No Reservations - Megan Hart [15]
Don't start. You're wrong and you know it. First you showed up here totally uninvited.'
This is my house too. I'll show up when I please and your little girlfriend has no say in that. God, Charles, are you so desperate to have sex with her that you've forgotten about your family?'
He took a deep breath, seeking calm. No. You won't. Because in the divorce decree, we share this house and we have a schedule for that. This week is mine. We decided on that last December. You do not have any right to come here when it's not your week. I let you stay last night because you put our daughters in the middle and it is unconscionable to me that you will again. You do not use them to get at me, or at Katherine. Or for that matter, at anyone. Only one of us has forgotten about her family, and it's not me. You're leaving. Today.'
Then you can explain to Adrienne and Kendall just why you're making me leave when we have plans to go shopping tomorrow and the three of us have lunch plans the following day.' She crossed her arms and he realised Eve had totally played him. He was in a place where it would be impossible to get rid of her without involving his daughters.
'You bitch. You manipulative, needy, psycho bitch. How dare you use those girls like that?' It was over. His semi-friendly relationship with his ex-wife had just burnt to ash. In that stroke, adding in all the things she'd done over the last months, he'd lost every last bit of respect he'd ever had for her.
'I'll thank you to keep your language civil.'
'Here is how it's going to go from today on. Listen up and don't interrupt me, I'm on my very last nerve with you right now. First, you will not intrude in my activities with the girls. You will not invite yourself along, period. From now on, we will keep things totally separate. Do not include me in your plans with them either. If this is how you act, I do not want any part in it. Your destructive selfishness when it comes to our children has stunned me. I'm ashamed I ever loved you. You've killed any positive feelings I've ever had.' He held up a hand and shook his head.
'Don't do it. Additionally, you will not step one foot on the third floor where Kate and I are sleeping. You won't needle her or use the girls against her. Katherine is my girlfriend and if I have my way she'll be my wife. That means she'll be part of your daughters' lives and I'm asking you to be a fucking parent and not harm them due to your own failings. She is very good to our girls and she completely respects my role as a father and wants me to put them first. I wish you felt the same. I'm going to be moving to Lancaster but keeping the other house. I'm telling you this because we'll have to work on the scheduling more closely. I'll be in town when the girls are with me for school. That's all really.'
Her mouth dropped open and he fought the urge to laugh.
'You actually expect me to help you expose our children to that woman? That foul-mouthed nasty lawyer you're sleeping with?'
'I don't need your help, thanks. I'm just warning you not to attempt to use them to harm her. Because that would harm our daughters and Katherine. I won't allow it. Don't test me on this thing. Above all, the girls are my top priority, I won't let you use them like they mean nothing. You're welcome to not like Kate, the feeling is quite mutual. But I'm warning you, don't use our children. I will take you to court on this. I will take them from you if you abuse them in such a fashion. Don't be ugly. Just be their mother and back the fuck off my life. We're not married any more. We're not even friends thanks to your behaviour.' He turned and left her there, not wanting to say anything else to her.
Kate took her time in town. She stopped in at the diner for a huge breakfast and three cups of coffee while she read a novel. She shopped along the main street, choosing a pretty scarf pin for Kendall, a pair of earrings for Adrienne and a very handsome tie forDix. She then bought a ridiculously huge coffee mug with a moose on it for Leah. She'd give