Alle Kapitel von ON YOUR KNEES, EX-HUSBAND : Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

Carla~I couldn't believe my eyes. Xavier Lockwood was standing right in front of me, looking as ruthlessly dashing as ever.Nothing much had changed about him since the last time we met, save for his rather overgrown stubble. But that did nothing to alter how dangerously attractive that man was.And with every step he took toward my direction, I could feel my heart sinking further and further into my chest. It was almost like my body had developed some kind of defensive mechanism specially for him.And his presence was slowly melting them all down."Hello, Carla! " He suddenly breathed in that voice that calm voice still managed to make my knees buckle even after all these years."Long time no see." I could have sworn he was taunting me but somehow he managed to keep a straight face.My protective instincts kicked in and I was suddenly pushing Ryan behind me; a gesture Xavier didn't fail to notice.And this time, he smirked down at me like a predator to a cornered prey, causing my

Xavier~She avoided my gaze.Like the bloody culprit she was, she couldn’t bring herself to look me in the eyes.I could feel it from across the table, the tension in the way her shoulders locked, the way her fingers trembled around her cutlery. Carla had always been terrible at hiding her fear from me. Her lips quivered just slightly, her spine stiff, as if sitting any straighter would make her disappear.She hadn’t expected to see me again.Not here at least. In this quiet countryside house where she’d buried herself away from the world… and from me.And the irony of it all tasted bitter on my tongue.She had been accessible to me the entire time.All it took was one careless post on the internet, one picture. And even better, it came from my own cousin. Lily, oblivious and loud, had unknowingly handed Carla right back to me on a silver platter.I hadn’t hesitated for a second.Watching her mouth curl into a warning sneer as I spoke, watching her squirm while I casually narrated our

Carla~“Mommy?”I looked up at the small voice with a soft smile, my fingers pausing mid-motion as I finished tying Ryan’s shoelace. He sat on the edge of the bed, legs swinging slightly, already dressed and far too alert for someone his age at this hour.“Yes, baby?” I asked gently, tugging the lace into a neat bow.He hesitated, his brows knitting together the way they always did when he was thinking too hard about something.“Is Xavier a bad man?”The question hit me harder than I expected.For a moment, the room seemed to go quiet, the air thick and heavy. My smile faltered, and I found myself staring at his little shoes, my mind scrambling for the right answer, the safe answer.I didn’t want to lie to him.But I couldn’t tell him the truth either. Not my truth and at least, not yet.I took a breath, then looked up at him again, lifting my hands to cup his face. His cheeks were warm beneath my palms, his eyes wide and trusting.“He is not a bad man, Ryan,” I said softly, forcing t

Carla~The leather seat beneath me was soft but still managed to feel very uncomfortable.I guess there was really nothing like comfort for someone who felt like she was being hauled back into a life she had clawed her way out of.I sat at the backseat of the luxury car with my arms wrapped tightly around Ryan, holding him as though the moment I loosened my grip, he’d be ripped away from me. His small body pressed into my chest, his fingers fisting the fabric of my blouse, eyes wide as he stared out the tinted window.“It’s okay, baby,” I whispered into his hair, forcing calm into my voice even as my heart battered against my ribs. “You’re safe.”I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring him or myself.Los Angeles unfolded before us in all its cold, glittering glory. Towering skyscrapers pierced the sky, glass and steel reflecting the sun like a city that had never known shame or regret. Traffic buzzed endlessly, horns blaring, people rushing past as if nothing in the world could ever slow th

Carla~“Mommy?”Ryan’s small voice drifted through the dimly lit room, soft but persistent, tugging me out of my thoughts. We lay side by side on the wide bed, his little body curled against mine, the blanket pulled up to his chest. One of my arms was wrapped protectively around him while my other hand moved slowly through his hair, combing through the soft curls the way I’d done every night since he was born.“Yes, baby?” I murmured, keeping my tone gentle as I continued the soothing rhythm, hoping it would lull him to sleep.He shifted slightly, turning onto his side so he could look up at me. Even in the low light, I could see the seriousness in his eyes, the kind that didn’t belong to a child his age.“Can we… can we keep living here?” he asked.My hand stilled for half a second before I forced it to keep moving.Here.The word alone made my chest tighten.I waited, hoping that would be the end of it, that he’d sigh and drift off the way he usually did. But Ryan rarely stopped whe