37. Wesley
37
WESLEY
“ I told you I’m not setting one foot in that house. He is my ex and my problem. I’m not about to let you lot go gallivanting off without me.”
“It’s our problem and there’s no way in hell we’re going to let that man anywhere near you or either of our kids ever again. Let us deal with it.”
I swear I can see sparks of fury flying off her as she draws herself to her full height.
“I am not some witless damsel in a tower who needs a man to solve all of her problems. When I stood up to my boss, I did it without needing the three of you to be there, so imagine how much more successful I’ll be with the three of you there supporting me.”
“I still don’t think you should go.”
“If you leave me here, I swear I will jump in my car and follow you there.”
“We’ll just take all the cars, then,” Jamie says.
“I’ll call a cab.”
“Please just go into the house with your parents. It’s not safe for you to go.”
“So you’re saying the three of you combined can’t protect me? If that’s the case, maybe you should be the ones staying home,” she argues.
“That’s not what he meant and you know it.”
“So you can protect me, then. Excellent. Let’s go.”
I grab her hand to keep her from getting into the SUV because if she manages to climb in there, we won’t get her out again.
“Why don’t you understand that we couldn’t take seeing you get hurt even if that hurt is only emotional? Trauma is a very real thing and just as damaging as a physical blow. If you won’t listen to me, listen to Phillip. He knows how that sort of thing impacts people.”
The man in question shakes his head and doesn’t utter a word.
“Seriously? You’re not going to back me up on this?”
He shrugs. “I’m not thrilled about her coming along, but we are more than capable of keeping her out of harm's way. I get why you’re upset. I really do, but she has every right to confront her abuser, and let’s be real. If we try to keep her here, she’s far more likely to try and go meet him on her own. I’d much rather bring her along in a situation that we can control rather than have her run off half-cocked after this jerk, wouldn’t you?”
I hate that he’s right.
See, this is exactly why you never bring a psychologist into an argument. They start spouting off all kinds of rational, emotionally healthy advice. If it was just Jamie and me here, she would have been locked in a closet and we’d be halfway to her condo already.
“Fine. You win. I’ll stop trying to keep you from going, but I’m setting some ground rules.”
“I might even listen to them if they make sense,” she says, smiling sweetly at me.
Pretty sure that’s the same smile that cats have when they eat the canary.
“One. You’re not going anywhere alone with him. Two. If he tries to get violent with you, the conversation is over. Three. We’re recording this, and you’re not going to kick up a fuss about it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Can we go now? I’d like to get this over with.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline in surprise. “You’re not going to fight me on any of those?”
“Why would I? Those seem totally reasonable.”
“Because what also is totally reasonable is your staying home, and you fought tooth and nail against that.” I scowl.
“That wasn’t reasonable. It was overprotective and stupid.”
“I—”
“That’s quite enough,” Phillip interrupts. “You can fight when we’re done with all this. The longer we wait, the bigger a chance it is that he’s left. If we’re going to try and put an end to this once and for all, we need to let it go so we can be a cohesive unit when we get there. Understood?”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak that firmly before, so it shuts me right up—Avery too.
She sticks her hand out to me. “Truce?”
Instead of shaking her hand, I pull her to me and kiss her perfect rosebud lips.
“Truce.” Then I lean in so my lips are against her ear. “But if you break any one of my rules, I’m going to spank you so hard you won’t be able to sit for the rest of the week.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” she teases.
I spin her away from me and slap her ass. “Get in the car, you minx.”
Phillip holds out his palm in a wordless request for the keys, but I shake my head at him. I know this whole situation has my blood boiling— the nerve of that bastard, showing up at her house like that —but I need something that’s in my control so I don’t lose my shit.
Driving will keep me busy enough that I won’t have my entire brain taken over by fury. It’s only a sliver of my brain that’s hanging on to rationality, but it’s enough—it’ll have to be.
Avery knows about my outbursts of rage and she was surprisingly accepting, but knowing and seeing are two very different things. There’s never been any footage of the fights I got into, but people who’ve witnessed it tell me I look possessed—that’s how radically my temper changes me.
I cannot ever let her see me like that. I have to remain in control of myself, and I know this situation will be my most difficult challenge yet.
The whole drive to the condo, I force myself to stay grounded. I focus on the feel of my foot on the gas pedal, the sounds of nervous chatter from my family, and every last detail of the cars in front of me.
I only have a tenuous grip on my self-control, but that’s better than no grip at all.
“That’s the truck there,” Phillip says, nodding toward a pea-green monstrosity parked in the front row.
It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It doesn’t even look like a real truck—more like a child’s drawing of one brought to life. Somehow, it looks both ridiculously gaudy and shoddily made all at the same time.
This is exactly the type of vehicle that rich douchebags buy to show everyone just how much money they have.
My assumption is confirmed when we park and he jumps out of his “truck”. I stifle the laugh that sneaks up my throat, but only barely.
This kid has the worst case of round-cheeked baby face that I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised if his mother still picked out his clothes because they are wearing him rather than the other way around.
