"This wasn't a mistake, Reeves. This was a choice. Over and over again, for two years." My voice cracks, but not from heartbreak. From rage. "I fell into this thing with Caine. I tried to fight it. I felt guilty every single day. But you? You went looking for her, didn't you?"
His silence is answer enough.
"No, I didn't go looking for her," he tells me. "But she definitely made herself available. Honestly, you know this happens a lot—women practically throwing themselves at me, and this time… I guess I didn't have the resolve to fight her off."
God, I cannot stand his cockiness. It's true… Reeves walks into a room, and women notice—it's always been that way. "Oh, poor you… just couldn't fight the ladies off… it was just too much to bear. I feel for you."
"I'll leave Melissa," he says suddenly, his voice taking on that pleading tone that used to work on me. "I'll end it completely. We can start over, just you and me and Liam. Like it used to be."
I stare at him, this man I've shared seven years of my life with, the father of my child, and wait for some surge of emotion—relief, hope, anything. But there's nothing. Just a hollow emptiness where my feelings for him used to live.
"You don't get it," I whisper, more to myself than to him. "I'm not upset about Melissa."
His brow furrows. "What do you mean?"
The realization hits me like cold water. "I'm not heartbroken that you've been with someone else. I'm not jealous. I'm not even really angry about her specifically." I meet his eyes, and the truth settles over me like a weight. "I don't love you anymore, Reeves. I haven't for a long time."
The words hang between us, brutal and final.
"That's not true," he says, but his voice lacks conviction. "You're just hurt, you're confused—"
"No." I stand up, suddenly exhausted. "I want you to pack your things and go. Tonight."
"Jenny—"
"Go away, Reeves. Just... go away."
The gorillas captivate Liam completely. He presses his face against the glass barrier, his breath fogging the surface as he watches a massive silverback lumber across the enclosure.
"Mama, look! He's so big!" Liam's voice carries that sweet lisp that makes my heart melt every time.
Caine crouches down beside him, matching his height. "That's the daddy gorilla. See how he takes care of his family?"
"Like my daddy?"
The innocent question hits me like a punch to the chest, but Caine handles it with gentle grace. "All daddies are different, buddy. But the important thing is that you have people who love you very much."
Liam nods solemnly, then breaks into a grin when one of the younger gorillas starts swinging from branch to branch. "He's playing!"
"Just like you do at the playground," Caine says, ruffling Liam's dark hair.
The tenderness in his voice makes my throat tight. Watching them together feels surreal—this powerful, controlled man melting into something soft and playful for my son.
"You have a sweet boy," Caine tells me quietly as Liam runs to the next viewing window. "You're clearly an amazing mom."
"Aww… thank you." The compliment warms me more than it should. "He's everything to me."
He smiles. "I can see that."
"I'm so happy you two finally got to meet," I tell him. "I was so nervous about it."
He cocks a brow. "Why?"
"Well, I was worried it wouldn't go well, that you two wouldn't click."
He laughs. "Well, I'm glad it's going well, because I intend to be a big part of your lives… if you'll have me."
My heart warms. "Of course we'll have you… you're nice to have around, and not bad to look at."
