She toyed with the gemstones on her necklace. Then she started to hum the refrain of a classic Sinatra song, “New York, New York.”

“Don’t make me ask you again, Ava,” I said. “I know you’ve fucked Kevin.”

Her eyes finally met mine. “Fine…Yes, I fucked him. Now, what?” Tears formed in her eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. I never thought I would cross the line with him of all people…”

“You told me Emma was a surprise…” I said. “That you didn’t want to have kids until we were in our mid-thirties.”

Her face paled. “You were at the office tonight weren’t you?”

“I was…”

Silence.

“So,” I said, mentally putting together the puzzle pieces. “Either you’re lying to him about me not being able to give you a baby—because last time I checked, right before Emma was miraculously conceived, you were still making me wear condoms and we weren’t even trying to have a fucking baby. Or, you’re lying to me, and you just wanted to fuck my best friend for an ulterior motive you’re saving for later. Which is it?”

“I still love you, Liam, It’s just—”

“Which is it?”

She said nothing, she just stood there with more tears falling down her eyes.

I held up one of the folders I’d been reading through. “I was looking through these tonight…At first, I thought they were standard mail-outs that you’d signed for me while I was gone or too busy, standard office supply orders, things like that…”

“Where’d you find those?”

“But it turns out,” I said, ignoring her question, “That these are all fucking favors from judges and clerks that I don’t recall asking for. Ever.”

“Liam...”

“Is there anyone in this city that you haven’t fucked to get something in return?”

She looked as if she actually had to think about it.

“I send you flowers every day—every. fucking. day.” I stepped forward. “I tell you that I love you and that you complete me, every day and this is what I get in return?”

“I understand how you feel, Liam, but—”

“No, you don’t fucking understand.” I clenched my fists. “I’ve never even entertained the thought of being friends with another woman. I make sure everyone knows I’m completely unavailable, that no one else stands a damn chance.”

“I cheated for your benefit, Liam. I did it for you.”

What the fuck?

I’d heard a lot of bullshit in my life, but that line officially took the cake.

“How do you think you won the Luttrell case?” She wiped away her tears and narrowed her eyes at me. “You think you did it with your award winning rhetoric and charm?”

“Do you have a mental disorder that you failed to tell me about?”

“I fucked the judge three days before the verdict. You were going to lose. And if you lost that case, there’s no way some of our current clients would’ve picked our firm to handle their account.”

“Our firm?”

“You think you built it alone?” She laughed. “Liam Henderson, warm-hearted, loyal, and too nice for his own fucking good? Please. I had to intercept every contract you sent out and redraft half of the terms. If I’d left it up to you, your firm would be nothing more than a pipe dream. You should be thanking me because you have no idea how much work I’ve done to put you where you are.”

“You’ve never argued a single case.”

“No, but I’ve fucked a lot of powerful people to make sure you never lost one.”

“I’ve never lost because I’m a damn good lawyer.”

“And I’m a damn good lay.” She shrugged. “Of course, my own husband has been so busy this year that he probably wouldn’t even know.”

“You’re blaming me for throwing your pussy around?”

“I’m shocked you even know what the word pussy means.” She hissed. “We lay in bed together every night and you never want to fuck me.”

“You always say that you’re tired. Or is that a lie, too?”

“I was only tired of fucking you.” She brushed past me and shut the door to Emma’s room. “What do you want to do now, huh? Divorce me?”

“Is that a serious question?”

“It is.” She smirked and a knock came to the door.

We both stood rooted to the floor, and the knock came again.

“I’ll get it.” I warned. “You stay there.”

I walked away and opened it, expecting to see Kevin so I could punch the shit out of him, but it was a different woman in a suit.

A young blonde.

“You’ve um…” Her cheeks reddened. “You’ve been…”

“Served!” Someone whispered loudly from around the corner. “Tell him he’s been served…”

“You’re an intern at The New York Times, aren’t you?” I rolled my eyes.

She nodded, but then she added. “My boss says you can go fuck yourself, and that even though we’ll never run your picture, we’ll make sure everyone knows that your firm is about to be run into the ground starting tomorrow.” She handed me the copy print for an article in tomorrow’s paper. “He says it’s your turn to feel some karma.”

I slammed the door in her face.

“I think you need to seriously weigh your options before you act out on your emotions.” Ava was right behind me, holding a sleeping Emma.

“Is this a threat?”

“It’s a promise…”

I raised my eyebrow. “And what exactly are the proposed terms?”

“If you help me sort this thing out—if you get the SEC off the firm’s back, both of us can avoid serving any time.”

“I’m not serving any fucking time. I didn’t do anything wrong. And if you think I won’t be the first person in line to help the state put your ass away, you’re sadly fucking mistaken.”

“Awww.” She pouted. “Look at you. Trying to sound all masculine and tough for a change, sounding like the man I wish you could’ve been.”

“Fuck you, Ava.”

“Not a chance.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Let me try phrasing this another way: I know that you’re Mr. Lawyer of the Year and you’d never willingly lie because you have a conscience and all that. But if you don’t help me, or if you refuse to tell investigators that you were partly responsible for what happened—that we all played a small part, I’m filing for sole custody of Emma.”

“File away. No judge in his right mind would give you sole custody.”

She laughed. “This is actually why people fuck to get what they want, honey. It comes in handy for times like this. Besides, you’re not even her real father.” She kissed Emma’s forehead. “Did you overhear that part while you were watching us fuck or were you too busy taking notes?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer.

“Do not fuck with me, Liam.” She hissed. “You have no idea how far I’m willing to go to stay out of prison.”

“Even though you deserve to be there?” I snatched Emma away from her, making her stir. “You sought out clients using my name and you misappropriated the money. For what?”

“Status. Something you’ll never understand.”

“Something you’ll never need.” I countered. “Everyone behind bars shares the same level of popularity.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to give you a few days to come to your senses.”

“Or else what?”

“You don’t want to know the answer to that.” She walked out, slamming the door behind her—waking Emma.

She looked at me with her bright blue eyes, smiling. “Can I go play?”

I nodded, unable to even speak. Carrying her to the balcony, I didn’t even bother grabbing an umbrella for myself. I set her down and helped her into a coat, trying not to think about what Ava could possibly have up her sleeve.

Emma tilted her head up to the sky and swallowed raindrops, and then she dashed away from me—running in circles.

A loud thunder roared in the distance, and as if she could tell what I was about to say, she looked at me with a wide grin. “Five more minutes!”

The New York Times didn’t waste any time printing the story. Well, stories.