“Cal, let’s just go home. We can get him tomorrow. He’s safe here. It’s like a second home. Justin loves him. He treats him no different to Cassie or Cairen, even though he’s not his.”
“That will never be his home. His home is with me.” I step out of the car and slam the door.
She follows, dragging me back down the drive, tugging on my t-shirt. “Cal, no. Please.”
I ignore her and shrug her from me. “I can’t believe you, Steph. He’s mine. Mine. Not his.”
“Please, Cal, don’t do this, not here, not now.”
It’s no use however much she begs. I can’t stand him being in this house. I won’t be forced to spend any more time away from him. At the moment, I can barely look at her. I never thought I’d feel this way about her. Can’t she see what this is doing to me?
My knuckles rasp on the door.
Keys jingle on the other side. Justin flings the door open. His face turns red, his eyes narrow to thin slits, and he speaks as if spitting venom. “You have some fucking nerve coming here, you fucking bastard!”
My head flings back as Justin’s fist collides with my face. I stumble back on my heels, then I’m lifted off my feet and thrown against the wall. There’s a ringing in my ears and everything is hazy.
“Please Justin, don’t hurt him,” Steph shrieks.
Justin slaps my cheek. “What’s wrong, Steph? Don’t you want me to ruin his pretty face? Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him…much.”
I should have expected Justin to lamp me. I’ll let him have that. It’s what I would do. Fuck, if she’d been mine, and some bloke had her, I would have fucking lost my shit. He’d be on the floor, or in a hospital bed. I can’t blame him for that.
Heat floods from my nose as a metallic taste fills my mouth. Red drips onto my shirt. Fuck, my nose is bust. “I just want my son.”
“Your son?” Justin’s voice chokes.
The cool brick touches the bare of my back where my shirts rode up, causing an icy shiver.
Justin grips my t-shirt tighter, forcing me back against the wall. “That kid doesn’t even fucking know you.”
“Justin, let him go, please.” Steph’s voice cries out in the background. “Let’s go inside. We can all talk about this.”
Justin pushes me harder against the brick. “We’re talking about it here, Steph. I don’t want this prick’s blood all over my cream carpets.”
I lick my lips as more blood trickles down. “It’s not my fault he doesn’t know me. I only found out he existed four days ago.”
“Serves you right for fucking with my wife. Were you fucking her the whole time you worked together?”
He wants answers, but it’s not my place to say anything. Steph stares at me, her eyes pleading with me to stay silent. She wants me to keep my mouth shut and not make this scenario any worse than it is.
“I just want my son, then I’ll go.”
“What sort of man are you? Fucking with my wife and abandoning her when she needed you. It’s the second time I’ve had to pick up the pieces after you. You piece of shit.” He lets go of my shirt, but not before shoving me. “If you care for him, crawl back under that rock where you came from. He’s doing just fine without you.”
I stand up straight, wiping my nose. “I’m not crawling anywhere till I have my son.” My fists tighten, ready to unleash all the hate I have for Justin.