Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 157032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
He’s expecting me.
I march up to the front doors and he waits with the door open. I storm past him into the house.
“Please, do come in,” he mutters sarcastically.
“What the hell is this?” I cry as I hold the court papers up to him.
“Calm down.”
“Calm down?” I scream. “You have been a father for five fucking minutes and you think you can look after him better than me?”
He glares at me. “I’m not out doing drugs, Ashley.”
“Neither am I!” I scream.
“The proof is in the pudding. Where did you spend last night? Where?” he yells.
I stare at him through angry tears.
“I sat at your bedside in the hospital all night, praying that you survived. Praying to God that I never have to tell my son that his mother died from an overdose.”
“I was drugged,” I whisper.
“Because you put yourself in that position!” he yells. “Who the fuck were you with last night?”
“Some girls from the club.”
“Who were the men?” He growls. “Were they clients?”
I wince at the accusation. “What?” I shake my head. “They were men we just met out. It was nothing. Some of the girls were partying with them.”
“With drugs?”
“They dropped some coke.”
“Did you?” He growls.
“No, Cameron. I swear to you, I didn’t.” I shake my head in anger. “Don’t tell me you have a perfect history, either, because I know you haven’t.”
“I would never take cocaine if I knew I had a kid at home waiting for me.”
“That’s the difference between us…” I scream. “For the last five years you’ve been out partying and screwing everyone you want with a clear conscience, while I’ve been at home struggling to able to afford to live while looking after your baby!”
“I didn’t know about him, Ashley, or I would have helped you,” he yells.
“Help me now, Cameron!” I cry. “This isn’t about you versus me.”
“Don’t make it like that then. You set the rules here.”
“How?” I shake my head. “By not doing what you say? Is that it? Is that what this is about? Do you honestly think that you can tell me what to do?”
“I don’t want where you work to come back to haunt Owen later in life,” he snaps.
I step back in disgust. “You double standard, rich bastard.”
He narrows his eyes in contempt.
“You go to that club.” I poke him hard in the chest. “You have fucked girls in that club and you have the balls to judge them as if they are nothing.” I sneer, and I push him again in the chest, but he catches my hand mid-air.
“Don’t push me, Ashley, or I’ll fucking push you back.”
“Is that another threat, little rich boy?” I sneer.
He squeezes my hand in his and steps forward, forcing me to step back. “Don’t push me, Ashley. You won’t win.” He growls.
My eyes tear up. His power scares me.
He scares me.
“You said you loved me in the hospital,” I whisper.
He steps back and drops his head.
“Is that true, Cameron? Do you love me?”
His eyes meet mine and he swallows slowly. “You know I do,” he breathes.
“Then don’t do this.” Tears fall slowly down my cheeks. “Don’t take him away from me.”
Softness crosses his features, and he steps forward to cup my face in his hands.
“It’s temporary, Ash.” His eyes search mine. “Just until you get yourself sorted.”
I stare at him through my tears.
“I promise you.” I pause as I try to get my wording right. “It’s just been a bad week. He’s not in danger.” I wince from the heartache. “I’m a good mom, Cam.”
He pulls me into an embrace and holds me as my body shakes from the tears.
“We can work this out,” I whisper against his shoulder.
“I have to do this, Ash.”
I frown and pull out of his grip as I step back. “What?”
“I have to take precautions to protect him.”
“You’re really going ahead with this?”
His eyes hold mine. “He has to come first.”
“He does, Cameron. He has always come first for me.”
“It’s temporary,” he repeats.
I step back in horror. He’s going to do this whether he loves me or not.
I shake my head. “Cameron, I swear, if you do this to me, I will never forgive you.”
“Don’t say that,” he whispers as pain crosses his face.
“Then don’t do this!” I cry, panicked.
“Ashley, I have to,” he snaps, and with renewed determination, he walks to the door and opens it. “Now… You need to leave.”
I shake my head as my tears roll down my face. “Cameron. No. I’m begging you. Please.”
He closes his eyes as he tries to block me out.
“Cameron, listen to me,” I whisper. “We can work this out. We can share custody.”
“Ashley. Leave. Now.” He gestures to the doorway.
I stare at him. Who is this man?
“I will see you in court tomorrow,” he says without emotion.
“Is that why you have guards on Owen?” I ask.