He’s supposed to be this powerful businessman hunting down our woman? Just the thought of him wearing a suit has me fighting to hold in my laughter. No wonder he feels like he needs to overcompensate with the whole “big and bad” attitude.
The icing on the cake is that he’s incredibly short, and coming from someone whose girlfriend is taller than him in five-inch heels should tell you all you need to know. This man literally looks like a chihuahua whose owner dressed them in business casual wear.
Then I look over at Avery. The color has completely drained from her face. She looks like she’s psyching herself up to fight a giant.
You do remember part of his overcompensation is hitting women, right? How funny is it now, asshole?
That horrible thought sobers me up immediately.
This barely grown man-child doesn’t deserve to even have his feet on the ground that Avery walks on. How insecure does someone really have to be to feel threatened from their ex appearing in a promo video for her school?
Pathetic. He is nothing but pathetic, and I’ll be damned if we let this faded copy of a man continue to harass her.
Even if it kills me or sends me to prison, this is going to end today.
“Avery, are you ready?” Phillip asks softly. “It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind. You can wait in the car or we’ll walk you inside, if you want.”
She swallows hard. “No, I need to do this. Confronting him is for me, not for him.”
“If you change your mind at any point of the conversation, just work your safe word into the conversation and one of us will get you out of here,” I add.
“I love you all so much.”
“We love you too.”
Kyle hasn’t moved a muscle since we parked. He’s frozen in place—arms crossed and sulking in front of his truck. His scowl deepens when he sees us help Avery out of the SUV, but beyond that, nothing happens.
“I guess we’re going to him.” I shrug. “Phillip, you good with documenting?”
“Given that it’s a big part of my day job, I think I’m up to the task,” he says with a forced attempt at lightheartedness.
No one buys it, but it means a lot that he’s trying to lighten the mood.
“What, were you too much of a pussy to come without your whole goon squad?” he snaps.
“They came to support me,” she says coolly. “Now, can we move on to the real issue like why you’re stalking me and lurking around my house?”
“If you’d bothered to message me back, I wouldn’t have had to resort to this.”
My whole body is taut with rage. I’m more than ready to knock his teeth out from just that statement.
I take a half-step forward, but Jamie puts his hand on my arm and shakes his head slightly.
I force myself to take deep breaths and get a hold on my temper.
You can finish the fight, but don’t you dare start it.
As furious as I am, I really do hope things don’t escalate beyond harsh words. I don’t ever want Avery to see me lose control like that. No matter what she’s said before, I know it will scare her out of this relationship.
“I did not make you do any of those things. That was your choice. So you can either tell me why you’ve decided to stalk me or leave. Take your pick.”
Her calm tone only makes him angrier.
“How dare you talk to me like that? I financed your entire lifestyle, and here you are, wasting my money on an academy you don’t belong in. Instead of raising my son with that money, you’re whoring yourself out online for that school in a pathetic attempt to prove you belong there. You are embarrassing me in front of my coworkers and tarnishing our family name. Someone needs to knock some sense into you.”
“I suggest you watch your tone,” I growl.
“Thank you, Wesley, but I can handle myself.” She flashes me a smile then turns back to Kyle. “First things first. That money isn’t yours. According to the judge and both our attorneys, that money is mine and mine alone. You have absolutely no say in how I use it. As far as belonging goes? I decide that too. I belong wherever I say I belong. Again, not something you have any control over, and that goes for my online presence too. I can participate in what I want, where I want, and when I want. I’m not a doll you get to pick up and put down whenever you want, and you most definitely don’t get to throw a tantrum when someone else shows interest in me.
“You need to get it through your head that I don’t belong to you. We stopped being a family the first time you—and I’m using your words here—knocked some sense into me. I don’t have your name, and I sure as hell don’t want it. If my starting to do well for myself embarrasses you, that’s your problem. And if that embarrasses you, just imagine how much worse it will be when I start an entirely new channel detailing everything you put me through—with photographic evidence. I wonder how many of those coworkers and other contacts you have will stop talking to you altogether if I do that. And just so we’re clear, I will make that series if you continue to harass me.”
She takes a step away from him then turns abruptly back to face him. “I almost forgot, he’s my son and mine alone. You have no rights to him whatsoever. If you ever try to contact him, I will go straight to the IRS and the EPA and share all of those “business practices” you told me about when we were married. So unless the next sentence out of your mouth is ‘I’m sorry for being a dick and I’m never going to darken your doorstep again’, we have nothing more to say to each other.”
“You rancid bitch. No one speaks to me that way.”
He steps toward her and raises his hand to strike her. The next thing I know, I’ve got my hand around his wrist and I’m squeezing—hard.
“I believe the lady told you to leave. Don’t make her repeat herself, and if I ever see you try and lay a hand on her again, you will be dealing directly with me.”
Kyle squirms in my grasp and I let him go. I watch him for a few steps just to make sure this is actually over then turn away toward my family.
As soon as my back is turned, I feel a whoosh of air and feel something slam into me.
The last thing I register before I black out is Avery screaming.