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?

Noah. At least,

off before Alex can say anything else,

faces I don't recognize.

intercepts me with wide, curious

"Babe, did something happen?"

head quickly, brushing it

"No."

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

I groan internally.

those two,"

cousin who wants to win you over? Who will you

"I'm not stupid."

bottle of water from the drink table, grateful

almost chewed me alive, very clear before me. "You need to meet his mother, you'll change teams so fast." I say, taking

not the type to be influenced by his mama. That man is smooth, rich, emotionally intelligent, and so easy on

family trees. Hell, if his cousin wasn't married, I would have shot my shot.

but I'm saved by the sharp clink of a spoon

gaining our

light, a glass of champagne in one hand, and

a mom is the greatest chaos I've ever known, and I wouldn't change a second of

ripples across the

Sloane and my newest trouble maker, Isabelle even when they didn't want me in the beginning," She

life. I love you all like

my precious gift. My son. My pride and joy. Thank you for coming into this world 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 me like

"To every woman who's ever mothered by blood, by love, or by

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

invested in other people's business." She shrugs. "All true. But I've also been

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

proudly, holding up his painting

sits back with a satisfied but teary

own eyes begin to get misty from how much

Surprisingly, lan stands, too.

A hush falls instantly.

never speaks

Never.

and Alex for

eyes on his glass

are full of sadness and regret,

supposed to say anything," he mutters, almost like a confession. "But I can't keep pretending like things didn't happen. Because a few years ago, our hospital almost took away