Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 43 1.ILY The atmosphere grew tense as Liam's voice cut through the silence, causing us all to freeze in place. I suddenly realized that I had completely lost track of time while engaged in a heated argument with Ryan Shooting a quick glance at Ryan, I then turned my attention to Liam's inquiry. "He's not yelling at Mommy, my dear," I gently reassured him, rising from the sofa and motioning for him to come down the stairs to join me. "We're simply having a conversation, you know, like adult conversation." Liam's frown remained firmly in place as he voiced his concern. "But you have adult talks with Uncle Jake too, and he doesn't talk to you that way. I inwardly groaned, knowing that Ryan wouldn't appreciate the comparison. "Mommy's fine, sweetheart," I replied, attempting to ease Liam's worry. Stepping closer, I lifted him into my arms and planted a loving ki*s on his cheek. "Good morning, my love." A bright smile spread across Liam's face. "Good morning, Mom," he chimed in. After coaxing Liam gently to the ground, I lowered myself to his eye level, signaling discreetly towards Ryan. "Why don't you take a moment to say good morning to him," I whispered tenderly, adding, "And let's make sure to be extra kind. With a tender caress, 1 smoothed away the faint crease between his brows. "It's far too early for a frown, Liam He straightened his expression dutifully, though with some reluctance, before shuffling over towards Ryan. "I am being nice, Mum, and I know you see that too," he mumbled softly under his breath. As we both moved to the living room, I watched attentively as Liam greeted Ryan with a hesitant "good morning Ryan's face lit up instantly with a radiant expression of delight at the unexpected gesture. With deliberate steps, Liam made his way to the kitchen, where he poured himself a glass of milk, before retracing his path back to his room, milk in hand. Ryan kept his gaze fixed on the spot where Liam had disappeared upstairs. "He's certainly a morning person," he grumbled, reaching for his phone. Not in the mood for further conversation, I grabbed my phone and made a quick escape to my bedroom. Promptly at seven o'clock, I emerged from my room, refreshed from a shower and dressed in a simple black dress. My plan was to prepare breakfast myself, as I typically did on weekends. However, as I stepped into the common area, I was surprised to find Ryan and Angelo setting the table. Perplexed, I approached them cautiously. "What's happening? I inquired, scanning the scene before me. Ryan turned towards me upon hearing my voice. I picked up breakfast on my way here," he explained, motioning towards the plates on the table. "And I made sure to avoid anything with seafood for Liam." Halting beside the table, I directed my gaze towards the cheese omelet. "Who's that one for?" I inquired, pointing at the savory dish "Noah, Ryan promptly replied. "I ordered the same for Noah and Ethan." "Actually, Noah detests cheese, I gently corrected, intending only to provide helpful information, However, Ryan seemed to take personal offense at the oversight. "It's alright, Ryan," I reassured him, attempting to alleviate any misplaced guilt. Tll whip something up for him quickly." His lips pressed into a thin line as he scowled at the offending cheese, as though it bore the blame for the oversight. "I should have asked before placing the order for anyone, he muttered ruefully, shaking his head in self-reproach. "Hey, it happens, I offered a supportive smile, seeking to uplift his spirits before making my way towards the kitchen. To my surprise, Ryan rolled up his sleeves and followed mr. "What can I assist you with?" Just as I was about to delegate the task of helping me wash the meat to Ryan, the insistent chime of the doorbell interrupted our conversation. With the domestic staff still in their quarters and Angelo, not being a resident of the household, it seemed unlikely that he'll answer the door without being told to 11:42 AM Chapter 43 As the doorbell sounded again, I turned to Ryan with a polite request. "Would you mind assisting me by answering the door?" I asked, confident that if it were someone unwelcome, my gate security would have promptly intervened. Ryan nodded in acknowledgment before setting off towards the door. However, minutes ticked by, and there was still no sign of his return. Sensing a delay, I wiped my hands clean and made my way into the living room to investigate. To my bewilderment, only Angelo was present in the living room. "Where's Ryan?" I inquired, a slight furrow creasing my brow as I sought an explanation for his absence. Angelo's nonchalant shrug only added to my confusion. "He hasn't returned since he walked through that door," he informed me. With a growing sense of concern, I