Chapter 58
CHAPTER 58
HAYES
I felt like the biggest asshole on the planet.
“Fuck,” Isaac breathed, running a hand through his hair as he watched her go. “You’re a serious dick.”
“You can say that again,” Hudson agreed, his voice tight with anger. He turned to me, his eyes blazing. “What the hell is wrong with you, Hayes?”
I didn’t have an answer. I was drunk, but I wasn’t so far gone that I didn’t know I was being a complete asshole. My head was spinning, my thoughts a tangled mess of regret and self-loathing.
“Fuck you,” I said. “You don’t know what I’m fucking dealing with.”
I stumbled, tripping over my own damn feet. Hudson reached out to stabilize me. I threw my arm out to push him off me.
Hudson grabbed me by the collar of my suit and shoved me against the side of a parked car. The metal bit into my back, but I didn’t care. I deserved it.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he growled, his face inches from mine. “Do you have any idea what you just did to her? To Dixie? To the mother of your child apparently?”
I stared past him, unable to meet his eyes. My vision was blurry, but not from the alcohol. My chest felt like it was caving in. “She’s better off without me,” I muttered.
Isaac stepped in, pulling Hudson back before he could throw a punch. But Isaac’s expression was no less furious. “You’re drunk off your ass and spouting bullshit,” he snapped. “But that doesn’t excuse what you just said to her.”
“I’m doing her a favor,” I slurred, my voice cracking. “She deserves someone who isn’t… who isn’t me. Someone who can actually be a father.”
Hudson scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “You think money fixes everything, huh? You think throwing cash at her makes it all go away? That’s not how this works, Hayes. That’s not how life works. You don’t just buy your way out of responsibility. You don’t just throw money at people and expect them to disappear like they’re some problem you can solve with a check.”
Isaac stepped closer. “You’re scared. I get it. Hell, I’d be scared too if I were in your shoes. But this? This isn’t the way to handle it. Dixie doesn’t deserve this. That kid sure as hell doesn’t deserve it. Money doesn’t raise a child. Look at our cousins who went through that. None of them are well adjusted. Do you really want to do that to your own kid? Fuck that. Be a man and pull your head out of your ass.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed. “This isn’t your problem. It’s mine.”
Hudson let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You think you’re doing her a favor by cutting her out? By acting like she’s some gold-digger looking for a payout? Get over yourself, Hayes. Dixie isn’t like that, and you know it.”
“Then why?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why did she have her mother come asking me for money?”
“Did you ask her?” Isaac asked. “Because I saw you after you talked to her earlier. You got laid. You used her and then you cut her loose. That’s some cold-blooded shit.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed.
I pushed off the car ready to throw hands. My fists clenched, but I didn’t get far. Hudson was there in an instant, grabbing my wrist and twisting my arm behind my back. Pain shot through my shoulder, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
“Enough,” Hudson growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re not hitting anyone tonight, least of all your brother. You’ve done enough damage already. You’re a fucking mess, man.”
Isaac stepped closer with his disappointment evident. “You’re better than this, Hayes. Or at least you used to be. What happened to you? When did you become this selfish prick who thinks he can just throw money at his problems and call it a day?”
I struggled against Hudson’s grip, but he held firm. “Let go of me,” I snarled, though my voice lacked any real conviction.
“Not until you get your head on straight,” Hudson shot back. “This isn’t your night to ruin. Tonight is about Dad and Kathy. So get it together or we’ve got a fucking problem.”
He shoved me forward, releasing my arm but keeping close, ready to grab me again if I tried anything stupid. I stumbled, catching myself against the car hood.
A few guests started to leave. Couples with young kids who needed to get home. Hudson and Isaac quickly shifted into damage control mode. They joked with the departing guests, making light of the situation while blocking me from view. I wasn’t so drunk I didn’t know what they were doing. They were trying to hide my drunk ass.
I slumped against the car. The crushing realization of what I’d done was trying to filter through my alcohol-soaked brain. The words I’d said to Dixie flashed through my mind. She’d looked at me like I’d shattered her world, and maybe I had.
I felt pathetic. Hudson and Isaac were still busy smoothing things over with the guests, their forced laughter and smiles masking the situation. I could feel their anger radiating even from a distance.
People seemed to buy the show they were putting on. They were making sure I didn’t make a scene at the wedding. They herded me back inside, their grip on my arms firm as they steered me toward the kitchen.
It was a flurry of activity, the staff bustling around as they cleaned up from the reception. Hudson apologized to everyone for the intrusion while Isaac shoved a cup of coffee and a pastry into my hands.
