“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet, okay? Not until Jason’s had a chance to explain his side. It might not be anything. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.”
“I really hope you’re right, Sof. Because if it turns out he’s actually a selfish coward and has been purposely leading me on, I swear I’m done with men for the next twenty years. And I mean it—fuckingmean it.”
My best friend just rolls her eyes like I’m being overdramatic. “Why don’t I stay at yours tonight? We can grab some snacks on the way and binge on reruns ofAnimal Kingdom. How does that sound?”
I give her a small smile. “Sounds like the perfect way to end a shitty day.”
We gather our things and step outside, both eager to escape the noise and chaos behind us. My mind is elsewhere as I step out the door—too distracted to notice the person in front of me.
A firm chest halts me, strong hands gripping my arms to steady me. When I look up, my body instantly freezes. Then in the next moment a smaller hand grabs my elbow and pulls me behind, as if shielding me from the person standing before us.
“Don’t fucking touch her, arsehole!” Sofia yells, turning a few heads our way.
I’m still frozen in shock when I hear Dean’s deep voice cut through the air between us, as if he didn’t hear Sofia’s warning. “Mila?”
We stand there, blinking and frowning in disbelief, neither of us able to look away.
It’s been a over three months since I last saw my ex, and though I’ve done my best to avoid him, I always knew our paths would cross again, restraining order or not. I just didn’t think it would be this soon.
A subtle movement next to Dean catches my eye, and that’s when I notice the attractive brunette clinging to his arm. She looks visibly uncomfortable, her expression a mix of unease and quiet curiosity as she stares back at me.
My ex follows my gaze to the woman hanging off his arm, like he’s only just remembered that she’s been standing there the whole time.
Deliberately ignoring him, I take a step towards the unfamiliar woman. “Hi, I’m Mila Rivera. Dean’s ex-girlfriend. The woman he used to look in the eyes and say he loved, right before he’d slap me and choke me until I blacked out.Thatex-girlfriend.”
The woman’s eyes widen as she looks between Dean and me. He keeps his head down, unable—or unwilling—to meet either of our eyes, as if too ashamed to face the disgusting truth about him.
“He may be charming you now with sweet words and grand gestures, but believe me when I say that he is not the man you think he is. The person standing beside you is a liar. A manipulator. An abuser. I’m not here to tell you what to do. You’ll have to make that choice for yourself. I’m just here to warn you.”
I flick my gaze to Dean, staring him dead in the eyes. “And if there ever comes a day when he lays a hand on you—which I pray never happens—reach out to me. We’ll make sure this piece of shit never gets away with it again.”
With those final words, I take Sofia by the hand, her lips curving into a wicked grin as we walk away, leaving the couplerooted to their spot, mouths agape, and the air thick with unspoken tension.
CHAPTER 36
Jason
The past two days have been a whirlwind of confusion and mild panic. It all started when I lost my phone Friday night while out getting a late snack with Jake, Elena, and her parents—only to discover it the following night at the bottom of Jake’s backpack. I still have no idea how it ended up there, and when I asked him if he remembered putting it in his bag he just shrugged and said, “I don’t think so.” My son has the memory of a goldfish sometimes.
Everything else spiralled after that. I couldn’t fix the urgent supply problem back at the restaurant without a phone, and worse, I was completely cut off from Mila for an entire day.
After our final trip to Disneyland on Saturday, things took another unexpected turn.
Elena came down with a bout of food poisoning, likely from a piece of raw fish that had no business being on a plate, and we found ourselves in the emergency room for nearly four hours.
It wasn’t until later that night that we stumbled back into the hotel, exhausted and dehydrated. Jake stayed with me in my hotel room while Elena rested in hers, his quiet presence a small comfort in the chaos. And it was only then, as I was helping him unpack his bag, that I found my phone switched off and tucked deep at the bottom, as if someone had tried hiding it there the whole time.
It’s now 9:35 on a Sunday night, and the plane is just about to take off for Sydney, this time with Jake and my ex-wife seated beside me. Elena, pale and visibly drained, had chosen to forgothe final leg of the trip, deciding not to continue on to Osaka. Though she insists she’s feeling much better, I can see in her face she’s just ready to get home and sleep the day away. She’s leaning back in her seat, eyes closed, cocooned in a thin airline blanket, while Jake sits between us, contentedly nibbling on a packet of pretzels.
Elena’s parents chose to continue on without us, and though the trip was cut short, Jake didn’t seem to mind. He’s already brimming with stories, eager to tell his friends all about his trip to Disneyland, and the baby panda he half-jokingly plotted to smuggle home.
We sit quietly as we watch the cabin crew perform their safety demonstrations under the muted glow of the overhead lights, their gestures fluid and practiced. For once, the day passed without incident, a rare and welcome reprieve after the emotional shitstorm of the past twenty-four hours.
“I can’t wait to sleep in my bed. I miss Murphy,” Jake mumbles between crunchy bites of pretzels, talking about his stuffed toy beetle.
“By the time you wake up, we’ll be in Sydney already. So, quickly finish your snack, and get some sleep.”
While I’m grateful to be flying home with my boy, what I really long for is to see Mila and hold her in my arms again. After more than a day of silence that stretched like an eternity, I finally reached her just moments before leaving for the airport this afternoon.
