Page 49 of Make Me Trust Again (Bluebonnet Creek #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

ROSE

“Did Teddy do his business?” I ask as I find the duo sitting by the door, Teddy’s leash in place as Kyle wipes at his paws with a wet wipe.

“Yes, he did.” Once he’s done, Kyle unhooks Teddy’s leash—it’s green with little paws on it—and puts it on the side table; a frown etched between his brows. “Why can’t he walk without it like Shadow.”

“Well, Shadow is different. Older. Once you train Teddy, we can talk about it.”

There’s no way I’m letting him walk Teddy without a leash. He’s young and energetic, and I don’t trust that something won’t grab his attention and make him dash away. Although looking at them, I’m not sure which one of the two is the he I am referring to.

“I’m training him.” He turns to the dog. “Right, Teddy? You’re a good boy.”

“I know you are, and you’re doing great. But everybody learns in their own time. At the moment, if there isn’t an adult present, you can’t let Teddy off the leash.”

The doorbell rings, making Teddy’s ears perk up. He turns to Kyle and barks excitedly. I can see Kyle’s confused at his sudden change, so I explain. “That’s the doorbell. Your dad’s here.”

Kyle’s smile falls. Do I have to go?

“You know the rules, buddy.”

“Can Teddy at least come with me?”

The pleading look he shoots my way breaks my heart.

This is the part I’ve been afraid of. Kyle has blossomed in a matter of days with Teddy around.

Since the moment we signed the adoption papers, they’ve been inseparable.

Kyle insisted he would be the one to walk him and feed him.

He refilled his water bowl, and he asked Chase to help him train Teddy and teach him basic commands.

Chase said that with some training, Teddy could potentially help Kyle interpret different sounds like a hearing dog would, and he promised he’d look into it.

Teddy’s already a great help as it is, but to have him actually help Kyle navigate and interpret sounds so he can walk through the world more easily? That kind of help would be invaluable.

“I’m so sorry, Ky, but it’s best if Teddy stays home.” The sound of the doorbell echoes inside the house again. “I promise I’ll take good care of him, and before you know it, you’ll be home. Why don’t you go and grab your stuff?”

I hate this. Kyle’s lip wobbles, but he presses them in a tight line before turning on the balls of his feet and going to his room.

Me, too, buddy. Me, too.

Teddy looks between the two of us, clearly confused about what’s going on, but in the end, he follows after Kyle.

Sighing, I run my hand through my hair and make my way to the door. I pull it open just in time to catch John’s hand mid-air. His eyes narrow at me the moment he sees me. “About fucking time.”

My fingers curl into a fist. I’m so over him treating me like shit because he’s in one of his moods. “It’s just been a few minutes.”

“Well, I’m in a hurry,” John snarls. “I’ve got places to be.”

I bet you are.

John’s gaze darts over my shoulder. “Is he ready?”

He’s a mess. There are dark circles under his eyes, a light layer of stubble covering his jaw as if he hadn’t shaved in days.

“Kyle’s grabbing his stuff. He’ll be out in a moment.”

“Of course, he can’t even be ready on time.”

The snide comment has my shoulders stiffening. “Do you really have to be such an asshole?”

John’s head snaps in my direction, his eyes throwing daggers at me. “If I were you, I’d watch your mouth.”

“Or what?” I clench my jaw. I’m so done with being his punching bag, especially since I’m not the one who’s done anything wrong.

“I don’t get what the point is in all of this; you clearly don’t want to be here or want to spend time with Kyle.

You have your shiny, perfect new family to keep you occupied, so why not just give up?

Do you seriously enjoy hurting your son like this? ”

John moves closer to me, his hard body brushing against mine as he looms over me, a lazy smile spreading over his lips. “Jealous, wife?”

Of course, that’s the part he’s focusing on.

However, the truth is, the only thing I felt when I saw him with Lucy was anger.

Anger because he was out with her and her son as if they were his family.

Anger because he looked at our son and turned his head as if he wasn’t there.

Anger when he went one step further and embraced the other boy as if he was his own.

At that moment, I genuinely hated him for what he was doing to our son, and yet, I felt helpless.

There was nothing I could do to protect him from this heartbreak.

John lifts his hand and slides his fingers over my chin.

The hair at my nape rises at his touch, a shudder of unease running down my spine, so I push it away and tilt my chin back.

I refuse to cower down in front of him any longer.

“Of what? Your side piece? I don’t care about you or her.

Do whatever the hell you want now that we’re divorced.

But what I care about is you ignoring your son in public and making him feel embarrassed. ”

“Maybe if you gave me a normal son, I wouldn’t need to do it.”

Hot boiling rage courses through me at his cruel words. My hand rises, but John’s faster, his fingers wrapping around my wrist as he cackles. “Careful, Rose. Your temper is showing.”

“You’re such a piece of shit, John.”

“And you’re still stuck with me.”