made my way to the door, pulling it open to reveal Ryan standing face to face with Jake. Their intense glares made it abundantly clear that they had been engaged in a heated exchange. "What's going on here?" I demanded, quickly closing the door to shield our conversation from prying ears. "You do realize the kids could be watching, right?" Jake reluctantly shifted his gaze from Ryan to me, closing the distance between us to plant a ki*s on my lips. I couldn't help but glance at Ryan, only to be met with a steely glare brimming with resentment. As Jake pulled away, he spoke up, his voice tinged with frustration. "Can you explain why your ex-husband is preventing me from entering my fiancée's house?" Taken aback by Jake's sudden accusation, my gaze darted swiftly to Ryan, silently demanding an explanation for his unexpected behavior. "Why can't he just give us a moment of privacy?" Ryan's voice carried a hiss of frustration. "It's already tough enough with the kids constantly comparing me to him, and now he chooses today, of all days, to show up and disrupt things." "It's not like I asked for their comparisons," Jake shot back defensively, his tone tinged with irritation. "It's not my fault that the kids are close to me!" Ryan scoffed, his eyebrow arching in disbelief. "Oh, so now we're shifting the blame to Lily? What's next, blaming the weather?" Feeling the weight of exhaustion settling over me, I intervened, my voice tinged with weariness. "Please, let's just put an end to this," I pleaded, already feeling drained by the escalating tension. "It's far too early for such arguments, and I really need to start cooking."With that, I gently took Jake's hand, leading him towards the door in a bid to defuse the situation before it could escalate any further. Ryan's voice cut through, his words dripping with hostility. "And where do you think you're going with him?" he growled, his gaze fixed. firmly on me. "He's not setting foot in this house with you." I met his glare head-on, my own frustration bubbling. "Are you seriously trying to stop me from seeing my fiancé? I shot back, my tone tinged with disbelief. Ryan folded his armis across his chest, his expression dark and gloomy as he directed his gaze towards Jake. “I'm not preventing you from meeting or seeing anyone, he retorted evenly. "I mean you just ki*sed him right in front of me. All I'm suggesting is that you have your little meeting with him outside, send him on his way, and then come inside so we can have breakfast with our kids." Jake's defiance was evident as he fired back, "I always have breakfast with the kids every weekend." Ryan's retort was swift and cutting. "Not anymore, he shot back, his anger simmering. I'm not stopping you from seeing them, but don't do it when I'm around. His gaze bore into mine, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Make him leave before I lose my patience. I opened my mouth to protest, but Ryan raised his hand to silence me. "If he doesn't leave, I'll take the kids and leave," he threatened. Jake threw his head back and let out a laugh. "You wish? Good luck trying to convince Liam to leave with you," he retorted, amusement dancing in his eyes. Ryan's response was swift "And good luck trying to see them today," he shot back. "Get rid of this clown before I decide to send him packing from Canada altogether. With that, he stormed inside and slammed the door shut behind him. Jake blinked in shock, his expression mirroring his disbelief. "I think you forgot to mention that your ex-husband is completely bonkers, he

remarked, his voice tinged with incredulity. "More like he's just stubborn." I replied with a sigh, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Jake reached for my hand, attempting to pull me inside, but I remained rooted to the spot. "I hope you understand what I'm about to say, Jake," I began, my voice heavy with resignation. "But Liam is already struggling to connect with Ryan, and your presence here isn't going to make things any easier." 2/3 11:42 AM Chapter 43 His brows furrowed into a deep frown. "Are you telling me I should just leave?" he questioned. Tm saying that I hope you'll be the rational one here and understand where I'm coming from," I replied, my voice filled with sadness and frustration. He watched me in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable. Eventually, he nodded slowly and turned to walk back to his car. I stood there, watching as he drove away, a heavy feeling settling in the pit of my stomach It was only after his car disappeared from view that I noticed the gift bags he had left behind on the ground. Sighing heavily, I bent down to pick them up. Carrying the bags with me. I made my way back into the house, feeling disheartened by how the day had gone bad before it even began. 11:42 AM Chapter 44