“You, too. Thanks for offering to drive us to the school. The buses have been getting unreliable lately.”
Hearing this, Jace, who along with Zara had come into the room behind his dad, frowned as he looked to his mother. “Didn’t you give her the car I bought?”
Immediately, I tensed. I’d forgotten about the car.
“What car?” Zara questioned with keen interest.
I turned to Jace. “She did try to give me the car, but I couldn’t accept it. You know I never got my licence.”
A look of irritation crossed his features. “Still? I thought you would’ve taken lessons by now.”
I grew defensive because it was none of his business whether or not I drove. The truth was, it was a sore spot for me. I’d tried learning several times, but my anxiety always got the better of me, and I gave up. Besides, I lived walking distance from Jay and Matilda’s house, plus Zara’s school wasn’t far. It wasn’t like we were out in the middle of nowhere and needed a car to get around.
“You know I don’t like driving.”
“Well, you need to face your fears. What if something happens to Zara, and she needs to be rushed to the hospital?”
I let out a short, frustrated laugh. “Jace, I’ve gotten Zara to school, to the doctor, to her friends, to choir practice, and everywhere else for years without driving. I’ll call a taxi, an ambulance, whatever I need. I don’t need you to act like I can’t handle it.”
He looked taken aback, his brow furrowing, and his eyes flickering with something—surprise, maybe even remorse. I crossed my arms, feeling a surge of irritation.
“Seriously. It’s not that big of a deal. Lots of people don’t drive. I’ve managed just fine, so let’s not turn this into a critique of my parenting.”
Jace opened his mouth, eyes wide, like he was about to argue, but his dad stepped in before he could speak. “Leave it, son.”’
“We’d better get going,” Matilda said, rising from the couch. She ushered Zara out, and I quickly followed, not wanting to be left alone with Jace. He was clearly in a mood because I hadn’t accepted the car he’d bought me. I mean, we weren’t married anymore. Aside from paying maintenance for Zara, he didn’t owe me anything, certainly not a brand-new car.
We hadn’t signed a prenup before getting married, but when it had come to our divorce, I had no intention of taking him to the cleaners. In fact, Jace had wanted to give me a giant settlement, more than half of his net worth, but I’d declined, instead insisting on a smaller sum. I knew I was in a privileged position, but money had never been an issue in my life. My parents had plenty and had set me up with a generous trust fund that I’d come into at twenty-one. My childhood had been cash rich but emotionally impoverished. I knew that some people grew up with neither money nor love, so I was thankful to have had at least one of the two.
My trust fund, combined with the settlement, had allowed me to purchase a two-bedroom house in an excellentneighbourhood along the canal, and my work as a web developer kept Zara and me living comfortably. So, if I ever learned how to drive, I could certainly buy my own car, though personally I preferred to walk and use public transport.
I slid into the back of my in-laws’ car next to Zara, who was still admiring her new brooch. The door on the other side of her opened, and Jace climbed in. Our eyes met momentarily before I turned my attention out the window.
It was barely a ten-minute drive to the school, but by the time we arrived, I was eager to get some air. Well, that and some space away from my ex-husband. After a quick hug and a wish of good luck from all of us, Zara hurried off to join the other choir kids backstage. I didn’t fail to notice the curious, eager glances Jace was getting from the parents who’d arrived at the same time as us. They were used to Jay and Matilda coming by, but not Jace, who was far more famous, or at least more currently famous, than his parents.
“These are our seat numbers,” I said, handing Matilda the tickets Zara had given me. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Sure, see you in there, honey,” she replied as I headed for side of the school.
Pulling out my fake vape—the contraption I’d started using to give up real vaping—I took a deep inhale of the sweet cherry scented air before exhaling heavily. This wasnotthe evening I’d planned for, and I was already itching to find a vape shop nearby so that I could get my hands on the real thing. Anything to take the edge off seeing Jace again after so long apart. During that time, I could almost forget the effect he had on me because the truth was I was still attracted to him. He was my first love, my only love so far, and I felt like, though we were no longer together, he’d always be imprinted onto my heart.
“Avoiding me?”
Ah, hell. Couldn’t he just give me a few minutes alone to get my bearings? Jace joined me around the side of the school building, his eyes cautious as he took me in.
“Just needed a moment,” I said through tight lips, taking another hit.
Jace’s eyes showed a hint of concern. “I didn’t know you vaped. You were always so against smoking.”
“It’s not a real one,” I said, holding it up to show him. “Margie let me try her vape about a year ago, and suddenly, I was hooked. I decided I wanted to quit last month and have been using this as a replacement. It’s just flavoured air. There’s no nicotine, but it mimics the habit. Helps with the oral fixation.”
Jace arched an eyebrow, his sensual lips curving with the ghost of amusement, and I knew he wanted to make a smart comment. I rolled my eyes. He chuckled, low and deep. I felt it reverberate through the pit of my stomach, easing something inside me.
“You can still read my mind, like always,” he said.
“Not quite, but I can imagine.”
He held out his hand. “Can I try it?”
