Instant Parents with My Enemy

Chapter 04

Jasmine's POV

We ended up taking the twins back to their own home.

Each of us carried one sleeping child inside, careful not to wake them. I carried Kitty while Nate carried Keith, and for once, neither of us complained about having to work together.

We quietly tucked them into their beds, pulled their blankets over them, and stood there for a moment, watching them sleep.

They looked so peaceful.

It was hard to believe that their entire world had changed only days ago. I slowly stepped out of Kitty's room and pulled the door almost completely shut behind me.

“So, who's staying here tonight?” I whispered, turning toward Nate.

He leaned against the hallway wall and sighed. The house felt different, too quiet.

Karen's home had always been filled with laughter, music, and the twins running from one room to another. Now, every corner seemed to remind me that she was gone.

After Karen and Jerry's funeral, the twins had been placed in the facility for two days while the legalities were processed. Once Nate and I were officially designated as their guardians, we'd left them there temporarily so we could have time to talk and figure everything out.

Except we hadn't figured out anything. Now they were back with us, and we still had absolutely no plan.

Neither of us had even opened the full packet of custody papers Attorney Williams had given us. I wasn't ready to face what was written inside.

Maybe I was hoping that if I didn't read it, this wouldn't feel real.

“I have an important appointment tomorrow,” I said quietly. “A major project is waiting for me.”

“And you think I don't?” Nate shot back instantly. “I run an entire company, Jasmine.”

God, I hate this.

Of course he had to make it a competition. I hated that he was busy. I hated even more that I was just as busy.

Who was supposed to watch the kids? I let out a heavy sigh and glared at him.

“You seriously can't reschedule?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because the last time I checked social media, you were spotted at a club partying with a bunch of girls.”

Nate's expression immediately changed. His eyes darkened, and his jaw tightened. I knew right then that I'd hit the wrong nerve.

“What the f**k?” he snapped. “Are you stalking me now?”

I crossed my arms.

“Who do you think you are? You're not worth stalking.”

“Then stay out of my business, Jasmine.”

“I couldn't care less about whatever trashy things you do in your free time, Nate.”

He scoffed.

“Right.”

“You have all the time in the world to go out and fool around with women, but you can't make time to watch the twins?”

His expression hardened. “I wasn't fooling around.”

“Sure.”

“I wasn't.”

I rolled my eyes.

This argument was never going to end. Whenever the two of us were in the same room, he always had a comeback, and somehow, I never ran out of petty retorts.

I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to go home, crawl into my bed, and pretend that the last few days hadn't happened.

I'd been in the middle of work when Attorney Williams called me. Then came the will, the lawyer., the custody papers, the facility, and now this. Being back in Karen's house only made everything feel heavier.

I'd never even stayed the night here before. Karen had invited me countless times, but I always preferred my own apartment, my own bed, my own quiet space.

And now I was apparently expected to spend the night here with Nate.

“You have all the time in the world to go out and fool around with women,” I repeated coldly, “but you can't make time to watch two children who just lost their parents?”

His eyes narrowed. “I wasn't fooling around!” he snapped defensively. “Maybe you're the one projecting.”

I frowned.

“What?”

“Is that why you're so eager to leave?” he continued. “Because you have someone waiting for you at home?”

My jaw dropped.

Unbelievable.

He was flipping the script on me again. Why was it so difficult for him to simply admit when he was wrong?

I opened my mouth, ready to tear him apart. But before I could say a word, a soft, sleepy yawn came from behind us.

We both froze. Slowly, we turned toward the side. Kitty was standing, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists. Her hair was messy, her cheeks were flushed with sleep, and her little face was scrunched in confusion.

Our argument had woken her.

“Mama Jas...” Her sleepy voice immediately silenced us. “Papa Nate...”

I felt my stomach drop.

“Are you two fighting?” Her lower lip trembled.

I immediately rushed toward her. “No, baby. We're not fighting.”

It was a lie. A terrible one. Now. I’m even a liar!

But I couldn't let her worry about us on top of everything else. I picked her up and cradled her against my chest. She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck.

“Don't fight,” she whispered.

My heart shattered. I glanced at Nate. He was standing near the doorway, staring at us.

All the anger had disappeared from his face. He ran a hand down his face, looking utterly defeated and completely clueless about what to do next.

Then Kitty looked over at him.

“Papa?”

Nate straightened.

“Yeah, Kitty?”

“Are you mad at Mama Jas?”

He opened his mouth. Then closed it. For perhaps the first time in his entire life, Nate had absolutely no comeback.

I almost smiled.

Almost.

Instead, I gently rubbed Kitty's back.

“Papa isn't mad at Mama Jas.”

Nate looked at me. I gave him a warning look.

Agree with me.

He sighed.

“No,” he finally said softly. “I'm not mad at her.”

Kitty studied his face for a few seconds.

“Promise?”

Nate nodded.

“I promise.”

She relaxed against me. “Good.”

Her eyes began to close again. I looked at Nate over her head. He looked back at me. Neither of us said anything but the message was clear.

We couldn't keep fighting like this. Not anymore. Not with two little children watching us. Not when we were the only parents they had left.

And somehow, that realization scared me more than anything Attorney Williams had told us.