“Hey, Matt.” She pushes her hair behind her ear. “What are you doing here?”
He looks from her to me, and I smirk because I know he notices her flushed face and swollen lips.That’s right, fucker.
“I tried calling you.”
“Oh.” She walks toward the table to grab her phone. “I had it on silent after we talked.”
“Yeah. That’s the thing. I couldn’t reach you, and Noah wanted to come home. Wasn’t feeling good again.”
I swing my head toward her.What the hell is going on?Cora’s face no longer holds the flush I put there, but instead something like guilt flashes across it.
“Where is—” Her voice cuts off as a small kid comes around the corner. He looks from Cora to me, and then to Matt.
“I didn’t feel good, Cora. Sorry.” He looks at the floor.
She immediately goes to him and wraps her arms around him. “Hey, it’s fine. You don’t ever have to apologize.” Feeling his forehead, she winces. “You’re feeling warm, bud. Come on, let’s get you up to bed. Thanks, Matt. Sorry I didn’t answer. I’ll text you.”
He nods, giving me one last look before he turns to leave. “Don’t forget to lock up, Cora.”
Watching his retreating form, my gaze flicks betweenher and the little boy.
“Cora, I…”
“Don’t, Atlas. Not right now. I need you to go too.”
“Can I do anything?” I ask, reluctant to leave. I’m so confused. I don’t understand what’s going on.Cora has a kid?
“No.” She shakes her head. “Just… just go,” she replies, resignation in her voice.
“I can?—”
“I said no,” she bites out, avoiding my eyes.
“Fine,” I relent. “You have my number; text me if you need anything at all. Or him.” I gesture to the small boy she has attached to her side. “Goodnight, Cora,” I tell her softly and head for the door.
I take in the picture frames around the room, featuring Cora and the kid at different stages.Did that fucker get her pregnant?He doesn’t seem to live here, but I can’t figure out what’s going on.
Looking back, I watch as she bends down to say something to the boy. He nods and heads up the stairs. I’m surprised when she walks toward me, but instead of stopping, she continues to the door and opens it.
Turning to face me, Cora sighs. “Goodnight, Atlas.”
Taking my cue, I step back out into the cold. I’ve pushed enough for tonight.
“I’ll see you soon, Cora,” I promise as I head to my car.
She doesn’t answer, but the sound of the door and lock engaging is deafening. It doesn’t matter. I’ve had a taste, and I’m never going back. She’d better get ready because I’m coming for her, and I don’t care who the father of that boy is, they’re both about to become mine.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cora
Getting Noah to bed wasn’t a difficult task. After verifying he has a fever, Noah took some medicine and went straight to sleep. Frustration threatens to overwhelm me. It’s the second time in less than a month he’s been sick, and after tonight, it feels like it’s the icing on the mess of a cake that is my life.
Sitting on my bed, I brush my finger across my lips. They’re no longer swollen from Atlas’ kisses, but the ghost of his presence is still there. I thought we’d have fun at the game, and then I’d come home and maybe catch up on laundry or do something constructive on my rare childfree night, but nothing turned out how it was supposed to.
Seeing Atlas outside the shop and discovering things about him made me feel like we were making progress. That we could at least be friends or something. It should have been enough to sate any curiosity I have about him, but now that’s blown apart. If anything, now I’mmorecurious.
He’s jealous. There’s no doubt he’s confused, but I don’t owe him an explanation. Shaking my head with a laugh, I grab some clothes and head into the bathroom. Turning the tap on, I fill the tub with hot water and throw in some apple-scented bath beads I got from Milafor Christmas last year. Grabbing my loose hair, I wind it into a messy bun and test out the temperature until it’s as hot as I want to take it.
