Chapter 5

I didn't respond to Jason's post.

But leaving work that evening, I found him at the bottom of my office building — leaning against the flower bed, under a streetlamp.

He was wearing that black coat I'd bought him. It was the first time I'd seen him in it.

He straightened the moment he spotted me, chin lifting slightly, the corner of his mouth curved in that confident, expectant arc.

Like he was waiting for a lost pet to find its way home.

His shoes crunched through the dry leaves as I walked straight past him.

A black SUV was parked smooth and steady at the curb.

The window came down. Daniel rested one hand on the steering wheel, relaxed.

"It got cold tonight. There's a blanket in the back seat."

He got out, came around the front, and took my laptop bag from my hands without asking.

He opened the passenger door and held his palm along the roof edge.

"Japanese or hot pot?"

I was halfway through my first step when a force seized my wrist.

Jason pulled me back, hard.

"Vivian. Are you blind?"

"I've been standing out here waiting for two hours."

I shook him off. My voice was calm.

"I saw you. What do you want?"

He stared at me, chest heaving.

"Fine. I'll go first — this time I'm putting my pride aside. Can you stop this?"

I rubbed the red mark on my wrist and took a step back.

He suddenly slammed his palm against the passenger door, caging me between the car and his body.

His coat caught the wind.

"I posted, didn't I? What more do you want from me?"

"We've been together for six years. You can't just decide it's over because you're upset."

He leaned in close, his warm breath brushing my forehead.

I looked at that self-righteous face and felt only a cold, hollow amusement.

"Jason, I'm not fighting with you. I'm not throwing a tantrum."

"What we had ended in that hospital room."

The words landed.

He snapped.

"You're carrying my child and you're getting in another man's car?!"