as she leans her cheek against the man’s shoulder.
That could have been us.
I just don’t believe that Serena doesn’t want to be with me. Everything she did and said pointed to her feeling the same way as me. Am I really that stupid? That blind? Was it all an act?
When my ass goes numb from the cold, I force myself to stand up and wander back to Robbie’s house. He gave me a spare key when I arrived yesterday, so I let myself in and strip off my damp clothes. After warming up in the shower, I pack my suitcase and bring it downstairs and leave it by the door. Then, I walk to the living room and look around.
The house creaks gently as a gust of wind blows outside, and the tattered remains of my heart ache.
Surprise, surprise. I’m on my own.
Maybe Serena’s right. There’s nothing for me in this town. I just about tolerate my job on a good day. I have no friends here, and it’s a hell of a lot colder than it is in Woodvale.
She’s doing me a favor.
But even as I try to convince myself that those words are true, an ache radiates from my chest outward. It feels like the exact opposite of a favor. I can see a future with Serena. Kids, even. I could see myself marrying her.
A knock sounds on the door and hope flames in my heart. Maybe it’s Serena coming here to tell me she wants to take it all back. I’d forget that conversation in an instant. Pretend it never happened.
But when I open it up, my face falls.
“Angelo,” I growl.
“Why are you here?” He arches an eyebrow, his question throwing another dagger at my tattered chest. You don’t belong here, his eyes scream. “You need to leave here and not come back.”
Emotions flare inside me, and rage wins. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
The big man scoffs, running a ring-clad hand over his hair. His black eyes drill into mine, and he shakes his head. “You know Serena will never leave here, right? This is where she belongs.”
“Let me guess, she belongs with you, too?”
“You know it’s true.”
“The only thing I know is you’re an asshole.”
The way Angelo bristles makes me think he’s about to punch me in the face. Maybe it would snap me out of this spell I’m in. I square my shoulders, clenching my jaw. Do it.
“You know you’re nothing more than a rebound, right?” Angelo arches an eyebrow. “Serena lost our baby and it nearly broke her. She had to take some time for herself, but she’ll always come back to me.”
“She…what?” Horror sinks down to my marrow, and the triumph on Angelo’s face makes me want to scream.
He shrugs. “We’ve been together since we were kids, Kit. She’ll always come back to me. You’re just a fling.”
My heart constricts, and I know there’s truth to his words. Serena and I spent, what, a couple of weeks together? Had a few phone calls? It can’t possibly compete with a decade-long relationship—no matter how messed up that relationship looks from the outside.
Angelo looks over my shoulder, seeing my suitcase near the wall. “You’re leaving.”
I grunt in response.
He nods. “Good.” And with that, he turns around and stalks away. I watch him get into his ridiculous muscle car and rev it before driving off, the shock of his words still working its way through my system.
When I close the door, I scramble for my phone. Serena answers on the first ring.
“Kit.” She sighs. She sounds tired.
“You were pregnant with Angelo’s kid?” It sounds like an accusation, and I guess it is one. Why would she tell me she never wants kids, never wants a family if she’d already been pregnant?
A memory floats back to me. Her mother mentioning something about a baby—so it’s true?
There’s a beat of silence between us, then Serena releases a breath. “It was a really difficult time.” Her voice breaks, but my anger is too strong to care.
“You told me you didn’t want kids.”
“I…I don’t.”
The hidden meaning isn’t lost on me. I scoff, lifting my eyes up to the ceiling. “What you really mean is, you don’t want kids with me.”
More silence greets me, and I know I’ve hit the truth.
Serena’s voice is strangled when she speaks. “We barely know each other, Kit.”
Embarrassment washes over me, because I know she’s right. I’ve known her for what, two months? Why would she want to have kids with me? Am