3. - – Tamsin
CHAPTER THREE
-
TAMSIN
I’m married. It was a quick process, and the lady even let me make the same vows with Griffin, even if not legally. Word has spread like wildfire, especially when we walked downtown holding hands. Blake and Ally have called me so many times that I’ve just shut my phone off at this point.
We are at Jude and Blake’s parents’ house now, Simon and Allison.
Griffin and Ally’s parents are here, James and Jenny, as well as my grandparents.
They found out pretty quickly that I am married to Jude, but that they are both my husband.
We thought maybe they would get upset about that, but no one has said anything against it, even before they knew what was going on.
“So what’s going on, kids?” Simon asks. I am sitting in Jude’s lap with my legs across Griffin.
“Blake got Ally pregnant,” I say, and I swear to God, you could hear a mouse fart.
It’s so quiet as they stare at me in shock.
I had sent all of the pictures I took of their messages to Jude and Griffin so I could keep my phone off.
Griffin tapped around on his phone before tossing it down beside him.
“I sent all of you the proof in a group chat,” Griffin says. As they look, I keep talking.
“I am gathering it’s been happening for at least a year.
It could be longer. She is apparently twelve weeks, and they have been fucking in the bed that I shared with Blake.
All over our house. Basically, anytime they got the chance, and I was not around, they were together.
They spent their time in text messages either being dirty to each other or making fun of me. ”
“How did you find out, sweetheart?” Grandma asks me.
“Well… The evening that dad died, I think I kind of just knew that he had given up. He was talking to me like he was saying goodbye. When he laid down, I made a point to stay right there with him. I laid my head on the couch, and he had his hand on my head. I had my eyes closed, and I guess they assumed that I was sleeping. I wasn’t, so I heard them talking about it right in front of me. ”
“As your father was dying?” Allison asks.
“You’re kidding,” James says. “Ally was not raised to be this way. I am so sorry, Tamsin.”
“I’m better off,” I say. “She will learn, and I hope it’s not the hard way.”
“What do you mean?” Jude asks.
“He’s been drinking again, apparently,” I say carefully.
“At least he wasn’t violent when he…” Jude starts to say, but suddenly grabs my face and turns it to him when he sees the way I wince at his words. “Right?”
“Well…” I say slowly. “I wasn’t exactly truthful…”
“What did he do?” Jude growls.
“Uh, well. That supposed random attack when I was choked unconscious… That was him,” I say carefully.
“Excuse me?!” Simon booms as Allison picks up her phone.
“Blake is a general piece of shit when he’s sober, but when he drinks… I still don’t know how I didn’t die that night. Or many other nights.”
“I’m going to regret asking this,” Griffin sighs. “You have some random scars on your back down to your thighs. What are those from?”
“Ah. A belt,” I say. “He accused me of cheating, and when I told him that if he didn’t shut the fuck up, I would, he cornered me when I was in the shower and beat me bloody with his belt. The belt buckle got me and tore my skin.”
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Jude says calmly.
“No, he will just blame me if everyone makes a big deal about it,” I say. “The last thing I want you to do is give him a reason to come after me.”
“I’ll get them here and go from there. He won’t hurt you,” Simon says, as his phone starts to ring on speakerphone.
“Hello?” Blake grunts out.
“Hey, son. I heard today that Tamsin and Jude got married. What happened?”
“She what?” Blake snaps.
“Yeah. I heard from Sandra that she saw them, and Griffin was there too,” Simon says. “Why don’t you grab Ally, and you two come to the house. When can you be here?”
“I’m close by,” he says. “I’ll be there in a second.”
“Okay, son. See you then,” Simon says. When he ends the call, Griffin gets up.
“I’m going to move the truck so he doesn’t see it,” Griffin says.
“Good idea,” Jude remarks.
“I’m sorry he was hurting you, Tamsin,” Allison says softly. “I can’t imagine what that feels like.”
“I think I’m handling it better because I lost all of them at the same time. If they had waited until later for me to find out, I don’t think it would be as easy,” I say.
I sigh and lay my head in Jude’s chest. He kisses my head, and I close my eyes as he starts to stroke my hair. He doesn’t realize how comforting that is for me. Griffin returns and holds my legs in his lap while the others are silent. When I hear a car door slam shut, my entire body flinches.
“You’re okay,” Jude whispers softly in my ear. He wraps his arms around my waist to hold me, but it’s the way chaos breaks out the moment he walks into the house that scares me.
