‘I feel great,’ I mutter, but she’s already gone. Straightening my spine, I stride towards the shoreline.
‘Finn.’ My gaze roams over the man I once thought I loved. I feel nothing for him now. Nothing but disgust. I flick my hair from my shoulders and jut my chin. ‘It’s been a while.’
‘You guys know each other?’ Lucas steps towards me, a curious expression etched onto his handsome face.
‘Not really,’ I bite. ‘I thought I knew him a long time ago. Turns out I didn’t know him at all.’
Finn’s not as tall as I remembered, nor as broad, but there’s no denying the man is ripped. He’d have to be, given his job, I guess. He’s nowhere near as big as Ronan, in any sense of the word. His gym chain might be called Peak Performance, but he rarely made me peak in any shape or form.
His dark hair is styled into a quiff, which makes him look like he spent more time in the bathroom than any self-respecting man.
Hued hazel eyes, the same shade as Eden and Isla’s flicker close. Finn flinches like he’s been sliced with a knife, but he recovers quickly, a smarmy smile splitting his face, exposing unnaturally white teeth. ‘Savannah used to train at one of the first gyms I worked at.’
‘Oh, what a small world.’ Lucas frowns like he’s one piece short of a jigsaw puzzle. ‘I thought Finn would be the perfect role model for what we’re trying to capture at Coral Chic. His success, like yours, Savannah, has soared in the past few years.’ Lucas’s head jerks towards Finn. ‘How many gyms do you own now?’
‘Twelve across the UK.’ Finn’s face stretches into a smug expression. ‘Lucas and I are discussing a potential flagship branch in Dublin.’
‘Over my dead body,’ I spit. My lips tremble. Rage roils from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Lucas takes a step back, recoiling in horror.
‘Oh, don’t be like that, Sav. We used to be buddies.’ Finn has the audacity to step closer and bump his elbow against mine. The contact makes me want to physically vomit.
Yeah, fuck buddies.
Except I didn’t get that memo. I stupidly thought him spending most evenings at my place meant we were together.
God, I was so naïve.
Not anymore.
‘From what I’ve been hearing, you’ve got a new buddy now.’ Finn waggles his eyebrows. The man clearly has a death wish. ‘Single Sav has been sneaking around again. Naughty girl.’
Is this fucker for real?
‘I wasn’t the one sneaking around.’ My fingers knit into tight fists. Blood throbs furiously through my temple. I’m shaking with a red-hot uncontrollable rage.
‘Neither was I.’ Finn puffs out his chest like a pigeon and folds his arms. How did I ever find this man attractive? He physically repulses me. ‘Cheryl doesn’t care who I fuck, as long as it doesn’t damage our reputation or affect our fitness brand.’
Lucas’s jaw almost hits the beach. ‘You two were…?’
‘Shame you didn’t share that teeny tiny nugget of information with me before you got me pregnant. Your daughters are fine, by the way. Good of you to ask.’
Finn’s face falters and his eyes flick to the floor. ‘I never wanted children. They’re not part of my plan. I told you if you went ahead with the pregnancy, you were on your own.’
I raise my index finger and point it at his chest like a pistol. ‘And on my own, I have been. Through the nappies, bottles, reflux, toilet training. Through the good days, the bad days, and every damn day– and I wouldn’t change a single thing.’
Lucas has turned the same shade as the white fluffy clouds lining the sky. ‘How could you?’ His torso twists to Finn, accusation heavy in his tone.
Finn raises his hands in protest.
‘You didn’t think to mention any of this to me?’ Lucas’s mouth tightens in a grimace.
‘He probably thought I’d keep my mouth shut and get onwith it like I have done for the last seven years.’ I fold my arms across my chest. ‘But it seems everyone else in this world is entitled to shoot their mouth off, so I figured it was my turn.’
Finn’s eyes are so wide, they look like they might explode. ‘Those girls probably aren’t even mine,’ he snorts.
‘You're damn right they’re not yours.’ Ronan appears from nowhere, his palm splaying across the base of my spine. ‘They’re mine now. I’ll be a better father to them than you could ever be, you spineless fuck. Just because your wife’s okay with you being a cheating shithead, I’m not. This woman,’ he motions to me, ‘deserves so much better.’
