CHAPTER TEN #2
The contrast to earlier hits me hard, emotions swirl beneath the surface and I fight them back.
He stays close, moving around the room, disposing of the condom, fixing his clothes, but his eyes keep flicking back to me.
Watching. Checking. Like he’s looking for any tiny sigh I might regret it all over again.
I sit on the edge of his desk, smoothing my dress, suddenly aware of everything—my breathing, my heartbeat, the way he’s looking at me.
He steps back in front of me, placing a hand on either side of the desk, caging me in without quite touching.
“Now, what?” he asks.
I shrug, suddenly shy under his gaze. I don’t know what the right answer is, and I don’t know what this is.
“There’s a lot against us,” he says, quieter now.
The words cut through whatever haze I was still in and reality rushes back, bringing me to my senses.
“Right,” I say quickly, sitting straighter. “Of course. If you want to just forget it happened, then—”
“I don’t.” The firmness in his voice stops me. I look up at him, surprised. He holds my gaze. “I don’t want to forget it,” he repeats. Something in my chest tightens. Hope. “I want to see where this could go.”
“But what about all the things against us?” I ask quietly.
He studies me for a moment, like he’s weighing it all up. “Then we deal with them,” he says simply. “One at a time.”
“That sounds . . . complicated.”
A small smile tugs at his lips. “It might be.” There’s no hesitation in him. No doubt. “We’ll work it out as we go,” he continues. “No pressure, Wynter. We take it slow . . . see where it leads.”
“And if it doesn’t lead anywhere?” I ask, searching his face.
His expression softens slightly. “Then at least we’ll know we didn’t walk away from something before we gave it a chance.”
I nod. “Okay.”
His hand lifts to my jaw, his thumb brushing lightly over my cheek before he leans in and presses a softer, slower kiss to my lips this time.
“I’ll walk you back,” he murmurs against my mouth.
A couple of days have passed since Ray said he wanted to see where things might go between us.
So far, it’s been good. Better than I expected.
He hasn’t scowled at me once. But he’s also barely here because work seems to have swallowed him whole, and the few hours he does come home are in the middle of the night. He slipped into my room sometime after three this morning and was gone again before I woke at six.
Not that I’m complaining. Anika keeps me busy enough.
“Has Ray gone?” she asks as I wipe her mouth. I nod, and her eyes sharpen slightly. “I need a favour.”
My stomach tightens because her expression is telling me it’s going to be a big ask . . . one I won’t like. “Okay . . .”
“Luke’s coming over.”
I groan, already shaking my head. “Anika, don’t put me in this position.”
“Please,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “He’s talking about going for full custody of Sebastian. Since the last hearing went his way, he thinks the judge is on his side. I need to speak to him before this goes any further.”
“Ray will lose his mind if he finds out.”
“He doesn’t need to find out,” she says quickly. “He told me himself, he’s slammed today. He won’t be back for hours.” Like that makes this any less of a terrible idea.
The intercom buzzes, and I freeze. She looks at me, pleading, her eyes glassy.
And just like that . . . I cave. Again.
Luke Malone is even more annoying than the first time I briefly met him. He’s definitely the kind of man who thinks money makes him untouchable. His bleached-blonde hair is styled within an inch of its life, and he’s dripping in expensive clothes. There’s a look in his eye that makes my skin crawl.
He steps out the elevator, his gaze dragging slowly over my body like I’m something to be assessed.
And he doesn’t say a word as he just walks straight past me like I don’t exist. I clench my jaw in annoyance as he heads into Anika’s room. Wanker.
I hover in the kitchen, pretending to tidy, my ears straining for raised voices. For anything.
My heart pounds the entire time, every second stretching longer than the last.
If Ray walks through that door . . . I don’t even want to think about it. We’ve only just started getting along. This would destroy that.
It’s nearly half an hour later when Luke finally reappears. He doesn’t look at me on the way out either, just strides back into the elevator like he owns the place. The second the doors close, I let out a shaky breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding. Then I rush to Anika to find her crying.
“Oh shit . . . what happened?” I ask, grabbing tissues and dabbing at her cheeks.
“He wants full custody,” she chokes. “Of Sebastian. All the time.”
“Why?” I ask, though I already know the answer won’t be good.
“He told his wife about me,” she whispers. “About everything. So, now, he doesn’t need to sneak around anymore.” Her lip trembles. “He thinks Sebastian will be better off with a ‘proper’ family. A mum who can actually move.”
Anger flares hot in my chest. “You are his mum,” I say firmly. “There’s no replacement for that. And Sebastian worships you, you know that. He thinks you’re the coolest person in the world.”
