“None of your business.”
I raise a brow at his defense. “I think it is my business, considering you’re standing here in my living room, apparently getting the address from her.”
He sighs, his bright green eyes and bleached hair somehow too bright and overwhelming in this space I’ve created for myself. “We didn’t want to hurt you.”
I raise a brow, waiting without patience. “Who?”
Before he can answer, Jax and Lawson come in the back door. Shaking off the remnants of snow sticking to his boots, Jax looks up and stops in surprise. “Uh…Hi.”
“Who the hell is this?” Zack asks me, raising an accusing finger to Jax.
“This is my boyfriend,” I answer without giving a name since he’s been withholding information as well.
“Why is he holding my son?” Zack asks, marching over to Jax. I move quickly, getting between them both.
“Touch him, and you’re gonna be sorry.” It’s not a great line, but Mama Bear isn’t playing around, and I mean every word of it.
“City, who’s this?” Jax asks, playing nonchalant. He knows exactly who it is, but he was obviously trying to get a rise out of him.
“This is Zack Hoffman, my ex.”
“And?” Zack asks me, eyebrows raised and hands on his hips, waiting for me to fill out the blank.
“And nothing. You signed the paper,” I remind him, wanting to rush to my office and grab the release of rights, the paper I was halfway tempted to frame because of how thrilled I was to receive it.
“Well, I changed my mind,” Zack says, puffing out his chest. His eyes bounce from me to Jax, not even looking at Law, which means he’s not actually here for that. “My girlfriend and I want to have him part-time.”
“That is so not happening,” I say, standing my ground. “You gave him up, Zack. You never once inquired about him or his health. You don’t get to just barge in after months and pretend you give a shit.”
He grits his teeth, pointing at Jax. “Does he have to be here for this conversation? Let’s go get coffee and talk this out, Felicity.”
I look over at Jax, and if he wasn’t in charge of Lawson at that moment, I’m pretty sure Zack would be bleeding in one capacity or another. I bite my lip, thinking over what to do, and sigh.
“I will go with you and talk somewhere else.” Only to get to the bottom of whatever the hell he was talking about.
Zack smirks, and I want to smack it right off of him. “Good, let’s go.”
I turn to Jax, and he gives me a pissed-off look. I shrug. “Just let me go handle this, and then we’ll go to your mom’s for dinner, like we planned.”
Jax seems to relax just a little, his eyes searching mine, but he says, “I don’t trust him, City Girl.”
“I don’t either. I’ll keep you informed, okay?” I lean down, kiss my son’s cheek, and then reciprocate the action with Jax. Ican tell he’s really not happy with the situation, but I need to be done with Zack once and for all.
I might have acted differently if it wasn’t for the sketchy way Zack was being. He’s withholding the information on who he is dating, he’s pretending to give a shit about Lawson when he didn’t even ask to hold him, and not to mention, not once since he found out about the baby through his lawyer did he try to reach out and contact me.
There is something else going on here, and I don’t like it one bit.
With the storm cleared up, it’s easy enough to walk to town, and forcing Zack to wait for me after he insists on driving his car is just the cherry on top.
I meet him inside Belle’s Bakery, taking my time as I decide on a hot coffee and making small talk with Aveline, someone whom I’ve gotten to know since I’ve been home.
When I finally sit down at the little table Zack has chosen, his impatience is blatant on his face. “Finally. You could do without all that crap, you know? Tea is the right choice for a caffeine fix.”
I give him a blank look, lifting my coffee to my lips, never taking my eyes off his to show him that I could give a fuck less what he thinks.
He raises his hands, feigning innocence, like I haven’t known him for years. “I’m just thinking of your career, Felicity.”
I purse my lips, nodding my head sarcastically. “That’s good. It would be a shame to think of me as a human who’s only a few months postpartum, huh?”
