Xander invited me, not Tag.
“No thanks,” I say. “I have some things I need to do anyway.”
“Like what?” Tag asks, looking interested.
“Just things,” I reply evasively. I had to call my mother because it was her birthday, and I wanted to be alone to do it. “You guys have fun.”
I’m about to turn and walk away when Tag gently grabs me by my upper arm. “Xander, give me a sec.”
Xander stands. “I’ll wait for you out front.”
Xander leaves, and Tag spins me around and corners me against the table. “Is everything okay?”
I nod. “Everything is fine.”
“You sure? I wasn’t too rough last night, was I?” he asks, looking concerned.
“Tag,” I whisper. “Last night was amazing. I loved every second of it.”
“Then what is it?”
“I guess I just don’t know what to do, you know? Can I just kiss you whenever I want? Hug you? Or are you going to look at that and think I want more and—”
“Shit. I’ve really messed this up, haven’t I?” he groans. “You can kiss me whenever you want. We need to talk when I get back, okay? Don’t overthink things Clara. Just enjoy it, don’t question it.”
“Okay.” I guess I could try that.
“Summer’s bringing lunch over for you,” he says, kissing my lips twice.
“Okay.”
He smiles then, and it brightens his whole face. “Can’t wait for tonight.”
“Tonight?” I ask breathlessly.
He leans forward, and nibbles on the shell of my ear. “When I get to be inside you again.”
Oh.
I can’t wait either.
*****
“I miss you, Clara. Why won’t you talk to me? It wasn’t me that betrayed and ruined our family,” my mother sniffs.
“I know that, Mum,” I say, trying not to feel guilty. It was always like this when we spoke, which was why I avoided it. I couldn’t not call her on her birthday though, so here I was. “What have you got planned for today?”
“Your father is taking me out to dinner,” she says quietly.
She was still with him, and I had nothing to say.
“Right. Well you have a good time, Mum,” I say into my phone, staring up at the ceiling.
“He wants to speak to you,” she says sadly.
“I have nothing to say to him.”
“He has his faults,” she says, causing me to scoff. Understatement of the year. “But he still loves you, Clara.”
If that was love, I didn’t want anything to do with it.
“He has two other children. He doesn’t need me,” I say, unable to mask the bitterness in my voice.
“You’re his first born, and you know he loves you,” she says after a few moments.
“This is why I don’t call you, Mum. I don’t want to see him, and that’s the end of the story, okay?”
“Alright,” she says, sounding disappointed. “Are you doing okay? Do you need money? You know I’m always there if—”
I cut her off. “I’m fine, Mum, but thanks for the offer.”
“We worry about you, you know.”
“I’m fine. I have some great friends here, and I’m getting by...” I trail off, wondering why my voice was sounding far away. “Did you put me on speakerphone?”
“Your dad just wanted to hear your voice. Don’t get angry.”
Angry? Don’t get angry?
“If he loved me so much, maybe he should go back in time and not be a cheating bastard. Or I don’t know, maybe he should wear a condom so he doesn’t have illegitimate children running around.”
“Clara—” Rage fills me at the sound of his voice.
“I don’t want anything to do with you,” I grit into the phone, my fingers trembling.
I hated him.
Despised him.
He was the first man to break my heart, when he should be the one I can trust above all others.
“I’ve left her Clara,” he says quickly. “I’m with your mother and only your mother now.”
“Congratulations,” I purr, sarcasm lacing my tone. “I hope the two of you have a nice life. Mum, I’ll call you at Christmas.”
With that parting shot, I hang up.
“Motherfucker,” I mumble under my breath, sitting up on my bed. When my gaze hits the door, my jaw drops open.
“How long have you been standing there?” I ask Tag who is leaning against the door watching me.
“Long enough,” he replies, expression unreadable.
Well. Fuck.
“So he had another girlfriend and two kids?” he asks in shock after I tell him the whole story. “And he thought it was okay to keep both families?”
I shrug. “If both women are putting up with it, why would he give one up? He was having his cake and eating it.”
“I’m so fuckin’ sorry he did that to you. He’s a piece of shit.”
I make an extremely unsexy noise of agreement. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I just want to forget it. How was the ride?”
“Good,” he replies, turning his head on the pillow to me. He’s lying on his back with his arms crossed behind his head while I’m sitting half on my knees, half on my butt on the other side of the bed. “Next time, I’ll take you for a ride.”