Noah-
"What the hell are you doing here, Tiffany?" The mention of my mother’s name sent my eyes flying from the floor in the direction of Troy's voice.
Everyone in the room had gone quiet because everyone knew about the situation with Tiffany and Troy.
I was sitting too fat across the room to see the expression on Scarlett’s face, but I knew she wasn’t happy.
But I could see my mother clear as day.
She was wearing self-satisfied smirk on hers.
She had come simply to cause trouble.
Tiffany was angrier at Troy for outing her than anyone would know. She saw him as a payday, a way to legitimacy, and when he didn’t choose her and exposed her for what she did to him, he became her mortal enemy. Some nights she would get drunk and talk about ways she could get back at him for ruining her. I was supposed to be one of those ways when she dropped me off at his home. She had hoped that I would be the straw that broke the camel's back of Scar's and Troy's marriage, but I had been welcomed and treated kindly. Which is why just seeing her face at a time like this, in their home, made me feel protective of them.
I had been sitting in the corner, trying to be invisible.
Either I had accomplished that, or everyone was too occupied with Tiffany to notice me when I stood.
"I came to check up on my children in this trying time," Tiffany responded, her answer sounding rehearsed.
Troy's voice boomed through the house.
"Everybody that doesn't live here or has never lived here, get out!"
The last time he’d seen Tiffany was three years earlier at Christmas.
She had called Scarlett a bitch at the dinner table.
Troy, while holding Scarlett back, had told Tiffany she was no longer welcome in his house.
Us children were too old for him to continue with the fake niceties.
I stood still, letting everyone who was leaving go.
People filed out quickly.
Nobody really wanted to interact with Troy when he was angry.
When the house was empty, I could now see Troy and Tiffany.
My mother always wanted to be the center of attention, so of course, she was dressed in a figure-hugging dress, not a blonde hair on her head out of order, her face fully made up.
Ashley and Maine were whispering back and forth to each other.
Creed and Devon were noticeably absent. The thought of them being together made me want to let Troy handle the situation at hand and go look for them. The thought that Creed would forgive Devon for what he’d done made me want to gnash my teeth. But I couldn't leave Tiffany to fend for herself.
Tiffany's smirk faltered a bit as she met my gaze.
I had asked her to respect the family's wishes for my sake, and she’d promised she would.
But then it wasn't above Tiffany to break promises.
I held her eyes until I closed the space between us.
"Mother, what are you doing here?" I made sure to step in between her and Troy; he was already trying to hold Scarlett back.
She leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek; it took everything in me not to wipe it off.
"I was invited." I could hear the mockery in her voice and knew the day wasn't just going to end with her leaving quietly.
I turned to glare at Maine.
She threw her hands up.
"I am not the reason she’s here." Maine said.
Tiffany chimed in, "Which surprises me.
I thought we were doing better in our relationship, Maine.
We talk nearly every day."
I cocked my head to stare at Maine.
She’d been talking to Tiffany? We'd have to discuss that later.
Who had invited Tiffany?
"Who invited you then, bitch?" Scarlett yelled.
Tiffany chuckled.
"Your daughter."
As if on cue, Creed and Devon came walking from the kitchen.
I don't know why he was still here.
All eyes turned to them.
"Yes, I invited her.
I thought her kids could use their mother in a trying time."
The silence that followed her confession was suffocating.
If looks could kill, Creed would have dropped with the way her mother was glaring at her.
"Welcome, Ms.
Tiffany.
Mom, your mother wants you upstairs." Creed ignored the storm brewing in the room, knowing mentioning her grandmother would distract Scarlett.
Her grandmother had had one of her heart valves replaced, and the doctor said she would recover well from her heart attack. That's what the party was for, her coming home. Scarlett had hired nurses but felt she needed to have a hand in everything. She immediately shifted gears and headed for the steps that would lead to the guest bedroom where her mother would be staying, but not before giving Creed one more dirty look.
Feeling the need to be the peacemaker, I spoke up before the yelling began.
"You were invited here, and despite Creed's vindictive invitation, you know that you’re not welcome.
I'll walk you to your car, or call you an Uber."
"But why can't she stay?" Maine stepped forward.
I closed my eyes for a second to dispel some of my annoyance.
"You and Creed are behaving like children.
Creed knew what trouble inviting her here would cause, and now you want to add to it."
“Is Creed mad because she finally found out her husband wants Maine and gave her his baby?”
Tiffany cut into my words to say.
“Creed doesn't have a husband, and how in the fuck did you know what's going on in my family when I didn’t?”
Troy yelled.
“You didn’t know, Daddy?”
Creed sounded hopeful.
"No," Troy shook his head, "not until the day you found out, and then everybody told me I shouldn’t tell you."
“And you listened to everybody?”
Creed shouted indignantly.
“Let’s just go somewhere and privately talk about this." He took a step in her direction.
She raised her hand, stopping him.
“No.
You stay here with your baby momma and the daughter she forced on you.
You made your choice when you lied to me. I’m going back home, away from you people, and none of you better come by. I’ll have you kicked off my property." She turned and stomped off.
The sound of glass breaking drew our attention from her retreating back.
Troy had kicked the glass cabinet that held his and his wife's awards.
Breathing hard, he turned and started doling out orders.
“This is not the time for our family melodrama.
Tiffany, get the hell out of my house and don’t come back, no matter who invites you.
Noah, go make sure Creed doesn’t leave, no matter what she says. And Devon, find Jason and have him drive you to the airport. Whatever you and Maine need to do to be amicable for DJ’s sake can be discussed over the phone."
I didn’t wait to see who followed his directions.
I went after Creed, like I'd wanted to do since she left the room.
When I got to the suite out back, she was throwing around her belongings, searching for something.
I had an idea what.
My eyes, as if on their own volition, strayed to her ass that was straining against the fabric of her yellow sundress.
It had only been three days since I’d been inside her.
The whole pregnancy thing was crazy, but I was enjoying the madness.
If she did get pregnant, I hoped she didn’t think she was going to run away with my child. But I figured she was bluffing. She was trying to punish me; I at least hoped that was it.
She turned to glare at me when I entered.
“What the hell do you want?”