Chapter 12
Keith’s POV
The sight of that police officer holding Emily’s hand sparked a fire in me that I couldn’t quite understand. My jaw tightened as I watched them, the casual intimacy between them grating on my nerves. But why did it bother me so much? I had Lily back–the woman I had always wanted, hadn’t I? So why did this gnaw at me like a festering wound?
Lily must have sensed my tension because she gently touched my arm and asked, “Keith, is everything alright?”
I forced myself to look at her, at the woman I had pined for all these years. Her face was full of concern, her eyes searching mine. for an answer. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile. “It’s nothing, Lily,” I replied, trying to convince myself as much as her. “Just thinking about a few things.”
She nodded, accepting my answer, but I could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced. Her eyes flicked back to Emily, who was now. returning with that damn officer, laughing at something he said. The sight made my blood boil, but I kept my composure. I couldn’t let Lily see how much this was affecting me.
Just then, Tyler’s voice cut through the tension, his words laced with irritation. “Emily, you didn’t even greet the family. Is this how
Chapter 12
you treat your own blood?”
Emily’s eyes flashed as she turned to face him. “Family?” she
retorted, her voice icy. “Since when have any of you treated me like family? You, Lily, Seth… none of you have ever made me feel like I belonged.”
Her words hung in the air like a challenge, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She had a point. We had all pushed her away, kept her at arm’s length. But hearing her say it out loud made it feel more real, more damning.
Lily, ever quick to defend herself, snapped, “You’re such a bitch, Emily.”
Instead of reacting with the anger I expected, Emily merely arched an eyebrow and gave a sarcastic smile. “Thanks for the
compliment, Lily. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have better company to keep.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked off with Frank, leaving us standing there, stunned. Tyler looked at Lily, his eyes wide with shock at her outburst, while Seth seemed to regard Emily with a newfound respect, a hint of admiration in his gaze.
But I couldn’t focus on them. My attention was riveted on Emily and Frank, their easy camaraderie gnawing at me. The way Frank leaned in close, the way Emily smiled up at him–it was too much.
Seth, ever the observant one, leaned in and whispered, “You know, Frank is the one who saved Emily during that shooting. He’s a hero. in her eyes.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. A hero? Is that what she thought of him? My fists clenched involuntarily, and I could feel my anger simmering just below the surface. Lily, noticing my agitation, touched my arm again. “Keith, what’s wrong?”
I shook my head, trying to dispel the haze of jealousy clouding my thoughts. “It’s nothing,” I muttered, though even I didn’t believe it. How could I admit to her–or to myself–that seeing Emily with another man was driving me insane?
After a few minutes of restless pacing, I saw Emily heading towards the restroom. Without thinking, I followed her. As soon as she was about to enter, I grabbed her arm and pushed her inside, locking the door behind us. The suddenness of my actions startled her, and she looked up at me with a mix of anger and confusion.
“What the hell, Keith?” she hissed, yanking her arm out of my grip.
I didn’t answer right away, the words tangled in my throat. Finally, I blurted out, “What’s going on between you and that cop? Have you slept with him, already?”
Her eyes narrowed, a flash of disgust crossing her features. “What does it matter? We’re divorced, remember? You don’t get to question me about my life anymore.”
Chapter 12
But I couldn’t let it go. I took a step closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of her perfume. “I want to know, Emily. What’s your relationship with him?”
She met my gaze, her expression cold and unyielding. “Why do you care, Keith? You have Lily. Isn’t she everything you ever wanted? Or are you just not satisfied with what you have?”
Her words were like a slap in the face, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. She was right, of course. I had everything I thought I wanted. So why was I standing here, cornering her in a restroom, desperate for answers that shouldn’t even matter to me?
“Emily…” I began, my voice low and rough, as I reached out to touch her arm. It was a desperate need to close the distance between us. I wanted to pull her close, to feel her against me, to erase the space that had grown between us over the years.
But before I could make contact, she slapped my hand away, her eyes blazing with anger and something far more painful–betrayal. “Don’t touch me, Keith,” she spat, her voice sharp and cutting. “Go back to Lily. She’s the one you wanted, right?”
Her words hit me harder than I expected, like a punch to the gut, and for a brief moment, I was stunned into silence. The truth of her statement stung, but it was the bitterness in her tone that cut the deepest. She saw right through me–knew exactly what I was trying to do, and she wasn’t having any of it.
Chapter 12
Frustration boiled over, and in a fit of rage, I slammed my fist against the wall behind her, the impact sending a dull ache up my arm. The sound echoed in the small space, but Emily didn’t even flinch. Instead, she just stared at me with a mixture of pity and resignation, as if she had expected this, as if she had seen it coming all along.
Without another word, she pushed past me, her shoulder brushing against mine as she headed for the door. I stood there, rooted in place, the anger and frustration still boiling in my chest, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.
The door closed behind her with a soft click, leaving me alone in the restroom, the silence suddenly deafening. I leaned back against the wall, staring at the spot where she had stood just moments ago, trying to make sense of the turmoil raging inside
- me.
Why was I so jealous? Why did the sight of her with someone else twist me up inside? I had Lily back–the woman I had always loved, the woman I had fought so hard for. But I can’t seem to get my unwanted ex–wife out of my head.
