Back to Me (Book Three ✓)

thirty-five

BEAU

"Your fiancé would appreciate if you spent some time with your son," Heather, Zoey's mother who still looks as uptight as ever, thrusts baby Jack into Becks clumsy hands.

I smirk at how uncomfortable he looks, holding the kid like he would a football back in school.

Eyeing me up and down, Heather grumbles at me next. "Beau. It's been a long time."

I raise a brow and bite my tongue. It's a family party: I can keep the sarcasm to a minimum for the sake of the party. Peering over at Emma, still seated across from Zoey, I'm reminded who the effort is really for.

"It's interesting how things turn out, isn't?" Heather continues anyways, a button-pusher through and through.

My lip lifts at one corner. "Interesting," A little sarcasm won't hurt, "Sure. If you say so."

She lets out an unimpressed humph before walking away. Watching her back, I'm grateful things turned out how they did. If she never sent Zoey away, if my own father hadn't all but disowned me, I wouldn't be with Emma, expecting our child.

Maybe it is interesting.

"Man, I hate her." Beck groans, shaking his head. Unable to hold it back, I let out a laugh at the pure displeasure in his voice as he continues. "It's good she lives out of state, I don't have to see her much."

"Can't imagine Heather not fighting to see the little guy." I watch the baby chewing his own fingers. Such a strange little person.

"Oh, Zoey takes him to her mom's house a lot. Stays there when I'm busy at work. Heather helps take care of him, you know, so Zoey can get some sleep, shower." Beck adjusts the baby in his arms, not meeting my eyes, and I crinkle my brows.

Hm. Before I can think too much on how much of a shit bag my brother is, or how I won't be letting Emma do everything herself, something catches my eye across the street.

One second I was joking with Beck about Zoey's mother, again giving in to the urge to squeeze baby Jack's chubby leg, and the next...

My blood runs cold and I become immobile, like an angry statue. My fists clench tightly until my knuckles are sore from the pressure, my teeth grinding so hard together I can hear it in my ears.

Too many emotions pass through me, every technique Dr. Dex has shown me out the window now that I'm finally faced with who I hate most in the world.

I look up in time to catch the real Jack, where Beck's child got his name, crossing the street to the park.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" I seethe, my glare focusing in on Beck's stupid, dumbfounded face.

"I don't know, Beau. I didn't ask him to come, swear." Beck shifts the baby awkwardly just as he starts to cry, and I turn my attention back to the man approaching us.

When he finds me, our eyes lock and fire rages at the back of my throat. Disgust. Revulsion.

"Well look what the cat dragged in," Adult Jack smirks arrogantly. "Prodigal son returned to shoot the shit with us little people."

Hatred.

I say nothing, the fury coursing through me so fast it makes my hands shake. The last time I saw him was the day after we fought and he stormed into my room telling me to get it together or leave. Years of time since then have done nothing to dull the rage I feel when I look at him.