“Nothing new.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“It’s the one I have.”
“No,” he said. “It’s the one you’re hiding behind.”
My eyes returned to his.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. I could have kept the conversation on paperwork and filings because that would have been easier. But easier had stopped working a while ago.
“My father hit Brad,” I said.
Cole went still for a second.
I leaned back in the chair and pressed my fingers against my temple.
“Gerald’s handling it carefully because Brad wants to push it legally,” I said. “Jade made sure I knew that last night.”
Cole stayed quiet, letting me continue.
“She stood in my living room acting like she had the right to warn me,” I said. “My mother already made it clear she thinks I should be realistic because there’s a baby involved.”
Co
