Page 81 of Unexpected

“Oh shit.” Lauren’s eyes—like those of most of the guests—were glued to Cal and Preston.

I marched over there with Lauren on my heels. Her presence gave me the support I needed. What the hell was Preston thinking? Punching Sophia’s dad in the middle of her birthday party? I could kill him.

“Preston,” I hissed, gripping his bicep. “Cal,” I ground out. “Could you both please stop acting like a pair of two-year-olds and come with me?”

Cal continued to hold a hand over his nose, and I wondered what the extent of the damage was. I also wondered what had possessed Preston to punch him. The three of us were supposed to be responsible adults, role models. Yet only one of us was fulfilling that role. And now I was missing Sophia’s birthday party because of their stupidity.

I led them into my office and shut the door. I thought I was going to be sick. “Sit.”

“I want him gone.” Cal lifted his chin, speaking to me as if Preston weren’t in the room.

I ignored him, at least for the moment. “What the hell was that?” I stood behind my desk, resting my knuckles on the surface as I stared them down.

Preston glanced up at me from beneath his lashes. “I’m so sorry, Alexis.”

“Shouldn’t you be apologizing to me?” Cal asked.

Preston crossed his arms over his chest, and I could practically see the steam rising from his skin. He was pissed. “Why would I apologize when I’m not sorry for punching you?”

I jerked my head back. I didn’t know what had gotten into Preston. First, completely forgetting to pick up Sophia yesterday. The fact that he was totally unreachable. And now this?

Maybe I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did. Despite the fact that we’d spent a lot of time together the past few months, I wondered if I’d allowed my judgment to be clouded by lust. My desire to feel accepted and loved overriding reason.

Cal stood. “What are you waiting for Alexis? Fire him!”

I glanced between the two of them, trying to figure out how we’d gotten here. And why my nanny slash boyfriend had punched my ex-husband. When had my life turned into a complete circus?

“Can you give us a minute?” I asked Preston. He nodded, moving toward the door, and I hated seeing the wounded look on his face.

“I want him gone,” Cal said again as soon as the door was closed.

I sighed. “Be reasonable, Cal. Sophia adores him. This will crush her.”

He glanced between the door and me, his eyes wide. “He…he punched me.” He jabbed a finger at his chest. “At our daughter’s birthday party. In front of a backyard full of guests. He’s damn lucky we’re not calling the cops.”

I rounded my desk, going to stand before him. “Andwhydid he punch you?”

“Does it matter? He hit me in front of our daughter.”

That was true, but still… Something didn’t add up. Regardless, I had to think of Sophia. And the fear always lurked in the back of my mind that Cal would use something like this as ammunition to amend our custody agreement. I didn’t think he’d actually go through with it, but it was enough of a threat nevertheless.

“I don’t want more drama. I don’t want that for Sophia.”Or Preston.

“Then you need to fire him. Fire him, and I won’t press charges.”

Fire him? Press charges?I brought a shaky hand to my forehead, attempting to smooth back my hair. Cal watched my movements with concern, replacing my hand with his own.

“I just want what’s best for Sophia.” His tone rang with sincerity. As I looked at him with dried blood on his shirt, I knew he wasn’t going to relent.

Shit.

“I’d like to talk to him alone.”

Cal shook his head. “You think I want to leave you alone with that…that monster, after what he did to me?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Cal was being more dramatic than Sophia, and that was saying something.

“Cal.” I placed a hand on his bicep. “I can handle this. I willhandle this—alone.”