Page 71 of The Heartbreaker Next Door

Tanner laughed, but there was considerably less confidence behind it now. “Is that supposed to scare me?”

“If I wanted to scare you, Tanner, you wouldn’t have to ask.”

That shut him up.

I let that sit there for a second.

“I don’t have to listen to this shit.”

He started to walk away, but I stepped in front of him, blocking his exit. He glanced over my shoulder, and from the look on his face, Damon was now standing behind me.

“You seem to be confused about a few things, so I am going to educate you. You are his father. Act like it. Show up when you say you will. Bring him home when you say you will. Keep your phone charged. And if something happens, you call Felicity immediately so she never has to wonder where her little boy is.”

“And if I don’t?” he sneered.

“That’s a decision you’re free to make.”

He gave me a cocky smile, as if this was a game. “And then what?”

I glanced over my shoulder, through the glass front doors and saw Felicity was talking to Maverick in the truck, but she kept glancing in our direction.

“Then Felicity decides what happens next. Not me.” I paused. “But what you’re not going to do is call her crazy. You’re not going to call her dramatic. You’re not going to tell her she’s overreacting because she expects you to return her son at the agreed upon time. And you sure as hell aren’t going to make her question whether she has the right to be upset when you fuck up.”

“You don’t get to tell me how to talk to my ex.”

“No. But I get to decide what I stand around and listen to.”

Tanner stepped closer. We were now inches away from one another. I didn’t move.

That seems to bother him more than if I had.

“What exactly does that mean?”

“It means I’m going to be around.”

His jaw flexed.

“For a long fucking time, if I have anything to say about it.”

That landed. I saw the flash of anger and irritation in his eyes.

Good.

“So you might as well get used to me, Tanner,” I continued. “Because every time you try to make Felicity feel small, I’ll be there reminding her she isn’t. Every time you try to convince her she’s unreasonable, I’ll be there telling her she’s not. And every time you try to make your shitty behavior somehow her fault, I’ll be standing right beside her while she hands it straight back to you.” I leaned down and lowered my voice. “You had her convinced for a long time that she was the problem.”

His eyes narrowed.

“That shit ends now.”

Behind me, I heard Damon clear his throat.

“Okay.” Damon’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper. “For the record, Voice-of-Reason Damon thinks this conversation has reached its natural conclusion.”

I straightened and gave Tanner one last look.

“Charge your fucking phone.”

Then I turned toward the door.