“No, you didn’t.” He smiled, thankful for the change of subject. “Do I need to wag my finger at you for overdoing it?”
“Go ahead. I’ll wag the middle one right back at you.”
Matt laughed. “Fair enough.”
“You want to see it?” She gestured over her shoulder at the stairs. “It’s not much right now, but—”
“Sure, I’d love to.”
They left their coffee cups on the table and headed upstairs. He hadn’t been up this way in the daylight, and holy shit. Someone who was either colorblind or possessed by demons had covered nearly every vertical surface in this house with wallpaper, and it only got worse on the second floor. The stairs and hallway were lined with the weirdest pattern he’d ever seen on a wall. Something involving razor-thin red and blue lines bending and twisting up and down the walls like something out of Tron or a bad ECG. He couldn’t even look straight at it because it fucked with his migraine-prone eyes.
At the end of the hall, across from her bedroom, Dara pushed open the door. In here, the décor was a little tamer, thank God. The faint brownish color reminded him of what a freshly painted white fence looked like after a horse rubbed up against it. The carpet looked like the same horse had taken a good roll.
Dara folded her arms loosely beneath her breasts and wrinkled her nose. “Ugly as hell, isn’t it?”
“You don’t say.” Still, there was something about this room that made his heart race. It might’ve been just a bare room, but it was the room where his kid would be sleeping. How surreal. Soon, there’d be baby-sized furniture in here, and in a few months…the baby. Their baby. The one in that fuzzy ultrasound picture that neither of them could quite interpret—the image that had somehow hammered home the reality that this was happening. Standing here in this room with that picture in his wallet…
Shit. When they actually started setting up a crib and whatever else she’d need, he was probably going to have to go back on his blood pressure medication.
“Matt?”
He shook himself and turned to her. “Hmm?”
She tilted her head. “You spaced out for a second there.”
He cleared his throat. “Trying to picture it all, I guess. Are you, um, going to change the…” He gestured at the walls.
“Not when I’m only here for a few months.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “We’ll just keep the lights dim so he never sees it.”
Matt laughed. “He’d never forgive us.”
“Could you blame him?”
“Not even a little. So, what all do you need?” He paused. “Do we need?”
A smile played at her lips. Shrugging, she surveyed the ugly, empty room. “Well, I’ve already got the crib picked out, and some other furniture. I’ll go buy all of that this week.”
“Already?”
“Well, the sooner it’s here, the less I have to deal with it later on. When things are more difficult. Physically.”
Matt nodded. “Just holler if you need help. I’ve put together my share of IKEA furniture.”
She laughed. “So you’re a seasoned pro.”
“You’re damn right.”
“And as for all of this…” She scowled at the bare, muddy walls. “At least it’s a rental, so I don’t have to deal with redoing the wallpaper or painting or any of that crap. I’d like to put something up, though. So it doesn’t look like a jail cell.”
“Got any ideas?”
Her lips twisted. “The stores only have all this pastel stuff, and ducks and bunnies and whatever.” Then she turned her head “Do you think it’s too early to start hanging AC/DC and Blade Runner posters?”
“There’s no such thing as too early for that.” He looked around the room. “Might not look good with that wallpaper, though.”
“Well, it can’t make it look any worse.” She flashed him a wicked grin. “How hard do you think it would be to get our hands on a Star Wars-themed mobile for the crib?”
He blinked.
She gestured as if she were turning a mobile over an imaginary crib. “You know, with a Millennium Falcon, a Death Star, maybe some Imperial Warships?”
Matt’s lips parted. “That would be so awesome.”
“Right? Maybe some Ewok teddy bears?” She turned to him, her expression deathly serious. “Or maybe KISS plushies? They have to have those somewhere on the Internet.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Matt shook his head. “Are you seriously telling me that you envision this room—our baby’s nursery—with a 1980s rock and science fiction mashup theme?”
She glanced around, then half shrugged. “Pretty much, yeah.”
“Is it wrong to be a little turned on right now?”
“Maybe for you.” She grinned, sliding her arms around the back of his neck. “I get to blame hormones, so it’s never wrong for me to be turned on.”
“But I don’t have that excuse.”
She shrugged, drawing him a little closer. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” He kissed her. Funny how quickly this had become natural and easy—one night together, and they’d slipped effortlessly into this gray area between friends and lovers. It wasn’t love and it wasn’t forever, but he couldn’t deny he liked what it was now.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this in the baby’s bedroom,” he murmured against her lips.
“Good thing my bedroom’s right across the—”
The doorbell rang.
They both turned their heads toward the window, as if they’d be able to see who was there.
“You expecting anyone?” he asked.
“No.” She shrugged and looked up at him again. “If it’s UPS, they’ll leave it on the porch.”
“True. So where were—”
It rang again. Twice.
“What the hell?” Dara released him and went to the window. She leaned on the sill and looked outside at the driveway, and her spine straightened. “Oh, you’ve got to be shitting me.”
“What? Who is—”
She brushed past him, heading for the door, and growled, “My ex-husband.”
Fucking seriously? He glanced out the window. He couldn’t see the front porch, but there was a black Lexus parked at an odd angle beside his truck in the driveway.
He hurried out of the room. As he came down the stairs, Dara and her ex were already firing shots across the threshold.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to my wife.”
“Jon, let’s not do this.”
