And he doesn’t say a word as he just walks straight past me like I don’t exist. I clench my jaw in annoyance as he heads into Anika’s room.Wanker.
I hover in the kitchen, pretending to tidy, my ears straining for raised voices.For anything.
My heart pounds the entire time, every second stretching longer than the last.
If Ray walks through that door . . . I don’t even want to think about it. We’ve only just started getting along. This would destroy that.
It’s nearly half an hour later when Luke finally reappears. He doesn’t look at me on the way out either, just strides back into the elevator like he owns the place. The second the doors close, I let out a shaky breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding. Then I rush to Anika to find her crying.
“Oh shit . . . what happened?” I ask, grabbing tissues and dabbing at her cheeks.
“He wants full custody,” she chokes. “Of Sebastian. All the time.”
“Why?” I ask, though I already know the answer won’t be good.
“He told his wife about me,” she whispers. “About everything. So, now, he doesn’t need to sneak around anymore.” Her lip trembles. “He thinks Sebastian will be better off with a ‘proper’family. A mum who can actually move.”
Anger flares hot in my chest. “Youarehis mum,” I say firmly. “There’s no replacement for that. And Sebastian worships you, you know that. He thinks you’re the coolest person in the world.”
“But he’s not wrong, is he?” she whispers. “They can give him more.”
“More than what?” I snap before I can stop myself. “More than you? More than Ray, Dale, me, Catherine, Alga? That’s notmore, Anika, that’s different.”
She looks away, defeated. “I’m tired, Wynter,” she admits softly. “I’m so tired of fighting him.”
My heart hurts at her words. “You need to tell Ray,” I say gently. “He’ll fix this. He always does.”
She shakes her head. “What’s the point?” she murmurs. “When I’m gone, Ray won’t stand a chance of keeping Sebastian.”
A chill runs through me. “Why do you keep saying that?” I ask quietly. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“This isn’t a life,” she murmurs. It’s so quiet, I almost miss it. “I don’t want this life.”
My chest tightens. I dab at her tears again, a little more firmly this time, like I can wipe the words away too. “That’s enough, Anika,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “This is a bad day, that’s all. Tomorrow, Ray will deal with Luke, and everything will feel different.”
“You can’t tell him,” she says quickly, her eyes snapping to mine.
I hesitate.
“If he finds out Luke was here, we’re both screwed,” she continues. “You know what he’s like. He’ll go after him, and that’ll make everything worse.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Ray can’t help me from prison.”
I swallow.
“He’ll find out anyway when Luke appeals,” I point out quietly.
“Then we deal with it then,” she insists. “But right now, you can’t tell him. I mean it, Wynter.”
I hate this—the lies, the secrets—and Ray hates them even more.
Yet I picture his face if he walks through that door and finds out Luke was here. The anger. The fallout. The damage it would do to whatever fragile thing we’ve just started building.
I look back at Anika, at the fear in her eyes.
“Okay,” I say softly.
Just for now, I’ll keep quiet and let this play out. Maybe Luke won’t push it any further. Maybe this will all settle before it explodes.
But deep down . . .