hadn’t been Allen’s ex, I wouldn’t have liked her.
“Allen and I were together for a year,” Aime said. “Jenny’s his daughter.”
I looked at Jasper, waiting for him to tell me that she was lying, that Allen didn’t have a child, but Jasper didn’t say a word. He was staring at the little girl. I wondered for a moment if he was trying to see the same thing I’d tried to see when I looked at her. But it was pointless to try to see Allen in the girl. She looked too much like her mother.
A mother who was totally gorgeous.
I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was still wearing Jasper’s t-shirt and sweatpants.
“Jasper.” I reached out and touched his arm.
He looked down at me.
“Jasper Whitehall.” Aime’s smirk widened into a smile. “I thought that was you. I can’t believe it’s been ten years.”
“Aime.” Jasper didn’t look at her.
“Well, since you know that Allen and I were...together, then you know that Jenny is Allen’s daughter.”
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around his arm. “Is that true, Jasper? Did you know about her?” My stomach twisted. “Did Allen know?”
“No.” Jasper’s tone was firm. “Allen and Aime dated. There was no baby.” He turned towards Aime, his eyes flashing. “She looks a bit young to have been Allen’s child because I definitely know that he met Shae three months after you two broke up and he never cheated.”
I had a feeling if Jenny hadn’t been there, Jasper’s word choice would’ve been a lot less polite.
Aime’s mouth flattened. “You don’t know shit.”
I winced, then glared at her. I wanted to tell her to watch her mouth, but Jenny wasn’t my daughter.
She was my step-daughter?
What would she be to me if Allen was her father? Nothing because he was dead? Would that even matter?
My head throbbed and I knew I had a massive headache coming on. My eyes dropped to the girl as she practically hid behind her mother.
“How old are you?” I figured I was more likely to get a truthful answer out of the kid. Some kids might have been natural liars, but my gut said she was going to tell me the truth.
“Eight and a half.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“So you would’ve gotten pregnant...” I let my voice trail off.
“A little over nine years ago.” Aime crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. “When Jasper here will tell you that I was dating Allen.”
One look at Jasper’s face was enough to tell me that she was being truthful about the timeline at least.
“You might’ve been with him, but that doesn’t mean Jenny’s his daughter,” Jasper said. He reached down and took my hand, cold fingers grasping mine. I wasn’t even sure if he was doing it for my comfort or his.
“His name’s on the birth certificate.”
I was suddenly glad Jasper was holding my hand because if he hadn’t been, I most likely would’ve tried to slap the smug expression off her face, even with Jenny there.
“That doesn’t mean sh...anything,” Jasper said, his gaze darting down to the girl and then back up again. “You could’ve put anyone’s name down on that. Could’ve been mine even though we both know I turned you down flat.”
My fingers twitched in his hand as Aime’s cheeks flushed red. She looked down at our hands and then shook her head.
“Are you kidding me? You were Allen’s best friend and now you’re fucking his wife?” She rolled her eyes when she saw me look at Jenny. “Trust me, not the first time the kid’s heard that word.”
“This has nothing to do with us,” Jasper said. “This is about you claiming to have had Allen’s child.”
“She’s Allen’s,” Aime said. “We both know it.”
“All I know is that you’re saying she is and your proof is that my late husband’s name’s on the birth certificate and that you’d been sleeping with him during the time she’d been conceived.” My voice was stronger than I’d expected.
“Oh, honey, you don’t wanna play
“Allen and I were together for a year,” Aime said. “Jenny’s his daughter.”
I looked at Jasper, waiting for him to tell me that she was lying, that Allen didn’t have a child, but Jasper didn’t say a word. He was staring at the little girl. I wondered for a moment if he was trying to see the same thing I’d tried to see when I looked at her. But it was pointless to try to see Allen in the girl. She looked too much like her mother.
A mother who was totally gorgeous.
I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was still wearing Jasper’s t-shirt and sweatpants.
“Jasper.” I reached out and touched his arm.
He looked down at me.
“Jasper Whitehall.” Aime’s smirk widened into a smile. “I thought that was you. I can’t believe it’s been ten years.”
“Aime.” Jasper didn’t look at her.
“Well, since you know that Allen and I were...together, then you know that Jenny is Allen’s daughter.”
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around his arm. “Is that true, Jasper? Did you know about her?” My stomach twisted. “Did Allen know?”
“No.” Jasper’s tone was firm. “Allen and Aime dated. There was no baby.” He turned towards Aime, his eyes flashing. “She looks a bit young to have been Allen’s child because I definitely know that he met Shae three months after you two broke up and he never cheated.”
I had a feeling if Jenny hadn’t been there, Jasper’s word choice would’ve been a lot less polite.
Aime’s mouth flattened. “You don’t know shit.”
I winced, then glared at her. I wanted to tell her to watch her mouth, but Jenny wasn’t my daughter.
She was my step-daughter?
What would she be to me if Allen was her father? Nothing because he was dead? Would that even matter?
My head throbbed and I knew I had a massive headache coming on. My eyes dropped to the girl as she practically hid behind her mother.
“How old are you?” I figured I was more likely to get a truthful answer out of the kid. Some kids might have been natural liars, but my gut said she was going to tell me the truth.
“Eight and a half.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“So you would’ve gotten pregnant...” I let my voice trail off.
“A little over nine years ago.” Aime crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. “When Jasper here will tell you that I was dating Allen.”
One look at Jasper’s face was enough to tell me that she was being truthful about the timeline at least.
“You might’ve been with him, but that doesn’t mean Jenny’s his daughter,” Jasper said. He reached down and took my hand, cold fingers grasping mine. I wasn’t even sure if he was doing it for my comfort or his.
“His name’s on the birth certificate.”
I was suddenly glad Jasper was holding my hand because if he hadn’t been, I most likely would’ve tried to slap the smug expression off her face, even with Jenny there.
“That doesn’t mean sh...anything,” Jasper said, his gaze darting down to the girl and then back up again. “You could’ve put anyone’s name down on that. Could’ve been mine even though we both know I turned you down flat.”
My fingers twitched in his hand as Aime’s cheeks flushed red. She looked down at our hands and then shook her head.
“Are you kidding me? You were Allen’s best friend and now you’re fucking his wife?” She rolled her eyes when she saw me look at Jenny. “Trust me, not the first time the kid’s heard that word.”
“This has nothing to do with us,” Jasper said. “This is about you claiming to have had Allen’s child.”
“She’s Allen’s,” Aime said. “We both know it.”
“All I know is that you’re saying she is and your proof is that my late husband’s name’s on the birth certificate and that you’d been sleeping with him during the time she’d been conceived.” My voice was stronger than I’d expected.
“Oh, honey, you don’t wanna play
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