AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As soon as her son saw her approaching, he perked up and a grin spread across his face.
“Mommy!” He popped up from the stair.
“Hey, honey!” She gave him a quick squeeze and cheek kiss before turning her attention to Chet, who took his time standing. “Sorry I’m late. I hit traffic on the highway. There was an accident.”
“You knew I was dropping him off.”
“I hit traffic,” Marissa repeated, struggling to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She didn’t need this crap from Chet, and not in front of Theo.
She extended her hand for her son’s bag, ready for him to leave.
“I got it. I need to talk to you about something.”
His frowning face gave her pause. She thought he was upset about her tardiness, but there seemed to be an additional underlying reason for his anger.
Without another word, she started up the stairs.
Inside the apartment, Chet took the bag to Theo’s room while Marissa waited in the living room. A few minutes later, her ex came out. What could possibly be on his mind? He hadn’t stopped frowning since she saw him.
He faced her with blatant antagonism. “Who’s Bruno?”
Marissa sighed. “I was going to tell you about him.”
“When exactly?”
“What’s the problem?”
“I deserve to know who the man is that my child is spending time with.”
Here we go, Marissa thought wearily. Truth be told, she’d avoided having the conversation with Chet because of his jealous streak. “I agree you deserve the courtesy, but Bruno has never been alone with Theo. He’s a friend.”
“A friend? Or a friend?”
“What’s the difference?” Marissa asked, annoyed.
“Are you fucking him? That’s the difference.”
She flashed to their sexy interlude in the shower earlier, and her skin heated from the memory.
“For the record, I don’t owe you an explanation about any of my sexual partners, and I don’t care who you’re sleeping with. Bruno has never been alone with Theo, but—” She was about to explain about their planned trip to see the Atlanta Braves when Chet whipped a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded a drawing.
She immediately recognized that her son had sketched a picture of her, Bruno, and himself at the wedding and included colorful fireworks above their heads.
“I didn’t have a problem with him going to the wedding on my weekend, but then my son draws this picture, and he keeps talking about Bruno this and Bruno that. ‘Bruno’s taking me to a baseball game.’ I need to know who this man is that you have around my son. Is he safe? Is he?—”
“Yes, he’s safe. Of course he’s safe. I would never jeopardize our son’s safety. You know that.”
“No, I don’t. Because I don’t know you right now.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” Marissa muttered, turning away from him and folding her arms over her chest.
“Who the hell is this guy, Marissa? Unless you can prove to me that he’s okay for my son to be around, I forbid you to see him.”
A burst of laughter escaped her throat, and she spun to face him. “Forbid me? Are you serious right now?”
“Yes, I am. Until I can look into the situation.”
“Well, you don’t have to look into anything. I’ve already done a background check on him, and he’s safe.”
