“Of course I do.” I hold his gaze, keeping my hands on the counter, ready to move away. “I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to do it anymore. This marriage is over.”
“Who is he?”
I laugh out loud, the sound so cynical it hurtsmeto hear it. “Oh mygod,you are unbelievable.”
Archie’s expression becomes menacing. “Who is he? I want to know.”
“Get out.” I point in the direction of the door. “I’ll have your shit sent to wherever you’re staying, but you’re out. Get.”
“This is my house, you can’t just-”
“This ismy fucking house!” I curl my hands into fists, my fingernails digging into the palms of my hands to stop myself throwing something at him. “I bought this house withmymoney. I furnished it withmymoney. I do not need you, or your money, or your fucking name, now get out of my house!”
“Is it my dad?”
My jaw drops, and new, fresh tears sting my eyes. “You utter fucking bastard.”
Archie laughs, his mouth twisting into a cruel grin. “Holy shit, Mia. I knew your daddy issues were bad, but this is a lot even for you.” He ambles closer to me, enjoying the hurt he’s causing, his stance casual. “They all warned me, you know, about you. Everyone warned me.”
“I guess you should have listened then.”
“So who’s better?” Archie is close to me now, so close I could reach out and touch him. Or stab him. “The father, or the son?”
I sneer at him. “Only you could disappear to Spain for weeks with another woman and come back asking me if I’m shagging your dad.”
He growls out a breath, his jaw tense. “Fuck’s sakes, Mia I told you that was a mistake, and she’s long gone now.”
“Well, she’s smarter than I am, that’s for sure.” I move away with a heavy exhale. “I’m not shagging your dad, not that it’s any of your fucking business.”
Archie’s face darkens. “It’s Jordan then, isn’t it?” He hisses out a breath through his teeth. “I fucking knew it.”
“Oh my god!” I exclaim over a laugh. “You just cannot help yourself, can you? You cannot comprehend a man just caring about someone he doesn’t want to stick his dick into!”
“I’m gonna kill him.”
I point a finger at him. “You need help. Go to therapy, and stop projecting. And when you’re ready to tell me what you did and who you did it with, go and jump in the fucking Thames because fuck knows I do not care. I am so done with you Archie, so fucking done. Nowget. Out.”
The front door opens and Char strides in with Tank on a leash. They both give Archie almost the same look, and Char bends down to remove Tank’s leash.
“There you go, there’s a good boy.” Char ruffs up Tank's jowls, then stands up to scowl at Archie. “You’re leaving now.”
Archie looks from her back to me, and I think he considers arguing for a moment. But in the face of both of us, he loses his nerve. He won’t say all those awful things to me in front of someone else. That’s for when it’s just us, when he can claim I’m crazy to everyone later.
He holds up his hands, and backs away. “Fine. I’m gone.”
“Not fast enough for me.” Char watches him back to the door, and when he takes too long she snaps her fingers. “Quick step now, thank you!”
With a grunt, Archie turns and hurries down the hallway, pursued closely by Char, the latch slamming home loudly as soon as the door closes. When Char emerges back in the kitchen, her face is flaming red.
“The bloody cheek,” she mutters, then looks at me. She rushes to my side, and takes my hand. “You alright, sweetheart?”
“Just the usual Archie Graves mindfuck victim complex, I’ll survive it.” I hang my head, exhaling heavily.
“Did he tell you where he was?”
I huff out a laugh. “Barely, to be honest. Said he were in Spain, building a future for us, supposedly. Wouldn’t tell me whoshewas, where exactly he’d gone, what he’d done, why he’s back. Nothing. He just can’t bring himself to be honest with me.”
“Because being honest with you would mean admitting he’s done something fucking wrong,” Char mutters, and shakes her head. “ I don’t know what he’s expecting, waltzing back in here like that. Barry is going to skin him alive, and that’s just for a start.”
