39
Christian
I was fucking pissed. The audacity of this fucking asshole to say that shit right in front of me.
I paused immediately from where I stood.
“You said what?” I questioned him, raising my chest a little more.
“Christian, please don’t.” Maeve pulled against my arm, and I shot her a look that told her I knew she shouldn’t have anyone talking like this to her.
“Let’s get one thing straight. We are here to have a civilized conversation with you. If that is something you are unable to do, then we need to leave this house, and we’ll happily see you in court.” I stared him straight in the face. Tyler nodded, and we walked into the house.
I saw Stephen’s back before I walked out to the patio. Tyler lived in a large house with a big grassy backyard. It was in a nearby neighborhood that we had lived in, and it was nice to see Stephen did well for himself. His choice of partner was questionable now because Tyler was an asshole, and I have no idea how he didn’t see that.
Tyler and Maeve were behind me, and I released Maeve’s hand just as I opened the patio door. I shot a glance back at her to let her know what I was doing, and she gave me a slight nod of encouragement.
As I walked into the dark, cool air, the familiarity of the shadowy night gave me the final nudge of encouragement to go up to the one person who I trusted most, and was married to the one person who was hurting my family the most.
“Funny seeing you here,” I said blankly and stood over where Stephen was on the wooden picnic-like table. “This house looks awfully similar to the backyard in the foothills.” Slowly, Stephen glanced up, and a sense of shock hit him hard in the face.
“Are you okay? How did you find out…? Are you?” He was unable to make a sentence, but I walked over to him while he stood, and he gave me such a confused hug.
Maeve walked out slowly with Tyler, who looked between Stephen and me.
“Is this your girlfriend? How long have you known?” Stephen asked. Tyler stood there frozen and utterly confused.
“Maeve is my girlfriend. I just realized who you were.”
Stephen turned to Tyler. “This is Christian.” Tyler’s mouth practically dropped.
“Like from the Marine Corps Christian?” Tyler asked, and we both nodded our heads.
“I think we should all sit,” I offered, and everyone took their respective places at the table. Maeve slid in next to me, and I placed a supportive arm on her thigh.
“Tyler, why are you doing this to me?” Her voice cracked. The desperation leaked from her. It literally killed me to see her like this. “We used to be friends. What happened?”
Stephen stared at me from across the table.
“You are a terrible mom,” Tyler spat. Stephen grabbed his hand.
“I really don't think that’s fair to say. You don't know what that even means, Ty…” Stephen looked over at Maeve, whose tears were brimming on her lower lashes.
“I know that we never really got the chance to ever sit down and have a conversation like this, but for what it’s worth, I’m so sorry that the way we happened ended your relationship. I never intended it to. I’d just started to become sober and quickly fell in love with Tyler.”
Maeve nodded. “I don't blame you for our marriage ending, Stephen. Clearly, we were not compatible partners, and I know how much you do for our girls. I don't think I’ve ever sat down to tell you how much I appreciate you.” Stephen nodded, and Tyler looked pissed. This was clearly not how he wanted the conversation to go. Again, why Stephen was with him was beyond me.
“I just don't think you get it, Maeve. I do so much for those girls, while you just skate by with the bare minimum. I never got a thank you or appreciation for keeping food on your table. You never take life seriously, and that is the biggest fucking issue here.”
“I don’t—” I attempted to get out, but Maeve interrupted me.
“Tyler, I’m trying. I never was smart like you, but I love Kelsie and Kinsley with my whole heart. I met Christian through mutual friends. He works as a bodyguard for one of our friends—”
“Is that even a safe career?” Tyler asked.
“Not really,” I murmured under my breath, and Stephen offered a small smile in my direction. “Did you follow me?” I asked him.
“I had my PI take photos of you when you were with your so-called boss.” I shook my head, knowing exactly when all of that went down. It had to have been when the red car tailed me.
“I should fuck you up for even coming near me,” I muttered again, and Maeve elbowed me in the side, so I quickly shut up.
“All my weapons are registered in case you needed to look that up. We also have them locked in a safe in the back of the closet on the very top shelf,” I offered, but Tyler sat there with his arms crossed along his body. “Don’t fucking tell me he doesn’t have a gun in this house either.” I pointed at Stephen.
“We also have ours locked up, honey.” Stephen looked at Tyler.
“If I can say something,” Stephen interrupted. “Christian is a really good guy. At one point, he wasn't, but neither was I. We got really fucked up in the war. We became a shell of the humans we are today, but somehow found a way to escape some very dark times. I know him, Ty. He’s like a brother to me. He would never do any harm.” I gave a brief thank-you nod to Stephen. If we continued down this path, then maybe we would be headed in the right direction.