“Drink and eat,” Isaac ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“We need to get him out of here,” Hudson said.
“After we get him sobered up,” Isaac said. “We can’t risk his dumbass coming back in here or doing something stupid.”
I didn’t bother defending myself. I took a sip, the bitter liquid doing little to sober me up. It was going to take a lot more than a cup of coffee. I took a bite of the sweet flaky pastry, hoping it would soak up some of the booze.
“I’ll go,” I said. “I don’t want to be here, anyway.”
Isaac leaned in close. “You’re being a total ass, Hayes. An hour ago, you and Dixie were on the dance floor looking like you were in love. Now she’s probably crying in the bathroom somewhere. If someone goes to check on her, she can’t exactly tell them that she’s pregnant and her douchebag boyfriend just tried to pay her off with a couple million dollars.”
I groaned, massaging my temples. “I was only offering what they asked for.”
Hudson shook his head with disgust. “You were going to pull an Art. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
The reference to my uncle, who had fathered multiple children with possibly more different women then we knew about and paid them all off—made me feel even worse. I didn’t want to be like him. I didn’t want to be the kind of man who walked away from his responsibilities.
But the truth was, I was scared. Terrified, actually. And I’d let that fear make decisions for me.
“I don’t know,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. “I just don’t know. Her mom made it clear they don’t actually want me around. Just my money.”
“You don’t get to do this, Hayes,” Hudson said. “You don’t get to bail because you’re scared. You’re better than that. Our father raised us better than that. You don’t think I shit my pants when I found out Diana was having my kid? It’s not like you’re the first guy to go through this. Quit being a little bitch.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed. I tried to get to my feet. “I’m about tired of you judging me.”
“Oh, you want to go there?” Hudson asked with a smirk. “Go ahead. Throw my past in my face. I own it. I own every stupid fucking thing I did back then. But I also own the changes I made in my life. I’m owning up to my responsibilities now. At least I had the excuse of being an addict. What’s your excuse?”
Isaac stepped between us; his hands raised in a placating gesture. “Alright, that’s enough. We’re not doing this here. He’s drunk. He’s being a dumbass. This is not the time to hash out every family grievance.”
But Hudson wasn’t backing down. He pushed Isaac out of the way, getting right in my face. “You think money fixes everything? You think throwing a few million at Dixie is going to make this go away? You’re a coward, Hayes. This is called tough love. Remember how many times you got in my face? You had every right to do it then and I have every right to do it now. You need a reality check.”
Isaac grabbed Hudson by the arm, pulling him back. “Enough! We’re not doing this right now.”
I felt like I was drowning. I wanted to scream, to hit something, to do anything to release the pressure building inside me.
That was when Grayson walked in.
He had always had a presence that commanded respect. He was the oldest, and when his father died, he had stepped up to be the head of the family. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, the room seemed to quiet. The staff gave us space.
His eyes swept over the scene—Isaac holding Hudson back and me slumped in a chair with a cup of coffee and a half-eaten strudel. He had that “don’t fuck with me” energy. There was a reason people tended to fall in line when he was around.
“What the hell is going on here?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with authority. “This is a happy fucking occasion.”
Isaac and Hudson exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke.
Grayson turned to me, his gaze piercing. “Hayes?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out.
Isaac stepped in, still trying to play peacemaker. “Dixie’s pregnant. Hayes tried to offer her money to walk away. Things got a little ugly.”
Grayson’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to lose it. But he didn’t. Instead, he took a deep breath, his expression unreadable.
“Call a car,” he said, his voice firm. “Hayes is going home.”
I shook my head, panic rising in my chest. “I can’t leave now. Dad will never forgive me.”
Grayson’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you should have thought of that before you drank yourself into oblivion.”
There was no arguing with him. He was done with my bullshit. I could try and fight him, but considering standing was kicking my ass, fighting him was just not in the cards.
“You’re not ruining this wedding with your bullshit,” Grayson said. “Your father would be more pissed if you stumbled your drunk ass out there.”
“I’ll call my driver,” Hudson said. “He’s close.”
“Finish the coffee,” Isaac told me.
I took another sip. I didn’t feel any better.
When the car arrived, Hudson and Isaac practically carried me out to it. Grayson was there as well, like he wanted to make sure I was actually put in the car. I protested, but my words were slurred and incoherent. They gave the driver my address with instructions to take me home and get me into my penthouse.
As the car pulled away from the country club, I leaned my head against the window.
I’d screwed up. Big time.