Chapter Seventeen
Bella
I straighten out my fitted suit jacket as I wait nervously outside the courtroom, I tug at the hem for the twentieth time.
Nerves wrack my body as I pace back and forth.
Clay leans against the wall and stiffens, and I follow his stare.
Liam walks in full of arrogance, his chest prodding out, head held high as if everyone in the room is below him.
Some might mistake it for confidence, something that would appeal to most women, but now makes me recoil.
Brandy trails behind him, the sound of her stilettos ricocheting off the walls.
I look down and fidget with the buttons of my jacket, scared to make eye contact.
I don’t even notice Clay coming up beside me ‘til he rests his hand on my shoulder, startling me.
“You got this. Hold your head high, beaut,” he whispers, leaning in close to my ear. He slides his hand over mine, stopping my fidgeting, and grips hold of it. I’m reminded in that moment that I am no longer the woman Liam kicked to the kerb.
I look up and find his fixed stare boring into my soul. My eyes flick around the room, focussing on anything but him. My skin feels clammy, and sickness bubbles in my stomach. Clay squeezes my hand in reassurance.
“Look at you, trying to look as if you’ve got your fucking life together,” Liam snarls, his lip curling in contempt. “Fucking stupid whore,” he mutters under his breath, but loud enough for us to hear. Clay pulls me behind him. His jaw ticks and his nostrils flare.
“Watch who you’re fucking talking to,” he growls. It suddenly feels like Clay has taken up this entire space with his presence.
“Pah, fucking calm down, guard dog. You’ll soon get bored of the skank.” Brandy giggles like a hyena, and I feel like I’m back in the playground. Clay’s shoulders tense. His hand tightens around mine, a sure sign he’s trying hard to compose himself. Liam grins, goading him.
“Careful,” Clay warns. “I’ve put a man down for—”
“Clay,” Misty hisses, her tone warning. She places her hand on his arm.
He looks at her, and I can see how close he was to losing his shit, his usual blue eyes now almost black.
She steps in front of him, between the two men.
“Do not,” she whisper-shouts. He looks over her head, still eyeballing Liam.
“For fuck’s sake, Clay, this is not a pissing contest. You’re going to fuck this up for Bella if you carry on.
” He looks down at her, and his shoulders relax. “You can stay out here,” she adds.
He shakes his head. “Not a fucking chance.”
“You’ll sit in those chairs and let me do my job,” Misty says, glaring at him.
I squeeze his hand gently.
“I’ve got this,” I smile, although I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. I straighten my shoulders, taking a deep breath and I let go of his hand. He offers me a small nod, sitting in the chairs outside the courtroom.
“You ready?” Misty asks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I breathe a sigh of relief as I push the doors open. Clay stands abruptly, looking nervous.
“I fucking did it, Clay,” I squeal, and he runs towards me, his arms wrap around my waist, and he lifts me off the floor, spinning me around. “Thank you,” I murmur as I rest my forehead against his.
He releases me, sliding me down his body and kisses me softly on my head. “No need to thank me, beaut.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder and tucks me into his side.
Misty exits the courtroom, smiling over at us. “Imogen will do the initial visitations on the weekends. It’s been agreed that for the time being, you and Liam should not be together in the preliminary access to allow you to build your relationship back up with your boys.”
“Brandy?” Clay questions. I place my hand over his heart to reassure him that I’m okay with it.
“It was either that, or she would be required to go to a visitation centre, but the judge agreed this would be better for the boys to see their mum in a home setting,” she adds. I feel him tense.
“Clay, it’s okay. I get to see my boys.” I beam up at him. He looks down at me and kisses my nose, and all tension dissipates.
“You’re going to have to provide regular drug and alcohol testing though,” she explains.
I nod frantically, because I know right now, I would do anything to see those boys again. There would be no hoop I wouldn’t jump through.
The door crashes open behind Misty, and I automatically flinch. Clay squeezes me into his side, his presence a constant reassurance that I need right now.
“You fucking wait, you bitch,” Liam hisses as he walks past us.
“That wouldn’t be a threat, would it, Mr. Alderson?” Misty snarks. He grumbles something under his breath as he makes his way towards the exit. Brandy is hot on his heels, trying to keep up with him. Misty waves sarcastically behind them, and I let out a nervous chuckle.
“You’re incredible, Misty. Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you,” I gleam. I haven’t felt this happy since the day I gave birth to the boys.
