Worth the Risk

Chapter Seventeen. Lennox.

I was already feeling jittery when I pulled into the parking lot of Brady's Brew House and saw Trey's beat up pick up from leaving Saylor with Connor. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, because I did, totally, or I wouldn't have left her. But I'd never left her with anyone other than my parents or sister before. This was the ultimate test for Connor, I guessed. He was responsible for my daughter. How he did would determine our future, if we even had one after this. Maybe Saylor would be so terrible that he'd never come around again. Maybe she'd scare him off.

But that wasn't what I needed to be focusing on at this moment. I trusted Connor with Saylor or I wouldn't have left, and I needed to remember that. And my ass of an ex was inside waiting for me. We were going to be having this dreaded conversation that I'd hoped I would never have to have with him. I had hoped he'd just stay out of my life. Why did he have to show up like this? In no way was I prepared for it.

I felt wobbly on my feet as I walked inside to the semi-dark atmosphere of the pub.

The hostess greeted me and directed me to Trey when I told her my party was already here.

I paused and took a deep breath before I sat down across from him in the booth and I was suddenly relieved they'd put us at a booth and not a table with chairs. The table separated us and there wasn't a way for him to try and get closer to me.

"Hi, Lenny," Trey breathed out, looking me over. I felt yucky under his dark gaze.

"What do you want, Trey?" I asked, skipping the formalities. This wasn't just some friendly catch-up.

"I wanted to see my girl. I miss you."

"Bullshit," I called him out on his lies, point blank.

The waitress came over then and clearly checked Trey out, which he relished in. I scoffed. Pig.

"Can I get you started with something to drink?" she asked, sickly sweet.

"I'll take a Mic Ultra," Trey said, giving the waitress flirty eyes. I didn't hide my eye-roll.

"For you?" The fake blonde turned her attention to me.

"I'm fine," I told her, holding a hand up. "I'm not going to be here long."

She turned her attention back to Trey and he had the nerve to look uneasy. She winked at him as she walked away.

"What are you really doing here?" I asked the moment the waitress was out of earshot.

"I told you. I miss you." I didn't believe a word that came out of his mouth. He didn't miss me. There was another reason he was here. I just couldn't work out what it could be.

"I don't know why you think I'd care, Trey."

"We had fun together, Lenny."

"Fun? That's all it was? And stop calling me that," I said in utter disgust. I hated hearing his old nickname for me coming out of his mouth. In fact, I hated when anyone called me that anymore. I used to love the nickname; now, it turned my stomach every time it came out of someone's mouth. Thankfully, no one here has picked up that nickname.

He shrugged. "Well yeah, it was fun between us."

I scoffed. "Well, I'm sorry, but don't miss you, and I don't want you in my life," I stated.

"You have my kid."

"So that's what this whole surprise visit is about; my daughter."

"I want to see my kid."

"Why now? You didn't even know you had a daughter until you saw her this morning." Yes, he'd known I was pregnant. But he wanted nothing to do with it, and was long gone before I found out the gender.