rather this alpha-hole standing in front of me. Still, he wasn’t the only one who’d changed, and he’d find that out soon enough. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to be with me and then force me not to date. Your phobia of commitment is the reason we’re standing here.”
“No. My son is the reason we’re standing here,” he said, jabbing his finger at the hospital floor. “So, get the fuck back upstairs and take care of him.”
I forced myself to stay in place even though that was exactly what I wanted to do. “No,” I said as I folded my arms. I knew River was fed, dry, and safe. Reluctantly, I admitted it wasn’t just because of the wonderful NICU staff, but because Vaughn was already proving to be a great father.
Vaughn took a threatening step forward, leaving no space between us. All I could see were his green eyes and his perfect teeth as his lips pulled back in a snarl. “You either march back up there on your own two feet, or I drag you back by your hair. The choice is yours.”
My eyes narrowed and my fists balled, ignorant of the fact that he stood a foot taller than me. “I’ve moved on, Rees. You got what you wanted, and I learned a valuable lesson. Why are we even fighting about this? Who I date is none of your concern. River is your concern.”
“Save it.” His aggressive tone had me shrinking back against the wall for safety. “You haven’t moved on. If you had, you wouldn’t be two seconds from getting your ass spanked.” As if to prove his point, Vaughn’s hand dropped to his waist. “If you’re not back upstairs with my son by the time I count to one hundred, the belt comes off.”
My jaw dropped because he had to be joking.
To my eternal humiliation and anger, I learned a moment later that he wasn’t.
“One.”
Needless to say, I heeded Vaughn’s warning even though every fiber of my being screamed at me to rebel. I just wasn’t sure if it was to show Vaughn that I couldn’t be bent or to push him over the edge and force him to deliver his promise.
I didn’t need a spine. I needed therapy.
And the part of me that wasn’t fantasizing about Vaughn bending me over his knee hated him for opening my eyes and making me see a different side of Oliver. No, it wasn’t his job to play the hero, but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that he hadn’t at least tried to defend me. Vaughn was three years his junior, yet my son’s father had sent Oliver running with his tail tucked between his legs and all without lifting a finger. Or fist.
Upstairs, I found River sound asleep as I knew he’d be. I didn’t mind. Even before I allowed myself to love him, there had been nowhere else I’d rather be.
Not even Harvard.
The spring semester would be ending soon, but I hadn’t allowed myself to overthink about school or the fact that I’d have to withdraw. I’d simply cross that bridge when it came. I could always take up nursing when River was old enough. Even though it didn’t come close to my dreams of heading my own surgical department one day or maybe even an entire hospital, it was hard and fulfilling work. I had the nurses here to thank for showing me as much.
After an hour of sitting and twiddling my thumbs, I moved around the small room, cleaning and organizing. After picking up the bottoms Vaughn had slept in last night, I grabbed his duffel, ready to stuff them inside when a near-bursting folder caught my attention. I allowed myself only a second to debate whether I should look inside before I flipped it open. What seemed like hundreds of photos came tumbling out.
Every single one of them was of me.
I DIDN’T BOTHER FOLLOWING TYRA to make sure she’d gone back up. She wasn’t just book smart, after all. She knew exactly when not to test me.
“Dude,” Jamie swore the moment we were alone. His pierced eyebrows were damn near touching his mahogany hairline. “You’re lucky. If you still had your Lamborghini, she’d be outside keying it right now.”
Nine months ago, I would have snorted at the idea of a good girl like Tyra not toeing the line, but she’d proved me wrong. I had the feeling before we finally reached some understanding that she’d do it again.
“Then it’s a good