The House Mate (Roommates, #3)

There were only two reasons he would do that. One, if that call from her was something more than just a call and he didn’t want to hurt me, or if my feelings on the subject didn’t matter at all because I was just a quick fuck to him. And both options made me want to throw up.

The last remnants of joy drained away, and I cleared my too-tight throat.

“Yes, well, he mentioned he would be home early tonight, and should be pulling in within the next hour. I was about to start dinner. Maybe you’d like to play with Dylan and chat with me while I do that?”

She nodded and took the baby from my arms almost defiantly. For a second, Dylan struggled, and I wondered if I was going to have to fight this woman, but then she settled in.

“Aw, see? She just needed a second to remember who her mama was.”

I turned away so Jenn couldn’t see that her aim had been true and her pointed barb had pierced my heart.

She wasn’t lying. Facts were facts, but, God, did it hurt.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

I tried to make small talk as I bustled around the kitchen, prepping chicken-and-veggie stir fry. It was a difficult task, though, as what I really wanted to say was never far from the tip of my tongue.

Who the fuck could leave this precious child?

How dare you come waltzing back in like nothing happened?

Can you please go back to wherever you came from and never return?

That was selfish and I knew it. If Dylan could have both her mother and her father in her life, that would be ideal. I had to put her needs before my own, no matter how much it hurt.

When the front door opened a few minutes later, I was a ball of seething emotion and an inch from tears.

“Hey, whose car is-” Max broke off as he stepped into the kitchen and his mouth dropped open in surprise. “Hi, Jenn. Uh, what’s going on?”

“I missed my little girl,” she said simply, patting Dylan’s bottom awkwardly as she squeezed her closer.

I watched the interaction more confused than ever. The way she was looking at Max, like he was what was for dinner, made me wonder if her visit here had been about Dylan at all. One thing seemed clear that made me feel marginally less horrible. He obviously hadn’t known she was coming tonight.

Max shot his gaze from me to Jenn and then to Dylan, who cooed with delight and kicked her feet. His puzzled face morphed into a smile as he set his briefcase down and took his daughter into his arms.

“Hi there, little bear. Daddy missed you.” He kissed her cheek and shot a warning look at Jenn. “We’ll talk after dinner.”

I should have taken that as my cue to go. Instead, glutton for punishment and not sure how to handle any of this, I stayed. The next forty-five minutes was a pain I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy as I watched Jenn fawn over Max, taking every opportunity to bring up their past together.

She was refilling his wineglass as she let out a peal of laughter so shrill, it sent a chill up my spine. “Remember that time we went to Cabo and you drank so much tequila, you climbed onstage to play the maracas with that mariachi band?”

He smiled and nodded, forking in some chicken and then pausing to give Dylan a bite of rice.

“I don’t, actually, but I have the pictures to prove it.”

“We had some good times . . .” Jenn trailed off and covered Max’s hand with hers.

“Okay!” I blurted, and then pushed myself away from the table, pasting on a fake grin. “So, I’m going to go make some phone calls and let you guys . . . do whatever it is you guys plan to do with your night. Jenn,” I turned and offered her a little wave, “it was nice meeting you. Max, give me a yell if you want me to do bath time with the baby.”

I ran out of the room like the hounds of hell were chasing me, but even at that, I still didn’t make it to my door before the tears started.

Shit, shit, shit.

How had I let myself fall so hard so fast? For Max, and for Dylan. And now it might all be over before it had even started. He didn’t seem receptive to Jenn’s come-ons, but be wasn’t exactly putting her off either. And none of it explained why he hadn’t mentioned the call, or more importantly, why he hadn’t pulled her aside and demanded to know what she was doing here the second he walked in.

I swiped a hand over my face and chewed on my bottom lip.

This was crazy. I needed to get a grip.

I had just managed to talk myself out of tears and into anger when there was a knock at my door.

“Come in.”

Max stepped into the room, and I sucked in a steadying breath as I took a seat on the edge of my mattress.

“Is everything okay?” he asked gently, his eyes filled with concern.

“Um, not so great, actually.” I tried not to stare at his muscular tattooed arms because all that did was make me wish they were around me, comforting me right now. “I’m just a little thrown off, and felt like I was interrupting family time down there.” I managed to bite back an acidic comment about strolling down memory lane, but it was a close call.

Not my place to say. None of it was.

“I’m thrown off too. Addison, I had no idea she would show up.”

“She called you yesterday. She didn’t mention it then?” I asked.

He had the grace to look ashamed as he shrugged. “I should’ve told you that, but it was a nothing conversation. Certainly not one that indicated she would be coming back into the picture anytime soon.”

I was a child who’d never had the luxury of having parents who lived under one roof. So, as much as it killed me, I had to do what was right for the baby. If that meant stepping back, that was what I would do.

“Maybe it’s for the best.” My throat ached, but I pushed through. “If Dylan can have you both in her life, she should. I don’t want to get in the way of that. Go back downstairs and enjoy the time with your family, Max. I have some things to do, anyway.”

He hesitated, raking a hand through his hair with a groan of frustration. “This is new territory for me, and I have no idea how to handle it. None of this came with instructions, Addison. Please, give me a chance to think it all through before you write me off, okay?”

“Last night was probably a mistake anyway, Max. It was a hot fantasy, and now real life is back, you know?”

He drew back and his face went tense, but he didn’t reply.

“Go ahead, go back down and be with your daughter and her mother. We can talk another time.”

I turned away and closed my eyes, not opening them again until the door closed a minute later. Then I dropped my face to the bed and screamed hoarsely into the pillow.

So what if Max had given me a couple of orgasms? None of that mattered now. It wasn’t like I was his girlfriend or we’d made promises. I was just the nanny.

And it was time I started remembering that.