Chapter 16
~ Troy ~
Icouldn’t stop the wince as the door slammed, wondering how the hell I was going to get out of this mess. Because I did want out.
Sue me, I had a fucking moment of weakness.
Wouldn’t anyone?
I mean, it wasn’t like I objected. Okay, I did. But I was caught off guard. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want her, or MaryBeth, or even this child.
I tilted my head back, letting the sun beat on my face for a moment before the front door slammed shut.
I ran around to the front porch, seeing MaryBeth take off to the side of the house, knowing there was a little play set for her.
“I got her, Anelise. She’s upset right now, she’s not going to want to talk to you,” Markus said.
“Shit,” I muttered to myself.
With a grunt, I walked around the back of the house and over to the play area, hoping to get to the little girl before Markus did.
I watched as she climbed on the swing but didn’t move, her head down.
I kneeled before her, looking up at her but she only turned her head.
“Honey,” I told her, touching her knee. But she shoved my hand away.
“I hate yous,” she whispered, and my heart broke in two.
I deserved that.
“Can we talk?”
“No talk to yous,” she muttered, pushing me away so she could leave the swing. I followed her to the slide, making sure she climbed on okay. It wasn’t high up, but I knew well enough she was accident prone, and I didn’t need more bruises to appear.
“MaryBeth,” I started, turning her to look at me but the tears streaming down her face now caught my chest. “MaryBeth,” I tried again, brushing her hair away as I tried to wipe up her tears. “What is it?”
“Why doesn’t anyone wants me? Why does a daddy not stay? What’s wrongs wifs mes?”
Forget what I said just moments before, this had my heart straight out shattering.
“Oh, honey, that’s not true. There is nothing wrong with you. You are the cutest, sweetest, funniest little girl I know. I adore you.”
“Nos you don’t. You wants to leave. Mommy said so.”
“No, sweetheart, I don’t want to leave. Mommy gave me news that surprised me, and I had a horrible reaction. But I don’t want to lose you. I want to be part of your life.”
“I no trust yous anymore.”
I deserved that comment too. Because, frankly, I wasn’t sure I trusted myself.
“I know you don’t, and it’s fair, MaryBeth. You don’t have to trust me. I broke that trust, I broke your heart. I didn’t mean to.”
“I likes you. You mafe mommy happy. She cried when came in.”
I closed my eyes, knowing that Markus was waiting for this moment. I did the one thing he asked me not to do. Not to hurt these ladies, and what did my dumbass do?
I hurt them.
They were crying because of me.
They were hurting because I was dumb.
They were now not trusting because my mouth couldn’t keep shut while I processed what I needed to.
This was on my head, and I could own up to it. There was no sense in denying it.
“Can I make it up to you, MaryBeth?”
“No. I wants to go backs home,” she muttered, not even bothering to look at me.
She didn’t need to. Her eyes, the ones that were so full of expression, of joy, of happiness, were now filled with such sorrow and pain. A pain that a four-year-old shouldn’t have to feel. A pain that I probably only added to because she didn’t have a dad.
“Let me help you down.” I easily lifted her and while I wanted to hold her close; to kiss away this pain, she wouldn’t let me. There weren’t words right now for her to hear, and I couldn’t blame her.
Once I sat her down, she ran past her uncle, who stood by the play area, arms crossed, and a murderous expression on his face.
“Hell,” I cursed, shaking my head.
Nothing about this was going to be pretty.
“You had to do it, didn’t you?”
“Look, Markus,” I started but before I could get anything else out, his fist connected with my nose, making me double over as blood spurted out.
“You don’t get to talk, asshole. There is nothing you say that would make this right!”
“I know,” I growled out through the throbbing pain. I finally stood up slightly, only to double over again as his fist landed in my stomach, knocking the air out of me.
“I told you not to hurt them, and what did you fucking do? You made them both cry. They were a fucking packaged deal, and I told you not to get involved if you weren’t ready for this! So why didn’t you heed my advice? Were you only thinking with your dick again?”
“No! I was blindsided.”
“Lame ass answer, you dickhead! You aren’t some gift to women, you know? Out there on the road, those bitches don’t have feelings, they’re out only for fame and attention. But real women, the ones you want to get to know, they want it all. Not just some roll in the hay!
“I heard you both in the barn, I can’t even picture what you did to my sister. But I will not let you treat her like some two-bit whore. You will support her, that baby, and MaryBeth, I will make sure of it.”
“I want to!” I yelled back, but instead of easing the storm like I thought it would, his fist once more landed on my face, this time my jaw, and it had me on my back, looking up at the bright, blue, Texas sky.
“Bullshit are you changing your tune now. You won’t appease me with that crap.”
Before he could haul me up, I swung my leg out, knocking his ass right down next to me. Sure, he had every right to do what he was doing, but at this rate, he was likely to kill me, and then who would help his sister and her incredible kids?
“Fuck you, Troy,” he told me, wheezing hard.
I chuckled slightly, only to grab my side with a groan.
“I screwed up, Markus. I know that. I didn’t mean what I said. I really didn’t. You have to believe me.”
“You’re my best friend, but those are my girls. It’s really hard to believe you when I saw the tears running down their faces.”
I turned my head to look at him, trying to be as honest, open, and sincere as I could.
“I know. And I won’t hold what happened just now against you.
I deserved that ass kicking, and let me tell you, your punch sure has gotten better.
But I swear, all that shit I said was nothing but fear.
It was my stupid knee jerk reaction. She put me on the spot, and I just didn’t process it like I should have.
“I’m not saying it was right, but it happened. I’m sorry for it, so damn sorry.”
“Are you going to make it up to her, Troy?”
“In the best way I can, Markus. That woman, when I saw her standing there, I saw my future with her. I want the whole thing, even if it means now. She’s the woman I love, the woman I would do anything for, and she will know that.”
“Shit, that means I have to deal with your sorry ass as a brother-in-law?”
I groaned as I chuckled at him, because even as little boys, we were always talking about how to be brothers.
“For the rest of time. So, now that you got that out of your system, want to help me plan the biggest sorry I can manage to win both Anelise’s and MaryBeth’s hearts, because I want those more than anything else."