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I reveal, "He asked whose fault it was that I went through pregnancy and childbirth without him."

Carla's face changes to anger. "He said that?"

"Yep."

"Asshole."

I put my hand over my face again and bite my lip.

"What?" she asks.

I admit, "I pretty much baited him into saying it. And he apologized immediately."

"Still an asshole."

"Carla."

"What? You expect me to defend him and not you? No way!"

I softly laugh. "Carla, you can't hold Mason over Jagger."

"I'm not. You pushed Charlie out of your whoo-ha without him there. And her head is pretty big!"

"Girl!"

"It's true! Your life is the one that got all rearranged. He gets to stay on his ranch and get all the benefits of you and Charlie. Then he thinks he gets to control you too? No. Don't let him," she advises.

"I don't really think that's what he was trying to do."

She studies me. "Are you defending him?"

"No."

"You kind of are."

I toss my hands in the air. "I'm mad at him. And you can be mad at somebody and still love them." My heart stops.

Carla freezes, then taunts, "Did you just hear what you said?"

"It was just an expression."

She shakes her head. "Nope! You said you love him."

"Not exactly." My pulse ticks up.

"Close enough."

I put my face in my elbows on the table. "Ugh. This is crazy." Heat climbs my neck.

She firmly says, "Lainey."

I peek out. "I can't love him. I don't even know him. It's just me being soft from seeing him with Charlie. He really is a great daddy. He just stepped right up and into the role, and it's not an act. He really loves her and wants her in his life. He wants me in his life. And…"

Silence fills the table.

"And what?" Carla asks.

"I want to be in his. There. I said it. It doesn't make sense. I barely know the guy, and I hated him for almost a year. But it is what it is. So let's move on. I'm not discussing this anymore," I declare.