Her voice caught. She looked down at her belly, smoothing her hand over the soft fabric of her jumper. "But I can't, can I?" She shook her head before he could answer. "Because every time I think about letting you back in, I remember her. I remember what you did. And I wonder how I can possibly trust you again when the one person I was supposed to be safest with was the person who hurt me the most." She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering herself. Taking some calming breaths. "I know you're angry with me. I know you think I'm being stubborn, and maybe I am. And because you know any of these cros, any of the women who get wet at the sound of your name, would have already forgiven you. Maybe I am holding on to this because I don't know how to let it go without feeling like I'm telling you what you did was acceptable." She opened her eyes again. "But I can't just switch it off, Jax. I can't wake up one morning and decide that it doesn't matter anymore. I can't pretend that you didn't sleep with another woman while I was at home, pregnant with your children, believing that we were still a family." The words tasted bitter. Tasted burnt on her tongue. Leaving a bad aftertaste behind. She hated saying them aloud. She hated that they were true. She hated herself for even saying them. "And I don't know what you expect me to do with that." For a moment, she simply stood there, looking at him. Her husband. Her estranged husband. The man who still had the ability to hurt her with a single word, even when she was trying desperately not to give him that power. And right now, she was faling. Falling behind her own lines she had drawn for herself. A small movement beneath her palm reminded her that she wasn't alone, not really. She had two little hearts beating beneath her own, two babies who would be here soon, whether she and Jax managed to repair their marriage or not. She had to think about them. She had to think about Abel and Thomas, too. And she had to think about herself. She couldn't afford to let their world become another casualty of what had happened between their parents. Caroline wiped quickly beneath one eye before a tear could escape. "All I am asking is that when the boys are with you, you look after them properly. Feed them decent meals, make sure they get enough sleep, make sure they're happy. And if you need help, ask me. I will never refuse to help you with our children, no matter how angry I am with you." Her lips pressed together. "Because they deserve parents who can put their feelings aside long enough to do what's best for them." She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And I need you to understand something else." Her gaze held his, her expression firm despite the hurt written across her face. "I am not your enemy, Jax. I have never wanted to be your enemy. I am your wife, even if we're not living together right now. I'm the mother of your children, and I'm carrying two more of them. I am the woman who has loved you through things most people wouldn't have stayed for. That most people would have called the cops on you for." Her voice softened, almost against her will. "And I still love you." The admission slipped out before she could stop it. And she knew there wasn't any way to get them back inside her head. For a second, she looked almost startled by her own words. Then her face hardened again, as though she could somehow take them back by sheer force of will. "But loving you doesn't mean I have to forgive you before I'm ready. It doesn't mean I have to pretend I'm not hurt. And it certainly doesn't mean you get to decide when I'm supposed to be over it." She took a shaky breath, shifting her weight as another ache settled into her lower back. "Because I'm not over it. I'm nowhere near over it." Her eyes flickered towards the common room, where she could hear Thomas laughing at something. That sound brought her back to herself. Her babies were waiting. She had a few +)

this was too good an opportunity to pass up. The woman already hated the sound of Abel's bike. She probably hated the sight of his property, the people who visited, and the very idea of anyone having a good time within a five-mile radius of her precious little house. She wasn't letting this perfect opportunity go. Caroline couldn't imagine why. The woman made Tig sound like an absolute delight. And, naturally, Caroline was about to make her evening considerably more interesting. She leaned forward and pressed the car horn. *Beep. Beep-beep. Beeeeeep.* She paused, listening to the sound echo through the otherwise quiet street. Then she did it again. *Beep-beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeep.* A laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "Oh, come on," she muttered, shaking her head with exaggerated innocence. "I'm just announcing my arrival. It's called being polite." She gave the horn another quick tap. Somewhere nearby, a light flicked on. Another hard tap this time. Caroline's grin widened. Bingo. She could practically picture the neighbour standing at her window, peering through the curtains with a face like she'd just bitten into a lemon. Or one that accidentally chewed on a wasp. The mental image alone was enough to make Caroline's evening. She wasn't usually deliberately obnoxious. All right, that was a lie. She could be obnoxious when the occasion called for it, and she was a firm believer that some people made it far too easy. If the miserable old woman wanted to spend her evenings complaining about Abel's existence, Caroline was perfectly happy to provide her with a few additional reasons to keep herself occupied. After all, it gave her other neighbours a break. It was practically community service. And Caroline had always loved being in thr community spirit. Her attention shifted back towards the house just as she spotted Lola making her way outside. Caroline's face immediately lit up. There she was. Her partner in crime. Her fellow troublemaker. The woman who was about to be dragged into an evening of questionable decisions, excellent gossip, and the sort of laughter that would probably leave them both hoarse by midnight. Caroline rolled down her window, resting one elbow against the door as she watched Lola approach. She gave her a once-over, her expression full of theatrical approval, before leaning across the passenger seat and pushing the door lock open. "Well, look at you!" she called out, her voice bright with amusement. "Taking your sweet time, aren't you? Honestly, Lola, some of us have been ready for girls' night since approximately three-thirty this afternoon." She glanced towards the house behind her friend, then back towards Lola, her eyebrows lifting suggestively. "Tell me you've said your goodbyes, kissed your baby girl, and informed your ridiculously handsome fiancé that he is officially on daddy duty for the evening." Her smile turned positively wicked. "Because I swear to God, if Abel tries to tell me he needs you home by ten, I'm turning this car around, marching straight into that house, and explaining to him the very important difference between being a devoted father and being a clingy pain in the arse." She paused, then waved a dismissive hand. "Actually, no. Forget ten. We're not putting a time limit on this. We have the entire weekend ahead of us, and I refuse to waste a single second of it worrying about what time we should be home." Caroline reached over to the passenger seat and moved her handbag out of the way, making room for Lola to climb in. Then, with the confidence of a woman who had absolutely no intention of behaving herself, she flashed her friend a grin. Her whole demeanour was positively wicked. "Now, get your gorgeous arse in this car, because we have places to go, things to drink, men to ignore, and an entire evening of being fabulous ahead of us." She glanced towards the neighbour's house one more time and gave the horn a final, cheerful +)