“It isn't him that I’m pissed at.” Tyler threw his head in Maeve’s direction.
“Why are you so upset with me, Tyler?”
“You just don't get it, do you, Maeve?”
She threw her hands in the air. “No, I really don't. Please, I would love it if you would explain it.”
“I just want you to take us seriously for once. I want you to do better. I’m giving you a chance to—”
I stood. I was getting fucking livid. This man was bullshitting all of us.
“I don't think that is your place.” Stephen stood.
“Sit down, Christian.” He started.
I couldn't hold back my anger and frustration, throwing my hands in his direction. "It's not his fucking place to tell my fucking girlfriend where she needs to do better," I retorted fiercely. "She works tirelessly to pay for the girls. She braids their hair every night, feeds them, and loves them with the entirety of her heart. What you are is fucking cruel, Tyler. You've always wanted to control her, but no longer have that space or opportunity."
I sat down, crossed my legs, and placed my hand over the weapon I had secretly brought in. Maeve and Stephen shot me a pointed look knowing exactly what I was threatening with this move. Stephen didn’t dare say anything, though, until Tyler stood to match my intensity.
"She needs to get her act together," he hissed back.
That was fucking it. I grabbed the hem of my pant leg when I felt Maeve’s cool hand stop me. She stood now, silencing me. "I do have my act together. You aren't married to me anymore, Tyler, and just because you think you have some influence over the court system, doesn't mean you get to take away the two people who matter most in my life. You are evil and cruel.” She directed her words at him, her voice filled with anger.
She turned to Stephen, urging him to see the truth. "You know Christian. You know he's a good guy. You also know how much taking this to court will mess him up," she said, and I couldn't argue with her. I knew she was right.
"I wish you would grow the fuck up, Tyler, and realize that I have, and you’re the one stuck in the past," Maeve continued, her frustration evident.
"And I wish you would take something serious for once in your life. This relationship," he spat, glancing at me, "is nothing more than a farce. I knew it immediately when you randomly brought it up in court. This little fake dating thing you guys have going on isn't fooling anyone anymore. This is why I need you to realize you need to get serious for once in your life."
Anger and tears exploded from Maeve's eyes, her emotions almost overwhelming. She was done with this manipulative game. She walked toward the door, and I followed her, unsure of how to handle this revelation.
"This is none of your fucking business, but I am pregnant, you fucking asshole. So how serious is that?" Maeve's voice wavered as she confessed, and I was stunned. Pregnant? Was this real?
"Pregnant?" Tyler asked, seemingly caught off guard. Maeve was crying now, and I stood beside her, speechless and unsure of what to say. Was this part of our act?
"Yup," she said firmly, emphasizing the “p.” "I guess we'll see you in court tomorrow, Tyler. I'm not doing this with you anymore. If you can't see that I love our children and I care for them, if you can't see that I'm serious and have a hold of my life, then I will fight you in court every single day," she declared, her determination unwavering. She walked up to him, showing her strength in the face of adversity.
“And I promise you, I will make YOUR life fucking hell if you dare to even think about taking my children away from me.” With that, she turned her back and walked out the front door. I walked over to Stephen.
“Congrats, man. I guess it's kinda a weird time to say that, but you should have told me.” Stephen offered me a hug.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” I muttered aimlessly because I wasn't sure what else to say. I thought this was another version of shock.
I looked at Tyler. “I love her. I will take care of her. I will take care of your girls. I will never be their dad because you are one killer fucking dad to them, which is something I can never take away from you, but I hope that I can be another role model, like Stephen, to them.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “But if you ever talk to the mother of your children, of my child like that ever again, I will personally fuck you up regardless if you happened to be married to my brother or not.” I glanced over at Stephen, gave him a curt nod, and then walked to the car.
Maeve was already tucked into the front seat, curled up into a ball when I opened the driver side door and pulled out of their driveway. You could cut the silence in the car with a knife.
As I drove away, I couldn't shake off the anger that coursed through my veins. My mind raced with thoughts, but I tried to keep a semblance of composure for Maeve's sake. She didn't need any more stress right now. Instead, I focused on the road ahead.
I couldn't take us home. We had so many unspoken things to say, so I drove a few minutes down the road to the nearest beach. We parked the car in the dark parking lot. There was nothing but a wall of black shadows ahead of us, but we both needed to be outside right now.
“Why are we parked?” she asked as I got out and walked over to her side of the door, opening it up for her and offering her a hand.
“We need to talk.”