“But he’s not wrong, is he?” she whispers. “They can give him more.”
“More than what?” I snap before I can stop myself. “More than you? More than Ray, Dale, me, Catherine, Alga? That’s not more, Anika, that’s different.”
She looks away, defeated. “I’m tired, Wynter,” she admits softly. “I’m so tired of fighting him.”
My heart hurts at her words. “You need to tell Ray,” I say gently. “He’ll fix this. He always does.”
She shakes her head. “What’s the point?” she murmurs. “When I’m gone, Ray won’t stand a chance of keeping Sebastian.”
A chill runs through me. “Why do you keep saying that?” I ask quietly. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“This isn’t a life,” she murmurs. It’s so quiet, I almost miss it. “I don’t want this life.”
My chest tightens. I dab at her tears again, a little more firmly this time, like I can wipe the words away too. “That’s enough, Anika,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “This is a bad day, that’s all. Tomorrow, Ray will deal with Luke, and everything will feel different.”
“You can’t tell him,” she says quickly, her eyes snapping to mine.
I hesitate.
“If he finds out Luke was here, we’re both screwed,” she continues. “You know what he’s like. He’ll go after him, and that’ll make everything worse.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Ray can’t help me from prison.”
I swallow.
“He’ll find out anyway when Luke appeals,” I point out quietly.
“Then we deal with it then,” she insists. “But right now, you can’t tell him. I mean it, Wynter.”
I hate this—the lies, the secrets—and Ray hates them even more.
Yet I picture his face if he walks through that door and finds out Luke was here. The anger. The fallout. The damage it would do to whatever fragile thing we’ve just started building.
I look back at Anika, at the fear in her eyes.
“Okay,” I say softly.
Just for now, I’ll keep quiet and let this play out. Maybe Luke won’t push it any further. Maybe this will all settle before it explodes.
But deep down . . .
I know it won’t.
RAY
“I’m calm,” I say. I’m not. “Continue.”
Richard Borne shifts in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. His gaze flicks between me and Dale, who’s pacing like a caged animal.
“He’s claiming Anika is suicidal,” Richard says carefully. “Do you know anything about that?”
My jaw tightens. “How would he know that? He doesn’t see her.” I shake my head. “It’s bullshit. Anika’s fine.”
“So, she hasn’t expressed thoughts of harming herself?”
“No,” I snap, then I take another breath to rein it in slightly. “Not seriously. She talks about the future. About Sebastian. About what happens if she’s not around. She’s a single mother, Richard, of course she thinks about those things.”
“And he’s using that against her in the appeal.”
Dale stops pacing, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Let me get this straight,” he mutters. “He sets the original terms, gets what he wants, and now he’s appealing anyway?”
“He’s changing his position,” Richard replies. “His wife knows about Anika and Sebastian now, and she’s fully supporting him. They believe Sebastian would be better off with them. They’re willing to allow visitation—”
“You’re talking like this is already decided,” I cut in, my voice turning sharp. “It’s not. Sebastian isn’t going anywhere.”
Richard exhales slowly, like he expected that reaction. “On paper,” he says, “they present a stronger case. Stable household, two parents, proven track record raising children—”
“So?” I snap.
He slides a photograph across the desk. “Elaina Oakley. Luke’s wife.”
I don’t even glance at it properly. “I know who she is,” I say coldly. “Get to the point.”
“Then you know her father is a wealthy banker and her trust fund is ridiculous. They’re arguing they can offer Sebastian opportunities that Anika can’t.”
I let out a short, humourless laugh. “Do you know who was there when that kid was born?” I ask, my voice dropping dangerously low. “Me. I cut the fucking cord. I brought him home. I looked after Anika.”
My words are met with silence.
“I pay for his schooling,” I continue. “His childcare. I even cover the damn medical bills for Luke’s fucking ex-mistress.” The words burn on the way out. “So, no, I’m not letting him take that kid because it’s the only thing she has left.”
Dale leans against the desk, frowning. “There’s something off here,” he says. “Luke’s never given a shit about Sebastian. Now, suddenly, he’s playing happy families? Even telling his wife about an affair that he’s kept hidden for years?”
“Nothing Luke does makes sense,” I mutter.
Dale turns to Richard. “If he gets full custody, what does he gain financially?”
Richard hesitates. “Maintenance, potentially. And if anything were to happen to Anika, Sebastian’s inheritance would be held in trust. Luke wouldn’t have direct access, but—”
“He’d find a way,” I finish.
We fall into silence, all trying to work through our racing thoughts.