Ex-Husband's Regret (by Evelyn M.M) novel Chapter 11

He steps into my space so we’re chest to chest. His eyes flash and his nostrils fl are, I stand my ground. Refusing to let him intimidate me. 
“I’m not leaving. Now cancel that fucking order and get your ass into my car” he growls through clench teeth. A storm brewing behind his stormy eyes. 1 My temper begins to rise and I clench my fist. Usually I would push it down because I didn’t want to anger him but I no longer give a fuck. 
“You arrogant son of bitch… who the hell do you think you’re, hmm? I’m not some fucking puppy you think yo u can fucking command” my voice was starting to rise. I was so fucking pissed. 
For years I let him dictate me. For years I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t w ant to fracture. what I thought we had. But what did it bring me? What did pushin g down and containing who I am give? Nothing. It gave me nothing but pain and heartache. 1 “Ava…” he says in a warning tone. 
“Are you two fighting again?” Noah’s voice cuts through the tense atmosphere. 
I turn around to find him looking at us sadly. Damn it! I hate Noah seeing this sid e of us. He shouldn’t deal with us fighting all the time. 
“No we aren’t. We just can’t agree on something” I side eye Rowan. “Right?” Just like me, the anger and coldness on his face has disappeared. Just like me, he would do anything for Noah. Including tolerating my presence. 
“Sure, your mom wanted to go with an Uber’since she can’t drive but I wanted to drive you two.” He says with a lazy smile. “Why can’t we just go with dad, mommy?” I take a deep breath and cast my eyes heavenward. Damn him for throwing me under the bus. I look at my son and he looks at me so expectantly. 
I sigh in defeat. “Alright, fine” I grumble. 
The things I do for love. 
“Yay!” Noah screams and rushes back to the leaving room before coming back with his duffel “Wait here” I tell Rowan and then leave to get Noah’s suitcase and my handbag. 
I tidy the living room a bit and then pick things up. I give the room one last glanc e to make sure everything was in place before turning around. 
Bumping into a hard a chest, my handbag falls from my hand. Rowan wraps an arm around m e and steadies me before I can fall. I jump away from him and quickly put some distance between “I told you to wait at the foyer” I glare at him “I don’t like to be told what to do you know this” he glares back. 
“Let’s just go” I move to take my handbag but he grabs it before I can. Then he picks Noah’s a bandoned suitcase, turns around and leaves I watch him wondering what has g otten into him. Not once has he helped me before. He was acting strangely and I didn’t like it. 
By the time I get my feet moving and lock the door, Rowan and Noah were already seated in the car. Reluctantly, I approach the car and get in Ten minutes into the drive and the atmosphere is awkward. Noah was busy on h is tablet watching. some cartoon. Once he’s focused on something it’s hard to g et his attention. Another ten minutes in and I was going crazy. I’m almost tempte d to throw myself out of the moving car just to escape. the tense atmosphere. 
I move my hands to turn on the radio but Rowan stops me when he speaks. 
“How’s the arm?” he asks His eyes were on the road but he looked at me briefly when he asked. the question I’m the only one who finds it S**y when a man does the one arm driving? Shakin g 
those thoughts from my mind I focus my eyes forward. 
“Fine” “Can you give me more than just a one word answer?” he asks through clenche d teeth. “Why should I? You’ve never been interested in anything I’ve said before. In fact you would go to great lengths to tune me out” I say as a matter of fact. “So why are you all of a sudden interested in what I have to say?” He doesn’t say anything. He knows that I’m right. The familiar pain threatens to r ise up but I push it back down. I’m set on healing from those past hurts and it st arts by forgetting about it and about the man sitting beside me. 
I look out the window. Praying that we would just get where we are going quickly .