“Just make sure this goon doesn’t undo all the good work I’ve done,” she says, hitting Clay on the back of the head.
“Ouch,” he yells as he rubs the back of his head. “Really, did you need to?”
“Yes, because I could see your eyes burning into the back of him.”
“Well, the prick needs putting in the fucking ground,” he growls.
“Clay, remember where the hell we are,” she murmurs under her breath so that only we can hear her. He rolls his eyes. “I mean it, Clay.”
He salutes her sarcastically.
“Clay,” I mutter, biting my lip nervously, he looks down at me. “Do it for me? Your ol’ lady needs you to listen right now, I need you to be there for me, but don’t screw this only chance I’ve got to see my boys,” I plead.
His eyes soften as he brushes my hair away from my face. “Anything for you, but -”
“No buts,” I interject. “I never thought this was possible.”
“There is nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you,” he smiles. “Now let’s go celebrate.”
He lifts me off my feet, carrying me out front to where his motorcycle is waiting. He places the helmet over my head and fixes it into place. I mouth ‘I love you’ and he pulls the helmet towards him by the front.
“I love you too,” he says, knocking the visor into place. None of this would have been possible without him, I’ve gone from having control over nothing to suddenly having everything falling into place, and it’s all thanks to the man that saw me through the despair and knew I was worth saving.
Clay
Bella has been on cloud nine ever since the courthouse, the relief she felt at the judge ruling in her favour was overwhelming.
Today’s the day she finally gets to spend some time with them, she’s a bundle of nerves.
We’ve already been out to get their favourite snacks, and some board games that she can play with them, the club house only has Meli, so there isn’t much around here for children to do.
She walks out of the bathroom, smoothing her skirt with her hands.
It’s the fourth time she’s changed even though there wasn’t anything wrong with the last three sets of outfits.
I stand from the bed, grabbing hold of both of her hands.
“I don’t think your boys care what you’re wearing, beaut.” I press my lips against her forehead, her eyes flutter shut, and she exhales loudly.
“I just-.” She shakes her head. “I want to make a good impression. They’ve seen me broken from their dad, I want them to know their mum’s happy.”
I lift her chin with the crook of my finger, her eyes lock with my own.
“Do you trust me?” I ask, and she nods. “Then know that they are just going to be happy to see their mum again.” Her phone buzzes across the top of the drawers. She grabs it, placing it in her pocket.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she murmurs.
We take the stairs down to the bar where Brandy is standing, her attire the polar opposite to what we are used to seeing her wearing in the clubhouse.
She actually looks presentable, like she might actually pull off being a mother.
Noah has hold of her hand and Mason stands beside her, his head lowered to the floor as he kicks something imaginary.
“Mummy,” Noah squeals, running towards his mum, arms wide open. Bella lifts him in the air wrapping her arms tightly around him. “I’ve missed you so much, Mummy.” Her eyes water, and she leans into his ear.
“Mummy has missed you so much, too, baby,” she whispers, her voice laced with emotion.
“Imogen said we are allowed to come play today,” he yells, his voice animated from his excitement. I look across and see Mason still standing beside her, his hands firmly in his pocket.
“That’s right, baby,” Bella replies, placing him on her hip.
“Yes!” he shrieks. “Today is going to be the best day ever.”
Brandy looks bored. She leans down and whispers something in Mason’s ear, and he chuckles.
I can see by her eyes that she’s filling his head with shit, and it gets my hackles up instantly.
If there’s one thing that pisses me off, it’s adults playing games with kids’ emotions.
It reminds me of my parents growing up, always bad-mouthing each other but never wanting to separate.
They’re still together now, but I wouldn’t call it a happy marriage.
Noah looks across at me, eyeballing me. I’ll give the boy props—he’s got more balls than most grown men we come up against. Brandy stands proud, the curl of her lip one side as she smirks, she winks at me when she finds me glaring at her.
Then turns her back and sits at the end of the bar.
Bella walks over to where Mason is left standing, sliding Noah back onto the floor.
“How are you, Mason?” she asks, resting her hand on his shoulder. He pulls away, grabbing his phone out his back pocket, completely ignoring her. I see the pain cross her face for the briefest moment before she smiles.
“Let’s go outside,” she chimes, that bravado back in place. Noah squeals and grabs his brother’s hand.