“I just want to talk. Why are—” A dark-haired tanned guy in a red jacket and sunglasses stood on the porch and did a double take at Matt. He took off his sunglasses and gestured at Matt with them. “Who the fuck are you?”
Dara cut in: “None of your goddamned business.”
Her ex-husband’s jaw tightened. “Moved on already, huh?”
“Seriously?” Dara folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You left me for another woman, and you’re going to even think about playing that card?”
Jon released a breath. “Look, can we just talk?”
“Why? What in the world would that change?”
The man swallowed. “You didn’t tell me you were pregnant.”
She pulled in a sharp breath. “Then who did?”
“Your mother called me.”
“Oh for God’s sake,” Dara muttered. “Well she—”
“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…
He didn’t speak. There was nothing he could say that she’d want to hear, so he stroked her hair and let her lean on him.
When she pulled back after a while, she wiped her eyes and took a few deep slow ragged breaths. “I’m so sorry. God, fuck these hormones.”
“Dara.” He kept his arm around her shoulders. “Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t have emotions.”
“Still.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair. “That asshole. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
He didn’t know if she meant the exchange with her ex or the collapse afterward, but either way, he gently squeezed her arm.
She started to sit back, so he withdrew his arm to give her some room. She leaned against the door, elbows resting on her upraised knees and one hand over her eyes. “I didn’t think it would hurt that much to see him again.”
“Is this the first time you’ve seen him since he left?”
She nodded. “He told me he was leaving, and that’s all she wrote.” She dropped her hand and let her head fall back against the door. Staring up at the ceiling, she added, “I spent a solid week hoping he’d change his mind. And now…”
Matt swallowed. He had no idea what to say. She probably didn’t need to hear that she deserved better, or that Jon needed to be fucked sideways with a flaming cactus. He was pretty sure she already knew all that.
Dara closed her eyes. “I know it’s over. I’ve accepted that, and I’m ready to move on. But I guess I’ve been so focused on the baby and moving.” She covered her face. “God, I really didn’t think it would hurt like this.”
“He’s the man you were planning to raise a family with,” Matt said softly. “And he changed his mind. Of course it’s going to hurt to see him.”
“I know. He’s lucky I didn’t throw his ass off the porch and run him over, but up until a few weeks ago, I loved him. I mean, I guess I still do in a way. I would never take him back in a million years after what he did, but I mean, why was it so hard to tell him no?”
“Because of who he was to you.” Matt laced their fingers together. “You’re not hurting over the guy who cheated on you and abandoned you—you’re hurting over the one you married and wanted to raise a family with.”
Dara was quiet for a moment. Then she wiped her eyes and nodded. “You’re probably right.” She cracked a faint smile. “I’m still holding these fucking hormones accountable, though.”
Matt laughed and hugged her again. He wouldn’t argue with her if this meant her sense of humor was coming back.
She let her head fall back against the door again and closed her eyes. “I really wish I could have a fucking beer right now.”
Matt scowled. “I think you deserve a few shots of tequila after that.”
“You’re damn right I do. And of course, I can’t have any of that either. Damn it.”
“I could have a few for you.”
“Tequila makes you stupid.”
“I know. But that would be entertaining for you.”
She looked at him, and his heart clenched. Bad time for a joke? But then she laughed softly and took his hand. “Yeah, it would be entertaining.” The humor faded as quickly as it had come back. “I can’t believe my mother—” She covered her face again. “Who am I kidding? I totally can.”
“Why the hell would she do this?”
“Because she’s convinced t
hat I’m being irresponsible and selfish by having this baby alone. Because, clearly, I knew when I got pregnant that my husband was about to turn from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Douchebag.”
“Does she know what he’s like? What he did?”
Dara nodded, sniffing sharply. “She thinks I was wrong for not telling him I was pregnant. That he deserved to know so he could make things right. She was ready to throttle him when she found out he left, but now apparently I’m the bad guy for not taking him back.” She blew out a breath. “Maybe she’s right. I don’t know. I don’t fucking know.”
“Dara.” Matt lifted her chin so they were looking in each other’s eyes, and he gently brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “You’re not the bad guy. No matter how much your mother tries to guilt you and make you think you’re being selfish and irresponsible, I have absolute faith that you can take care of yourself and this baby. I knew back when I donated for you that no matter what, any child you raised would be in good hands. In fact, there isn’t another woman alive who I’d trust to raise my biological kids with me out of the picture.” He smiled. “And as shitty as the circumstances are that brought all this on, I’m glad I’m not out of the picture now. So I can be part of my kid’s life, but also so I can be there when you’re the mother I always knew you would be.”
Dara smiled, and as her eyes teared up again, she quickly swiped at them. “Damn it, Matt.”
“Just hormones, right?”
“Absolutely.” She sniffed, then wrapped her arms around him. “And thank you.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Any time.”
“You still want to go out drinking?”
“You really want to watch me drink?”
“If it’s tequila and there’s karaoke, you’d better believe it.”
“Hey, if it’ll make you feel better.”
She drew back and met his gaze. “No, I’m kidding.” She wiped her eyes again. “But I could stand to kill some shit in CGI.” Gesturing toward the living room, she added, “Join me for some Call of Duty?”
Matt grinned. “Sounds better than tequila.”
Chapter Sixteen
“So my ex-husband paid me a visit yesterday.” Dara glared at her mother across the kitchen table. “Any thoughts on how he magically knew about the baby? Or my address, for that matter?”
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