Dear Ex Wife Please take me back by The Every Woman

ATHENA

Noah freezes.

His grip loosens instantly as his eyes snap toward the voice.

Alex stands there, calm as a glacier, but there's nothing cold about the fire in his eyes. One hand is in his pocket, the other resting casually at his side, but the tension rolling off him could crack the floor.

Noah straightens slowly, his jaw ticking in anger. Hatred written in every line of his body.

Did something happen between these two, or does Noah hate Alex because of what happened to Sloane?

But that would be unfair. She took the bullet for me and not him.

"I wasn't hurting her," he says through clenched teeth.

Alex takes a slow, deliberate step forward.

"You touched her, and she flinched. That's more than hurting her."

"Why do you care?!" Noah hisses, and when Alex takes another step forward, he snaps his mouth shut.

Oh, for crying out loud!

"Stop it, both of you!" I hiss, yanking my hand back and stepping between them.

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, Noah. Nothing is going on between Alex and me, and nothing will. We are Rayen's parents. Seeing us together shouldn't be strange to you."

"And you," I turn to face Alex, "I'm not your wife that needs protecting or you breaking other people's hands over. I can fight my own battles!"

I feel the heat in my cheeks, not from embarrassment but pure frustration.

"Athena-" Alex begins

"No!" I hiss. "Now let me go back to having a good time. If you want to behave like children, I won't stop you! Just keep me out of it."

Noah blinks, caught off guard by my sharp tone.

His mouth opens, then closes.

"I'm sorry, Athena. I overreacted," he finally says, his voice softer now, remorseful.

But I'm too angry to respond. My jaw clenches as I turn away from him.

Why is he behaving like some obsessed lover marking his territory?

no sense. This isn't like Noah. At least, not

can say anything

faces I don't recognize.

intercepts me with wide, curious

"Babe, did something happen?"

head quickly, brushing

"No."

flickers over my shoulder. "Then why does Alex look like he's about to swallow

I groan internally.

ignore those two," I

ex-husband and his cousin who wants to win you over? Who will you pick?" She

"I'm not stupid."

as I grab a bottle of water from the drink table, grateful for

me alive, very clear before me. "You need to

Zayan is not the type to be influenced by his mama. That

want? No exes, no children, no psychotic family trees. Hell, if his cousin wasn't married, I would have shot my

I'm saved by the sharp

turn, gaining our

light, a glass of champagne in

words," she starts, her smile soft and warm. "Being a mom is the greatest chaos I've ever known, and I wouldn't change a second of it. Even the parts where I've

ripples across

trouble maker, Isabelle even when they didn't want me in the beginning," She looks at me

parts of my life. I

and giving me a chance to experience this priceless opportunity of being a mother. To my mother-in-law, happy Mother's Day Gigi. Thank you for loving

her glass. "To every woman who's ever mothered by blood, by love, or by sheer stubbornness, you are seen. You

claps, some more misty-eyed than others. Ariana sits, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin, and then Giana slowly rises next, leaning slightly on her cane. "Well, now I have to follow the golden girl," she grumbles, earning more laughter. Her gaze sweeps the table, warm and kind

been called dramatic, nosy, and entirely too invested in other people's business." She shrugs. "All true. But I've also been

voice softens. "That name saved my life. Thank you, Athena, for giving me a reason to keep fighting. Thank you, Rayen, for making me your favorite old lady. Despite there being so many mothers in here, tonight is about you, my dear Athena. It's your first year as a mother, and

proudly, holding up his painting like a

and Giana sits back with a

get misty

Surprisingly, lan stands, too.

A hush falls instantly.

speaks

Never.

and Alex for being

clears his throat, his eyes on his glass

eyes are

a confession. "But I can't keep pretending like things didn't happen. Because a few years ago, our hospital