"Just a nobody. An insignificant passerby."


    "No matter what you do now, no matter what your future holds, it won''t make a bit of difference to me."


    "Maybe I''ll know about it, but I won''t care. Maybe I won''t, and I don''t want to."


    Calliope looked at Gideon with cold indifference. "You never knew how to appreciate what''s right in front of you. We ended a long time ago. Shouldn''t you be cherishing the woman next to you now?"


    "What''s wrong? Now that you''ve got what you wanted, you''re already sick of it?"


    Gideon opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.


    His face was twisted with frustration and shame.


    Storm, their golden retriever, gave a little jump and then flopped down beside Calliope, fixing Gideon with a look so full of mockery that even he could feel it.


    Gideon felt like even the dog was judging him.


    At the doorway, Yvette had been listening for a while, her expression dark and stormy.


    She knew Gideon didn''t care for her anymore. Honestly, she didn''t care much for him either. And seeing him now, so pathetic and spineless, just made her feel sick.


    But she hadn''t expected that, even now, Gideon would still try to win Calliope back.<fn06a8> Read full story at ?ovelFind</fn06a8>


    Calliope''s words stung her, hitting far too close to home.


    She was pregnant, after all, and her own man was out here begging someone else forfort.


    "Calliope, do you really have to throw yourself at someone else''s man?" Yvette snapped, her temper even worse than usual thanks to her pregnancy. "Have you no shame?"


    Calliope just stared at her, unable to hold back augh. "You two really are a match made in heaven. Do I look like someone who digs through the trash for scraps?"


    "Trash like this? I''d kick it right back to the curb."


    Just then, Ss stepped out from the next room.


    The moment he heard Yvette''s shrill voice, his first instinct was to hurry over and check on Calliope.


    He walked right up, putting himself between Calliope and Yvette, eyes fixed on vette just because youll swallow anything doesn''t mean my wife will," he said coolly.  s


    "Rx. My wife has standards. She only loves me."


    Ss took Calliope''s hand in his, turning to look at her with gentle warmth in his eyes.


    It was clear he would always stand up for her, no matter what.


    His mix of tenderness and strength made Yvette burn with envy.


    Gideon had never, not once, stood up for her that way. When her reputation had been trashed, when people made things hard forber he''d simply looked the other way.  s


    He never took responsibility. He always ran.


    But when Calliope was in trouble, Ss didn''t hesitate for a second. He didn''t need a reason, he just protected her.


    Yvette watched them, her jealousy so fierce it almost hurt.


    She wanted someone to stand up for her like that. She wanted Gideon to defend her, to care even a little.


    But Gideon never did. He only


    avoided her, only acted annoyed.df she said two words to him, he''d storm out to the nearest bar and


    drink until he couldn''t stand  s


    He was nothing like the man he used to be.


    He had be someone she could no longer hope for, someone she''d given up


    on.


    If it wasn''t for the hope that Eamon would take an interest in their baby, she''d have divorced him ages ago.