“You were intimidating a young girl who’s been working here for two weeks. This is her first job, for goodness' sake.” My voice shook now, but it wasn’t from fear. I was furious. “And if I hadn’t walked out when I did, you would’ve kept going. Because you don’t see people like her. You never did. It doesn’t matter where you are, you walk in like you own the place and tear through whatever’s in your way.”
His lips parted, and he looked stunned.
Good.
I leaned forward and dropped my voice. “Let me be clear, Gage. You are not welcome here. Not now. Not ever. Get out.”
When he didn’t move, I ran out of whatever little patience I had left. I stabbed a finger toward the door again. “If you don’t leave in the next five seconds, I’ll call the cops and have you trespassed.”
“My lawyer would have me out of those cuffs as soon as I arrived at the police station,” he growled, his eyes narrowing.
The door behind him opened while he was in the middle of his arrogant boast, and Jace stormed inside the bakery. He owned the music shop next door, and we’d gotten close since I opened the bakery.
“I heard the yelling from my shop and already called the cops.” He held up his phone as he strode across the room. “And I don’t mind being loaded into the back of one of their cars right along with him if it means I get to punch this guy for being an asshole. I might not get out as quickly, but it’d still be worth it.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” I flashed a smile at Jace before shifting my attention back to my ex. “Right, Gage?”
“So this is the infamous ex.” Jace came to stand beside me, his hand lightly brushing my lower back. “You okay?”
“Better now that you’re here.”
Gage’s entire body stiffened at my answer. After a long beat, he finally turned without another word and stormed out, thedoor slamming shut behind him. The second he was gone, my shoulders sagged.
I stared at the closed door, trying to remember how to breathe as Jace pulled me close. “You holding up?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled against his chest.
“Guess I have a new reason to want to kick his ass.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as I tilted my head back to stare up at him.
Cupping my jaw, Jace brushed his thumb across my cheek. “After three years, he still has the power to hurt you.”
I wanted to argue, but I would only be lying to him…and myself.
2
GAGE
Ididn’t remember the drive back to the office, only the echo of Tessa’s voice telling me to get out. One minute, I was slamming out of the bakery, and the next, I was in the underground garage at Langford Tech, my hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel.
I killed the engine and sat there, staring at the concrete wall like it might give me the answer to what the hell had just happened. My pulse was still hammering, the way it only did for one person.
Tessa.
Three years without a single word. Pretending she didn’t exist while I moved forward with a life I didn’t want because she wasn’t in it anymore.
She looked incredible. That hurt more than I was ready to admit.
Her hair was the same shade of brown but several inches longer now. Those hazel eyes that used to soften for me now had locked on mine like she was daring me to speak as she ordered me out of her bakery. Then ripped me to shreds when I did.
She carried herself with more confidence than when we’d dated. She wasn’t the woman I left behind. She was stronger now. And I hated that she seemed to think I was the reason she’d needed to be.
I dragged a hand over my beard, trying to scrub away the memory of her standing behind that counter in a flour-dusted apron, looking like she owned the world. Because apparently she did. Hale & Honey was hers. My assistant had said it was a trendy place that could do something high-end for me.
The fucking cake I hadn’t even wanted in the first place was how this shit show started.
I’d barely glanced at the order form Susan shoved under my nose a month ago. I just grunted in response and told her to handle it. The divorce party was a terrible idea, but I figured a cake might help drive the point home that my marriage was finally over.
