Wide Open Spaces (Shooting Stars #2) - Aurora Rose Reynolds Page 0,57

arms around me hold me tighter.

“Stop, right now. Stop!” I hiss, pushing him away, taking a step back once I’m free from his hold, and then point a finger at him. “You are not going to manipulate me. You are not going to manipulate this situation and make me feel like shit because your ego can’t handle the fact that I’ve moved on too. You let me go long before I gave up fighting for us, so do not try to act like you have been pining over me. I’m not the person you want. I will never be the person you want me to be. We don’t fit, Max.”

“I don’t care if you want to work. I’ve had time to think about it, and I see now that you weren’t happy. Work. Have ten jobs. I don’t care. I just want my family back.”

“God, can you stop for one second, stop making everything about you, and listen to me? I’m not in love with you. I care about you as the father of our son, but that’s all you get. That’s all I have to give you. I tried for years to make you happy while suffering in silence, and you let that happen. You let me suffer so that you could have your way. So that you could be happy. We are not meant to be. You and I are not meant to be together. We tried and it didn’t work.”

“And he makes you happy?” He laughs an ugly, evil laugh, and I nod, dropping my voice.

“He makes me happy. He makes me feel full, like I’ve just had the best meal of my life. He makes me just feel, and I know I do the same for him. I don’t want to hurt you, Max. I want you to be happy too. I want you to find the person who gives you everything you need, but that person isn’t me, and if you’re honest with yourself, you know I’m right.”

“April’s pregnant.”

“What?” I ask, not having the first idea of what he’s talking about, or who the hell April is.

“The woman I’ve been seeing for the last six months. She’s pregnant.”

“God, you’re an asshole,” I growl, and he moves, pulling out a chair and taking a seat, dropping his head into his hands. “I can’t believe you and this bullshit!” I snap.

“I know,” he agrees, his tone defeated.

“What the hell were you thinking trying to kiss me, Max? You have a girlfriend and she’s pregnant with your child.”

“I know,” he agrees again, and I look to the side, pulling in one breath then another, trying to calm down. “She told me to see if I could get you back.”

“Excuse me?” My head swings his way and my eyes narrow.

“She said you were standing between us and that if I was so in love with you, I should try and get you back.”

“Wow. You are a world-class idiot. You are not even in love with me sheesh how stupid are you?”

“I’ve fucked up.”

“Ya think?” I mutter, and his head comes up and his eyes meet mine.

“I just thought that maybe she was right. Maybe if I tried to get you back—”

“That is never going to happen,” I cut him off before he can say more. “And let me tell you something. Your girlfriend just put you to the test and you failed. Not only did you fail, you failed huge. You were not supposed to come and try to get me back. You were supposed to reassure her that you are with her and want to be with her. I don’t know if you love this woman, but I’m telling you now, if you do, you are going to be in a world of hurt when you get back home, because she is going to hang you by your balls.”

“Tell it to me straight,” he murmurs sarcastically, and I shake my head.

“I’m going to go check on Hunter.”

“I’m sorry, Shel. I shouldn’t—”

“We’re not talking about that.” I point at him. “We are never talking about that again. We are going to pretend like it didn’t happen.” And with that, I turn and leave the kitchen and head up to the attic, where I find Hunter sitting in the middle of the room on the floor surrounded by telescope pieces, and maps of stars and consultations. And that is where I stay until it’s time to go eat the dinner Max cooked, which, if I’m honest, didn’t taste half bad,