I grind my teeth at him, tugging my hand out of his grasp, but he only tightens his hold. “Let go of me.”

“But I thought you wanted this.”

I pull harder, my skin burning from his strong grip. He’s enjoying it, the asshole.

The sound of rushing footsteps is followed by a low growl as Teddy slips out onto the porch.

John takes a step back immediately, dropping my hand as if it burned him, his attention going to the dog. “What the fuck’s that?”

“That’s Teddy,” Kyle says as he rushes to the dog and wraps his arms around him. The dog shifts slightly, not once moving his attention from John. “We got him at the shelter.”

The vein in John’s forehead throbs visibly as he grinds out, “I told you that I don’t want rats in my house.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing that he’s our dog, and he’ll be staying at our home.” I tap the side of my leg, like I’ve seen Chase do. “Teddy, come.”

Teddy keeps his attention on John for a second longer, but then he comes to me.

John’s eyes narrow at me before he snaps his finger and points at the car. “Let’s get going. I’ve already wasted enough time.”

My stomach churns with unease. Kyle glances at me, and I can see his throat bob. He withdraws into himself visibly in front of my eyes, his eyes losing all of their spark.

I curl my fingers, digging my nails into my palms, and focus on that pain as I put my mask in place and crouch down in front of Kyle, kissing the top of his head.

Just a few days, okay? I’ll see you soon.

Kyle nods silently, but there is no conviction on his face. His arms wrap around my middle, hugging me tightly. When he pulls back, he does the same to Teddy before getting to his feet.

The pup is completely confused, and he starts after him, so I grab his collar to keep him in place. Teddy whines softly in protest as Kyle slips into John’s truck, and the two of them drive off.

“I know, buddy. I miss him, too.”

“Stupid, fucking, asshat,” I mutter as I enter the Reading Nook, still fired up about the whole interaction I had with John.

After they left, Teddy had been walking around the cottage, looking for Kyle, but in the end, after he realized Kyle wasn’t there, he laid down by the door as if he was waiting for him to come back home.

Rebecca lifts her brows in surprise as she wipes the glass. “Who pissed you off?”

I let my bag drop on the counter. “John.”

Just saying his name leaves a bad taste on my tongue.

A frown appears between her brows. “What did he do now?”

“Be his usual asshole self,” I mutter and puff out a strand of hair that’s fallen into my face. “I swear, he’s getting worse by the day. Or maybe I was just that clueless before? I swear I don’t know how I managed to stay with him for so long.”

She places her hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze. “We try to see the best in people we love.”

“Yeah, well, he certainly didn’t deserve that.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I thought finalizing the divorce would be the end of it, what a joke.”

So much for him getting bored with messing with my life and focusing on his own. He enjoys torturing me way too much for that.

“Wait, your divorce is finalized?”

Rebecca’s question snaps me out of my thoughts. “Umm… Yeah.” I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I got my papers a few weeks ago.”

“Why didn’t you say so? We should have celebrated.”

Color floods my cheeks when I remember just how I celebrated.

And with whom.

I turn around and start rummaging through my bag without a goal.

The vivid images of Chase play in my mind, and heat pools in my belly.

I press my legs together, hoping to alleviate some of the ache between my thighs, reminding me that we haven’t had sex since that day on the lake.

We’ve been together, we’ve kissed when Kyle wasn’t around, but there hasn’t been a right moment for anything more.

“Well, it’s not really a big deal.”

“Of course, it’s a big deal!” Rebecca protests, pulling out her phone and typing something as she talks. “You’re free from that asshole. That’s reason enough to celebrate.”

Free.

I hoped I would be, and yet…

“Am I really, though?” My softly spoken question has Rebecca lifting her gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s still in Kyle’s life. His actions are hurting him, and although he sees it, he refuses to stop.

I hoped his interest would wane once he didn’t show up for his weekend, but now he’s back.

It feels as if he’s toying with me. He backs off, only to come back swinging harder the next time.

And I don’t care about me. I can take anything he throws at me; it’s not like I care.

But don’t rub your new family in our son’s face without any warning or explanation while ignoring him at the same time. ”

“He did what?” Rebecca asks, her voice rising in anger. “You’re joking, right?”

I shake my head, and if looks could kill, John would be a dead man.

“What a complete jackass. The next time I see him, he’d better run. And fast.”

Although I’m still angry, I can’t help but crack a small smile. “Thanks, Rebecca.”

She blinks, her gaze coming into focus. We just look at each other, a silent understanding passing between us. It almost reminds me of the time when we were friends as kids. Rebecca Williams is fearless, a force to be reckoned with, and she fights for people she loves.

“Things will work out, one way or another. But if he doesn’t get his head straight, we can always plot to get rid of him. There was this serial killer book I read recently, and there are some really good ideas in there. You should check it out.”

A strangled laugh pops out of me. “You never cease to amaze me.”

“What can I say?” Rebecca grins and winks at me. “I have many talents.”