Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 64 DIY I know Jake is upset over Ryan's unexpected visit but opted not to voice his concerns for the sake of the boys peace of mind. After a hearty dinner together, Ryan spent some quality time with the boys, engaging in playful hanter and sharing laughs before deciding it was time to leave. I offered to walk him to his car, to which he happily agreed. "Seriously, Ryan, I began as we strolled towards his car, the crisp night air nipping at our cheeks, "the next time you plan to drop by, a phone call would be appreciated." With his hand tucked snugly into his jacket pocket to shield it from the biting cold, Ryan offered a nod. "How many times do I have to apologize for that?" he queried, his tone tinged with a hint of remorse. "But, truth be told, I did nothing wrong. My only intention is to see you happy, and if that means offering apologies, then I'll do so willingly" Arguing with him would be utterly furile and unnecessary. "Drive safe," I said, turning to head back to the house. However, he caught. hold of my forearm, halting my departure I paused, and turned to face him, meeting his gaze squarely. "Do you have anything else to say?" I inquired, my tone tinged with a hint of resignation. He nodded towards the house. "Why isn't he leaving yet?" he asked, his tone edged with curiosity. Raising an eyebrow at the audacity of his question, I shrugged off his hand. "You don't have the right to inquire about my boyfriend's departure." I asserted firmly, driving home the point. "Do not overstep your boundaries Ryan licked his lips, his forehead creased with a furrowed brow. "If he can spend the night or stay this lat late, why can't I?" he countered. "Because you are here for the kids and nothing more," I retorted. "Once the kids fall asleep, which they will soon, you won't have any other reason to stay. But I can't say the same for Jake. He's not only here for the kids, I hope you understand the difference between the two of you "The only thing I understand right now is you trying to upset me with your explanation" Ryan shot back, his voice flat and devoid of emotion Exasperated. I ran a hand down my face. "Why did I even bother explaining things to you?" I muttered, feeling frustration bubbling within me. Ryan scoffed in response, but his emotions were the least of my concerns at that moment. "Good night, Ryan" I said tersely before turning on my heel and hurrying back into the house, leaving him standing alone outside Upon entering the house, I noticed that the boys had already retired to their rooms with the nanny, who was undoubtedly assisting them with their bedtime routines Ascending the stairs, I made my way to each of their rooms, planting tender ki*ses on their foreheads as 1 bid them goodnight. With their evening rituals underway, I set out to locate Jake. Jake. I think he should be leaving too because I am very tired, and I want to sleep. In the game room, I found him engrossed in a game of snooker, the click-clack of the balls echoing in the otherwise quiet space. Leaning against the doorway, I observed him silently for a moment before clearing my throat to announce my presence. He glanced up, the cue stick poised in his hand as he regarded me with a pensive expression. Tm "Aren't you leaving?" I inquired softly, my exhaustion evident in my voice. "I'm feeling quite tired and would like to retire for the night" Ignoring my question momentarily, he continued to play until the last ball found its way into a pocket Dropping the snooker stick, he leaned against the table, folding his arms as he met my gaze with a determined expression "I'm staying the night," he declared firmly. Licking my lips. I nodded in acknowledgment. "You could have simply mentioned your intention instead of brushing me off, I remarked softly, stepping further into the room. With a gentle gesture, I circled my hand around his neck and planted a tender ki*s on his lips. "Goodnight, I murmured, hoping to quell any tension between us. Returning the ki*s, Jake's demeanor seemed different, a subtle shift in his usual response to my ki*s. Sensing his unease, I furrowed my brow in concern. "Is everything okay?" I asked, studying his expression intently, Drawing me closer to him by wrapping his arm around my waist, he ki*sed my forehead. "Why didn't you mention that he moved Canada? he questioned softly, his tone laced with curiosity and a hint of frustration Realization dawned upon me that his somber mood was partly due to Ryan's presence, but I hadn't anticipated it stemmed from my failure to disclose Ryan's relocation. "I suppose it slipped my mind," I admitted regretfully, hoping to alleviate his concerns. Jake's frustration was evident as he shook his head in disbelief. Things like this shouldn't slip your mind, Lily, he insisted. "Your ex-husband looked me in the face and informed me that I'd be seeing him quite often. Do you realize how embarrassing and irritating that Chapter 54 1 squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to empathize with his perspective. 7 apologize for Ryan's behavior," I offered sincerely, hoping to assage his anger. "He can be difficult at times? His agitation only seemed to escalate as he shook his head adamantly. "I couldn't care less about Ryan's antics, Lily," he growled, his. voice rising in intensity. What angers me is the fact that you were with him and I had to discover his permanent residence through Tm truly sorry, I interjected, hastening to apologize hoping to stop the smoke before it turns into a raging flame.. "I should have informed you, and for that, I apologize sincerely" Jake's frustration seemed to deepen as he stared down at me. Tm not finished," he asserted firmly. Ibraced myself, nodding for him to continue Releasing his hold on my waist, he continued, his tone fraught with irritation. "And why the heck is he showing up unannounced and flaunting his wealth right in front of me! Do you have any idea how infuriated I was during dinner?" His accusation caught me off guard. "How is that my fault?" 1 countered defensively, "I reprimanded him in your presence for his unannounced arrival, and I shut down his attempts to flaunt his wealth. Why are you directing your frustration at me when I clearly took your side?" File ...

