’ve applied a little more pressure.” He smirks wickedly, letting his hand trail lower under my dress. I laugh and shove him off playfully with my butt, which only serves to c
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