“Fucking hell. What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“At the time, before the words came out of my mouth, I thought I was helping.”
“Jesus Christ.” I drag my hand through my hair.
“She seemed okay when I left. They went all girly bullshit on her ass and told her they would help her get back to her inner butt slut or something.”
“What?!” I bolt upright in the bed.
“No idea what that means. Oh, she’s looking for a job too.”
“Of course she is.” Nina’s never been one to sit around and do nothing, even when I sold the studio, she was trying to help everyone else.
“I feel like this is progress, mate. At least she’s actually talking about you now.”
“She lost her job, Elliot, because she thought I was sleeping with a fucking stripper. Again!” The fact she still thinks I’d do that… it’s a kick in the teeth.
Why do I care what she thinks?
“I’m now pulling into mine. That’s it, that’s all I’ve got, I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”
“Yeah, thanks a bunch, mate!” I shake my head as he hangs up.
What a fucking mess.
It’s my night to have Ellis tonight and I normally pick him up once I finish work, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how Nina must be feeling. If it was me and I thought she had been sleeping with someone else, I don’t know how I would react.
I knock on the door and shove my hands in my pockets, waiting for her to answer.
The door swings open, and I watch as the light fades from her eyes. “Mason, you’re early.”
My eyes scan her body. Her yoga pants cling to her like a second skin and her cropped vest fits snuggly to her breasts. She has a sheen of sweat coating her body. My brows lift in surprise as I wonder what she was doing. “Yeah, I was hoping for a chat. Have you been dancing?” I ask.
She frowns, ignoring my question. “A chat about what?”
“Can I come in?” I look over her shoulder.
She pushes the door wide and stands off to the side to allow me access. “Ellis is napping. He was fussing and hasn’t long gone down.”
“That’s okay, I came to see you. We need to talk,” I tell her, smiling at her despite her folded arms and less than polite welcome.
“You should’ve called.”
“You wouldn’t have agreed.”
She answers me with her eyes, glaring at me. “Go on then. Say what you have to sa?—”
Soft whimpers come from the hallway and her head quickly snaps in the direction before she huffs and drops her arms to her sides.
“I’ll go. You can carry on.” I gesture to the yoga mat that’s laid out on the floor. “I’ve got this.”
“I don?—”
“It’s fine, Nina.” I nod, walking off towards their bedroom before she can stop me. Ellis is standing in his cot when I walk into the room, and my heart soars as his face transforms—dimples and all.
“Da, Da, Da!”
“Shhh. Sleep time now.” I kiss his head and reluctantly place him on his back. “Mummy’s busy, little guy.” I sit in thechair that’s placed beside the cot and look around at the room. It feels weird being in her space, which strangely surprises me. Maybe it’s because it’s so impersonal. Other than a picture of Ellis with the girls on her bedside, there’s nothing here that means anything.