're just going to let him behave however he wants, Jake snapped back. "You should have kicked him out of house when he showed up unannounced, and you should have asked him to leave the table when he insulted me. But instead, you brushed it off, which is why he continue to do it." "He was here to see the kids." I gritted out, slowly getting pissed at the argument. "I can't just walk him out. "And that is where the problem lies. He retorted. "He wasn't just here for the kids, he insisted You know that Lily. Yet, you chose to entertain his presence I felt my own irritation rising. "What would you have me do?" I countered. "Set boundaries,” Jake exclaimed. "Give him specific days and times to visit the kids. He can't simply show up whenever he pleases" Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I struggled to maintain composure. You have to understand, Jake, I explained, "I deprived him of seven years with his children. It's only natural for him to want to be with them as much as possible. And I'm not going to stand in the way of that." "Of course not," he spat with a disdainful curl of his lip, his tone dripping with contempt, "especially when you seem to derive pleasure from his presence" Feeling utterly drained and mentally fatigued, I wearily shut my eyes, my fingers instinctively pinching the edge of my browsin frustration. "I think I be sleeping in Naoh's room tonight I declared, my voice heavy with exhaustion, before turning on my heel and briskly making my way out of the game room, not even bothering to glance back to see his reaction The sun had already begun its ascent by the time I roused from my slumber, greeted by the news that Jake has already left. As 1 sluggishly went about the motions of dressing for work. I managed to wrangle the boys into their school uniforms before ushering them out the door. Arriving at the hospital, I dove headfirst into the chaos of my duties, the relentless stream of patients providing a temporary distraction from the craziness of my personal life. During a rare moment of break, I seized the opportunity to reach out to Becky "I thought you ended things with Jake," she stated and I couldn't help but furrow my brow in confusion. "Really?" She blurted out, taken aback by my surprised expression, "no offense on my assumption love." A rueful chuckle escaped her lips as she teased, "Well, it certainly seemed that way." "I only mentioned I wasn't prepared for marriage," I clarified, "but I never hinted at breaking up with him" Becky nodded, her expression thoughtful. "And Ryan?" she probed. My y eyes narrowed in confusion. "What about him!" "Is there anything happening between you two?" she pressed further. Chapter 6 "Absolutely not!" I exclaimed defensively, causing Becky to regard me with suspicion. Im serious. I've made it clear to him that he's just the father of my kids, nothing more." She glanced up from her phone, her gaze meeting the laptop camera. "If there's truly nothing going on between you and Ryan, then Im confident you'll work things out with Jake." Returning her attention to her phone, she added, "Don't stress too much about Her voice trailed off abruptly as she froze mid-sentence. "Becky? What's wrong" I asked with concern as she lifted her gaze. "I thought you said there was nothing going on with you and Ryan?" she blurted out, her eyes wide with disbelief. I could only nod in response "Then why is there a video of you ki*sing him all over the internet?" she continued, her words hitting me like a ton of bricks My heart sank. SEND GIFT