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As I make my way to the door, I suck in a deep breath before swinging the door open. Valeria stands there with a practiced smile. Her eyes, cold and calculating, meet mine before dropping to Zola.
"There's my little princess!" Valeria coos, kneeling to embrace our daughter.
Zola throws her arms around her mother's neck, giggling with delight. "Mommy! I missed you so much!"
I force a smile, trying to keep things cordial for Zola's sake. "Hey, Val. How's it going?"
Valeria straightens up, still holding Zola. "Oh, you know. Same old, same old." Her tone is light, but there's an edge to it that sets my teeth on edge.
We chat briefly about Zola's schedule and any important things to remember for the weekend. As Valeria listens, nodding along, her eyes never leave my face. It's unnerving, like she's searching for something.
Just as I'm about to wrap things up, Valeria's lips curl into a smirk. "You know, Zola's been asking a lot about us getting back together," she says casually, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
My stomach drops. I know Valeria's just trying to stir the pot, but I can't help worrying about the impact her words might have on Zola—and on Chloe, if she hears about it.
"Val," I start, my voice low and warning.
But she's already turning away, Zola still in her arms. "We'll see you Sunday evening, Rendal. Say bye to Daddy, sweetie!"
Zola waves enthusiastically. "Bye, Daddy! Love you!"
"Love you too, princess," I manage to say, my mind still reeling from Valeria's comment.
As they walk to the car, I stand in the doorway, gripping the door tight enough to break the wood. If she jeopardizes what I have with Chloe, I won't fucking forgive her. Not after everything she's done to me. To Zola and I.
Thankfully, the weekend passes by without an issue. Zola returns on Sunday, as promised, and she rants about her fun times with Valeria. Movie night, painting their nails together, eating the best food ever, according to Zola. She only says that because Valeria doesn't force Zola to eat her vegetables.
Valeria's remarks settle in the back of my mind, already forgotten about by the time the next playdate with Chloe and Penelope rolls around. I wear a tight-fitting white shirt for Chloe. I also make sure to wear the cologne she's complimented me for.
Zola bursts with excitement to see Penelope again. She immediately engulfs her friend in a tight hug once they meet at the swing set. Chloe is wearing a dress and a cardigan, her brown hair cascading over her shoulder and down her back in waves.
Fucking gorgeous, as always.
"Penny, I love your dress!" Zola exclaims, running around Penelope multiple times. "It's so pretty!"
Chloe smiles. "Hey, you."
"Hello," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. "Good to see you again. Come here often?"
Chloe laughs, ducking her head. "Quite frequently, actually."
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, Zola runs up between us, excitement radiating off of her little smile. "Mommy says she and Daddy might get back together! Isn't that great?"
My smile drops immediately. And my eyes flicker to Chloe, whose expression changes instantaneously. From joy to confusion. And maybe even hurt.
I open my mouth to explain, but Chloe's already turning away, heading for the benches with her shoulders tense. Shit. This is exactly what I was afraid of.
"Daddy?" Zola tugs at my shirt, her little face scrunched up in worry. "Did I say something wrong?"
I kneel down, putting my hands on her shoulders. "No, sweetie. You didn't do anything wrong. Why don't you go play with Penny for a bit? I need to talk to Chloe."
She nods, still looking uncertain, but runs off to join Penelope at the swings. I watch her go, my jaw clenching as I silently curse Valeria. Damn her and her meddling. She knew exactly what she was doing, planting that idea in Zola's head.
Taking a deep breath, I make my way over to where Chloe's sitting. Her back is ramrod straight, her eyes fixed on some distant point. I ease myself onto the bench beside her, leaving a respectful distance between us.
"Chloe, I can explain," I start, my voice low and urgent. "What Zola said... it's not what you think."
