Page 45 of Worth the Fall

I looked him up and down once more, this time judging his appearance. Not what I had expected at all. The guy was in jeans and an old school Pac-Man T-shirt. It didn’t work on him like it could on some other guys. This dude just looked like a slob.

“I knew there was someone else.” He sounded pissed. “I came to see for myself.”

“See what?” Brooklyn asked, clearly as confused as I was.

“If what everyone in town was saying was true.”

Brooklyn shook her head, her red ponytail bouncing with the movement. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Eli. Can we go to my office and figure this out?”

She made a move to walk away, and I instantly reached for her shoulder, stopping her. When her green eyes met mine, I gave her a subtle shake of the head, letting her know I didn’t think it was a good idea if she was alone with him right now.

Her ex made a disgusted sound. “Why would I? So you can lie to me some more?”

“I never lied to you,” she countered.

“Right,” he huffed. “You just happened to get a job working at the fanciest resort in town the second after we signed our divorce papers. And working under this guy, who I didn’t even know you knew. How convenient.”

“She did actually,” I interjected even though I had no business butting in.

“I’m not talking to you, pal.”

The motherfucker actually tried to step to me. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warned, and he backed down.

“You know, I didn’t want to believe it, but it makes sense. I knew there had to be a reason why you left me. Not this bullshit about”—he used his fingers to make air quotes—“‘not being happy.’ No one leaves a marriage because they aren’t happy. They leave because there’s someone else.”

Brooklyn looked downright mortified. “That’s not true.”

Her ex grumbled, “Everything was fine one day, and the next, you tell me you want a divorce and leave. Everyone in Sugar Mountain knows it’s because of this guy.” He thumbed in my direction.

“You’re joking, right?” Brooklyn asked, her voice breaking. “This is a joke?” She glanced behind him, as if looking for hidden cameras somewhere.

“You never even told me you weren’t happy,” he complained, and Brooklyn blew out a breath that told me otherwise.

“I bet she did, and you were too stupid to listen,” I said before I could stop myself.

The fact that we were in a place of business seemed to completely escape my brain at the moment. I’d forgotten there was an audience watching and that I was acting in a completely unprofessional manner. All I wanted to do was make sure Brooklyn was okay, and if I verbally demolished this guy in the process, I’d consider it a double fucking win for me.

“You know, I’ve had to stop playing Wars with the guys. I couldn’t afford to buy all the upgrade packs anymore, and I got left behind. They progressed four levels already since you left me. Do you know how embarrassing that is?” he said, and I wondered what the fuck he was even talking about before it hit me.

“Are you talking about a video game?” I asked, doing my damnedest to make fun of the guy.

“It’s none of your business. Brooklyn knows how much that time with my boys means to me. And she took it away.”

He sounded like a fucking baby.

“You spent her money on video game upgrades?” I asked because I genuinely couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Before he could respond, Brooklyn interjected, sounding legitimately hurt by his accusation, “Eli, I’m sorry you can’t play your games anymore, but I promise that I never cheated on you. Not with Thomas. Not with anyone.”

Her ex-husband made a choking sound. “Right. Because that’s what all cheating whores say.”

I took a step toward him, my anger rapidly growing. “I’m going to need you to leave before I do something that I don’t want my daughter seeing.” My right hand instinctively fisted, as if begging him to push me just one iota too far.

“What, Daddy? What can’t I see?” Clara’s little voice echoed from somewhere behind me.

I turned around to give her a wink before facing the enemy once more. I wanted nothing more than to defend this woman with a ferocity I almost didn’t recognize. My protective streak was a living and breathing thing, and apparently, it didn’t only exist for my daughter.

Brooklyn put her hand on my shoulder briefly and squeezed. “It’s okay, Thomas. I got this,” she said before squaring her shoulders and standing tall to face her ex. “Maribel, please cover Clarabel’s ears.”