His grin lights up the room as his eyes sparkle with amusement. “Always.”
I don’t doubt that for a second as I remember all the times I tried to fight what I was feeling for Miles, but never had the strength to stay away.
Laughing softly, I thank him again and hug him goodbye, promising to have Charlie over again soon.
After stopping by the grocery store for dinner ingredients, I get busy in the kitchen chopping up the salad veggies to go with our steaks tonight.
My phone rings, and I glance down to see Miles filling up my screen. Smiling, I wipe my hands on the kitchen towel and swipe to answer.
“Hi,” I grin, feeling the butterflies take flight in my stomach. Excitement for tonight weaves in, and I absently touch my new tattoo. I can’t wait to show him and tell him how I feel.
“Hi, beautiful.” His smooth voice warms my insides, and I want to giggle like a schoolgirl. God, I love this man. “How’s your day going?”
“It’s going good. I worked for a bit this morning and did some cleaning around the house before I dropped Bee off at Jake and Lyla’s. Now it’s just me and Gizmo hanging out.” I glance down at the sleeping dog at my feet. His eye opens briefly at the sound of his name before he goes back to snoring. “How was your day?”
“Meeting with a new band went well. I’m thinking of having them on a regular basis. They are young and need some guidance, but with my help, I can see them going far. I’ll work with them as much as I can and hopefully get them connected with Tony.”
“That’s great,” I smile. He’s been telling me how he wants togive back and help mentor some of these young bands. Music will always be a passion of his, and I love how he wants to help others succeed like he did. “They are lucky to have you.”
A knock on the door has me glancing up. Walking over, I open the door and grip the frame for support when I see who’s on the other side. It’s been five years since I’ve seen him, but I would recognize that smug smile anywhere. His dark hair is longer on top than I remember, and his sides are cut short. He has a few more tattoos and a new nose piercing that he didn’t have before. Blue eyes wander down my body, and my stomach forms a knot.
“Olivia, are you still there?” I realize I’m still holding the phone in my hand as Miles’s voice finally registers in my brain.
“Yes, I’m here.” Mark gets an amused look on his face, and I want to smack it right off of him. “I…I need to let you go. I’ll see you soon.” I panic and hang up before Mark breathes a word. The last thing I want to do is get Miles involved in my mess.
“What are you doing here? And how the hell did you find me?”
“Hello to you, too, Vee.” I cringe at the stupid nickname he gave me. I used to think it made me special, but now it makes me want to vomit.
“You didn’t answer my question.” I stare into the eyes that I once thought were my whole world and feel…nothing.
“Turns out your old landlord is a fan of mine, and he gave me your forwarding address. I have to admit that Florida life is treating you good. You look hot, but then again, you always were the most stunning girl in the crowd.”
“Did you tell that to all the girls you were fucking behind my back?” I ask coldly.
“I was young and stupid, Vee. Cut me some slack, okay? I let the fame get to me, but none of them meant anything to me like you did. I loved you. I still do.” He takes a step forward, and Iback up before walking to the kitchen and creating some distance. My skin crawls with uneasiness to have him near me.
A low growl has me looking down as Gizmo stands in front of me, being my shield. Even he knows this guy is bad news.
“What the hell is that?” He looks down with disgust, and I immediately defend my shining knight.
“He’s mine,” I say protectively, bending down to reassure him that I’m okay. He finally relaxes and goes to his bed in the living room, but his one eye never leaves Mark.
Standing up, my mind starts reeling about why he’s here, and all my thoughts go to Bee. Thank God she’s at Lyla’s.
“I asked you why you are here,” I whisper, gripping the countertop so hard my knuckles turn white.
“I want you back,” he says simply. “I miss you.”
Shaking my head, I feel the panic rise up in me. I know he signed over his rights, but the fear is always there that he will try to take her from me.
“I’m not going back to you. I don’t love you anymore. I haven’t for a long time.”
“Come on. You don’t mean that. Don’t you remember how good it was between us? We can get that back. Be a family. That’s what you wanted, right? For me to be a dad? Well, I’m standing here telling you that I can give that to you.” He looks around before landing on me again. “Is she here?”
“No,” I whisper. “She’s not here and you can’t just walk in here and all of the sudden want to be her dad.”
The sound of a motorcycle is heard in the distance and I back up until I hit the counter knowing that this isn’t going to go well. Miles must have left right after we hung up, sensing something was wrong.
