He Hurt Me, Now He Wants Me Back novel Chapter 13

Imogene Scott

After Damien leaves, I drop a text for Emmett that I won’t be returning to the gallery for the rest of the day. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to get a new nanny for Lily on short notice. Getting someone like Breonna took me days.

Shit! I didn’t know Damien could ever pull such a stunt on me.

I hear the doorbell ring. I go and answer it and I can see from the door monitor screen that on one is there. Either way, I open the door and step out. The hallway is empty and there’s a basket of roses at my doorstep with a note in it.

Curiosity overrides everything as I bend down to grab the note. It reads: I was wondering if you wanna grab dinner tomorrow night. From your admirer, Keith. His business card is also attached to it.

I immediately shrug and drop the note back into the basket. Then I step back inside, leaving the basket of roses outside. I already know it’s the elevator guy, my landlord, which makes it even more weird.

Who sends flowers to someone they barely know? Another reason why I refuse to take him seriously. He probably sees me as a lost and lonely single mother he can toy with. Not on my watch. I already have ‘Damien’ problem at hand. I don’t think I want to add ‘love interest’ problems to it.

I hear Lily’s cries from the bedroom and I race into the room. She’s awake, and she smiles when she sees me.

“Mommy.” her tiny voice calls out to me.

I wrap my arms around her tiny body before taking her into my arms and back to the living room. I place her in her high chair and do the straps. I quickly make some oats. Lily is a difficult child and she doesn’t take any foods beside oats. It’s starting to worry me.

After Lily finishes her meal, I let her play around the apartment while I make a few important calls and an important video call with a client.

By the time I’m done, it’s almost 7pm and I hear the doorbell ring. I glance at Lily to make sure she isn’t doing anything dangerous—she playing with a rubber ball—before I go to answer the door. It’s Elinor.

“What’s with the flowers?” she asks me as she walks in.

I shut the door behind her. “Just this landlord problem I have.”

“Hmm.” Elinor’s eyes widens. “Tell me about it.”

“He’s someone that just doesn’t take no for an answer.” I suck in a breath. “He wants us to grab dinner tomorrow night. Of course, it’s a no. I’ve got better things to focus on and I don’t have spare time.”

“You have all the time in the world.” She makes an exaggerated show of tapping her phone. “You’re just scared. Aren’t you over Damien?”

“I…”

My insides tighten. I’m over Damien. I’ve always been over him but at the same time, Lily is all I have. I don’t want any romantic interests to halve my love for her. She’s my priority.

“Tell me,” Elinor says, pulling me out of my impulsive thoughts, “don’t tell me you aren’t over him.”

“Well, I am. And none of this has anything to do with Damien.”

“It could.”

“What do you mean?” I do an as-if eye roll.

“Damien is back because he knows you don’t have any romantic developments in you life. He probably thinks it’s because you’re not over him yet.”