“If we’re having a baby, that changes everything.”
Dara glanced at Matt, eyebrows twisted as if to say get a load of this idiot. She rolled her eyes and turned back to her ex-husband. “No, we’re not having a baby. I am.”
“You didn’t tell—”
“Save it.” Her jaw tightened. “It isn’t like you gave me the chance before you left me and petitioned to have your rights terminated.” She narrowed her eyes. “Didn’t exactly indicate you were interested in any baby I might be carrying.”
He shook his head, lowering his gaze. “Look, I made a huge mistake.”
“Okay. Tell me something I don’t know.”
Jon pushed out a breath. “I’m sorry. It was just a huge fucking mistake.”
“When did you figure that out?” she asked through her teeth. “Before or after my mother told you I’m pregnant?”
He glared at her. “Dara, don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what? Ask perfectly reasonable questions about your motives? And why you suddenly sprouted a conscience now that—”
“I’d already realized I fucked up before your mom called. I was—”
“Really, Jon?” She clicked her tongue. “Do you really think I’m that gullible?” Before he could respond, she stabbed a finger at him, sending him back a step. “You cheated on me. You cheated on me, and blamed me for it because I somehow insulted your manhood by daring to make a fucking living, and you made it abundantly clear you wanted nothing to do with this baby.”
“I was angry. I—”
“Angry at what?”
“Because you made me feel fucking useless,” he threw back. “Do you have any idea what it does to a guy to watch a woman try that hard to have some other man’s baby?”
Matt’s gut clenched. Part of him wanted to step in front and tell this guy to beat it before Matt broke his neck, but Dara would never stand for that. He had her back, though, and stopped behind her, giving her room to breathe and giving the asshole a look that said watch it, dude, because if she comes at you, I ain’t stopping her.
Dara glanced at him, then faced Jon again. “Don’t twist all this shit around. I wasn’t trying to have some other man’s baby. Yeah, the DNA isn’t yours, but the whole point was so we could have a family together. Which didn’t seem to bother you in the slightest until our finances changed.”
Jon flinched. She hit that one on the head, didn’t she?
“What did you expect?” Jon threw up his hands. “You obviously didn’t need me.”
“Need you? What the hell? I married you because I loved you and I wanted to be with you, Jon, not because I needed you.”
“Yeah.” Her ex laughed bitterly. “Because that’s what every man wants.”
“Then maybe you should’ve spelled that out for me before we got married, because I was under the impression that you loved me, not my subservient bank account.”
“Dara.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and then shook his head. “You’re turning this into—”
“Oh, don’t even start with that.” She pointed sharply at his car. “You made your choice, and we’re done here. I don’t want to see you again unless it’s in a courtroom.”
“Dara, we—”
“Don’t think I won’t call the cops. Get off my property. Now.”
He hesitated. His eyes darted toward Matt.
Dara stepped in front of her ex. “Now, Jon. Leave.”
He muttered something under his breath, turned on his heel and started down the porch steps.
She slammed the door behind him and turned the dead bolt. “Son of a bitch.” Exhaling hard, she leaned back against the door, eyes closed. In silence, they both listened to Jon’s footsteps, the car door opening and the engine starting. Matt held his breath, hoping to God the idiot had gotten the message and got the hell out of here. Dara didn’t need this.
Gravel crunched under tires. Then the tires spun, and a few rocks pinged off the front window and the door like bullets, startling both of them.
As the engine faded into the distance, Matt came closer. “You okay?”
She took a breath, and if he knew her as well as he thought he did, she was about to tell him that, yeah, she was fine. But then she slid down so she was sitting on the floor and burst into tears. She covered her face with shaking hands, murmuring apologies as she fell to pieces.
Matt sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her as he whispered, “Come here.”
Pride would usually have her stiffening in his embrace and insisting that, no, she really was fine. But this time, she caved right in. She held on to him, sobbing on his shoulder, and he just held her, exactly the way he had when that asshole Ben Reilly broke her heart in high school. Dara never had been prone to crying, but she was only human, and if someone cut her deep enough…