Page 16 of Aaron's Patience

“Don’t touch me!”

I flexed my jaw, trying to clamp down on the rage inside. “Are. They. Mine?” It was a bullshit question. I knew the answer before I even asked. The boy. Kyle. He looked just like … me.

“No.”

My head shot back. She was lying.

“They’re mine! Now, if you’ll excuse m–”

“Do not fucking play with me, Patience.” I pressed her back against the door, gripping her arm. Again she snatched it away from me, pushing me back, only because I allowed her to.

“I’m not playing, you jackass,” she hissed. “What the hell are you upset about? I wasn’t going to abort my children. And never, not once, in the last five years have I ever disturbed you after you made it abundantly clear you wanted nothing to do with us!”

I took a step back as if she’d smacked me or pushed me away. What in the hell was she talking about?

“Have you lost your damn mind?”

“Have you?” she shrieked. “Pulling me away from my children like a damn lunatic. You probably frightened them.”

“Yourchildren?”

“Yes,mine.I’m done with this conversation.” She tried to brush past me but my firm hand on the door stopped her.

“What type of game are you playing?”

Her face collapsed into one of confusion. “What game amIplaying? Why don’t you ask that of yourself.”

“I don’t need to ask myself anything. How the hell could you have my children and not tell me?”

“What are you talking about?! I told you!” she shouted. “And very unceremoniously, I was informed by yourfiancéethat I was to never contact you again. Right after she tossed an envelope stuffed with five hundred dollars for an abortion in my face.”

My throat squeezed, stomach clenching. She tried to hide it behind her anger but the pain in those sepia-colored eyes was apparent.

“What?” I managed to get out.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

She attempted to pull the door open, but once again my hand stopped her efforts. She turned back to me, staring. I pressed my lips together, my free hand clenched tightly at my side. I was doing everything in my power to rein in the outrage I felt. Without removing my eyes from her, I lowered my hand to the doorknob and pulled it open. I took a step back, allowing her to exit.

She frowned, taking one last glance at me, as if asking without words if this was me letting her leave.

Not by a long shot was that what this was. But I silently watched as she exited the door and went over to the shorter, older woman who stood supervising the children while we were in the room. I glared as Patience took both of the children by their hands and walked swiftly down the hall to the elevators, not bothering to look back as the door closed behind them.

I pulled out my phone and began dialing. My whole life had just been turned upside down.

Chapter Five

Aaron

I heard the clacking of her heels against the concrete as soon as she exited the elevator.

“Do you know I was almost married to your boss? That means I was almost your boss. How dare you treat me with such aggression!” her shrill voice demanded.

The anger I’d thought I’d done a good job of suppressing came roaring back and I snatched the door open.

She gasped, obviously not expecting me so abruptly.

“Aaron,” Alicia stated, “this man has been extremely rude.”