Page 44 of Imperfections Forbidden

“Cat,” I say in a warning tone.

“I’m not shutting you out, Nick.”

“It sounds like you are.”

“I’m not.I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says.

I can’t believe this shit!I’m walking back and forth in my office like a caged animal.Ava takes the phone from Cat before I can say anything else.

“Nick, she’ll be fine.She was caught off guard by the argument with Kate and her mother.Not what she was expecting after spending an incredibly happy weekend with you.”

Damn, we made so much progress.I was finally able to convince her we could work this out together, now it’s all shot to hell because of Kate and her bullshit.

“Put her back on the phone.”

“Nick—”

“Put her back on the damn phone, Ava, or I’m going to be over there in the next twenty minutes!”

Before I can say more, I hear Cat’s voice.

“Nick—”

“Listen to me.I’m sorry you had to go home to that mess.Kate shouldn’t have said anything to you.She knows where we stand.We don’t have a relationship of any kind where she should approach you like that.”

With uncertainty in her voice she asks, “Does she know where you two stand?”

“Yes.I’ve made it very clear.”

“When you’re at the doctor’s office together listening to your child’s heartbeat and seeing it for the first time, how clear can it be?”

Oh damn.I run my hands over my face, back through my hair off my face.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says.Her voice is low, like she’s far away in her thoughts.The question is, thinking about what?

“I love you,” I tell her, feeling like it’s not enough.

“I know, goodnight.”

I takemy phone and fling it into the chair.What the fuck was Kate doing?Every time Cat and I make some progress and I get her to start trusting and believing me, Kate’s right there to fuck it up.Beyond heated, I grab my phone and call her.I don’t even give her a chance to speak beyond a greeting.

“Get your ass over to my house now.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.You don’t call me and demand I do anything.I don’t work for you.”

“Get your ass over here, or I’m coming over there.Do you want me over there?Do you want to have this out in front of everyone?Because I can do that.You better be here within an hour.”

I don’t have to wait for a reply—she knows what’s going to happen if she’s not here.I don’t make idle threats and she’s very aware of that.

“You should be concernedabout me and your child instead of me hurting poor Cat’s feelings.She’ll get over it.My feelings have been hurt many times, and I put on my big girl panties and suck it up.”

She comes in here with an attitude, as usual, telling me about her feelings.What feelings?She hardly shows a genuine emotion.“I don’t give a damn about your feelings.If the baby is mine, I will do all I can for my child and be a part of its life.”

“You should give more than a damn about me; this baby and I are a package deal.You better play the part of a happy fiancé and don’t embarrass me.”