“Why the fuck are they here?” Blake screams. “You stupid fucking bitch! What the fuck did you say?!”
Even though I know Jude and Griffin would not let anyone hurt me, the way he charges at me makes me panic. I jump out of Jude’s lap, and they promptly stand up to put themselves between me and Blake.
“You need to back the fuck off. The only reason I’m not kicking your ass right now is because I care more about her than teaching you a fucking lesson,” Jude growls as he shoves Blake back.
“Sit down!” Simon yells. “Now. Sit the fuck down! What the fuck is wrong with you? Don’t you dare come in here and fucking blame her when you couldn’t keep your dick out of someone else for five fucking seconds.”
“Dad, she…”
“Has been nothing but loyal to you,” Allison scolds.
“You were not raised to be a whore,” James says coldly to Ally. She’s always been a daddy‘s girl, so I know that hits her hard when she tears up.
“Stop with the fucking waterworks, Ally,” her mother scoffs. “What did you think? What happened? Did you really think that we would support you getting pregnant by your best friend’s boyfriend? Did you really think that was going to go well for either of you? Surely you are not this stupid.”
“Oh, but they are,” Griffin says. “Let’s talk about the fact that Blake almost fucking killed her.”
“She’s a goddamn liar!” Blake yells, but stops and glares at me when I laugh tearfully.
“I had your handprints bruised into my neck for nearly a month,” I say.
“I had bruises longer than you were withdrawing from the alcohol. That wasn’t even the first time you made me pass out.
That night, you just lost control and left marks.
Tell them about the time that you held a knife to my throat while you fucked me because I dared to reject you.
Tell them about how, when you drank, you made me scared that you would kill me one day.
The best fucking thing you ever could’ve done was fuck my best friend.
So thank you for that. You gave me the courage I needed to leave. ”
“You’re a fucking liar,” he growls.
“What’s done is done,” I say, wiping tears from my face. “You have Ally, I have Jude and Griffin.”
“You are no daughter of mine,” James says calmly. “You weren’t raised to be so heartless. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
“We are also done,” Allison says firmly. “Get out.”
“Neither of you are welcome here,” Simon says. “I am beyond disappointed and disgusted. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You’re no son of mine.”
Blake pulls Ally up and takes her out of the house as she cries. I look out of the window and see she is distraught as he gets her into his car.
“We are so happy for you,” Grandma says sweetly. “Can we expect a baby from you three?”
“We will at least practice as much as we can,” Jude says with a grin. I gasp and playfully smack his chest, and he chuckles as he wraps me in a hug.
“We are planning to try for a baby,” Griffin confirms with a chuckle.
“Dirty!” I call out, making everyone laugh.
“Your parents would be so proud of you, Tamsin,” Grandpa says.
“Dad really didn’t like Blake,” I laugh.
“Let’s get dinner started, and we can plan a reception,” Allison says happily.
“Yes!” Jenny agrees, jumping up to join Allison. “June?”
“Of course,” Grandma says. “We can do it at our house since we have more room for parking.”
“We could also rent somewhere,” Simon says.
“Why do I feel like you all have been waiting for this?” I ask.
“I sure have,” Grandpa says. “Your father didn’t want you marrying Blake, so I know he’d be thrilled you are with Jude and Griffin.”
“And that’s not… All of you are taking this well.”
“You took it well,” Jude chortles. I nudge his arm, and he grins at me.
“It’s none of our business what you do behind closed doors, sweetheart,” Grandma tells me. “As long as they’re good to you and you are happy, none of us will judge this.”
“I’m glad,” I say with a smile.
We all get up and walk to the kitchen as we listen to our family excitedly plan our reception.
I’ve never felt so happy, even despite the grief of losing as much as I have.
I have found peace in the fact that Dad was ready to go.
I miss him, and that will never change, but I know this is what he wanted.
As we are cleaning up after dinner, Simon’s phone starts ringing. “Hello?” he says. His face drops, and he turns to look at me. “Are you sure? … Okay… Thanks for calling… Yup.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“That was Ron Davis,” Simon says with a blank expression. “Blake shot and killed Ally before turning the gun on himself.”
“Holy shit,” Griffin says with a gasp.
“They were on the phone with the cops. Apparently, they were live-streaming, and someone called it in. Ally asked him to do it…” Simon continues.
“Well, that was a bit dramatic,” Jude says.
“Damn,” I say. “Now they really are dead to me.”