“Oh, fuck you,” she said.“You could have gone somewhere else.You didn’t have to endanger us by staying here.”
He raked a hand through his hair.“You’re right.I’m sorry.”
His stiff apology did nothing to assuage her anger.It only made her more furious.“I never want to see you again.”
He gave a curt nod of agreement.
“You have to leave,” she said.
He stared at her for a long moment.“I’ll go, but I’d feel better if you went to your father’s.”
“I don’t give a damn about making you feel better.”
“It’s safer for you and Emily.”
“Now you care about our safety?”
“I always cared about it.”
“Bullshit,” she said with vehemence.“I thought I had to worry about Bennett, and the thugs he owes money to, but the whole time I needed protection fromyou.”
“Mommy?”
Vanessa whirled around to see Emily standing in the doorway.She had Penelope tucked under one arm.Of course Emily hadn’t followed her orders to stay put.The little girl had heard them arguing.
“Why are you mad?”Emily asked.
Vanessa opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it.She couldn’t tell Emily about Paul’s secret identity.She couldn’t pretend nothing was wrong, either.To her chagrin, tears pricked at her eyes again.Paul watched her with a neutral expression.She put her hand on Emily’s shoulder and led her back to their cabin.
“Did Mr.Paul call you a bad name?”
“No.”
“Did you call him a bad name?”
Vanessa wiped the tears from her cheeks and forced a smile.“Guess what?We’re going to your grandpa’s house for a sleepover.”
Emily brightened.“We are?Yay!”
Vanessa went through the motions of packing an overnight bag, but she barely noticed what she tossed into it.She kept replaying the awful exchange with Paul.The heartsick feeling it gave her reminded her of the afternoon she’d caught Bennett cheating.
Paul’s betrayal shouldn’t have felt as sharp, or painful, or all-consuming.She’d known him less than two weeks.She’d been married to Bennett for almost five years.She’d exchanged vows with Bennett, and promised to love him forever.
This affair with Paul was supposed to be a meaningless summer fling, not a lasting romance.Even so, she felt blindsided by his deception.She’d trusted him to be honest with her, and he hadn’t even told her his real name.
She made sure Emily had Penelope before they left.She wasn’t coming back here tonight to search for that freaking doll.
Vanessa noted that Paul had removed the lemonade sign from the front porch and dismantled the stand.The parts were leaning against the side of the cabin, ready to be reused.She hated his thoughtfulness and his goddamned industrious spirit.She tossed her bag inside the car, secured Emily in her car seat, and climbed behind the wheel.Although she doubted Paul was watching, she didn’t look back as she drove away.
She didn’t want him to know how much she cared.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Paul should havejust left.
Why hadn’t he kept his distance from her?He’d known better than to start a relationship with a woman while he was using an alias.Instead of avoiding her, he’d sought her out.He’d practically tripped over his own dick to get to her.He had no excuse for the way he’d handled this.He shouldn’t have stayed at the cabin.As soon as she’d arrived, he should have listened to his instincts and RUN.
Now he was in a bind, all tangled up in love with her and stupid as hell about it.He shouldn’t have kissed her once, let alone taken her to bed multiple times.Kyle had been right; he’d been distracted.He hadn’t been thinking clearly.
