Love You Anyway: Our Second Chance at Love, page 5
We fill plates, mine with casseroles and deli goods; hers a salad. Then we sit at the end of a long set of tables, just us, across from one another, where she pushes around her salad, pouting and angry.
“Need me to feed you?”
“Screw you, Lucas.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Tell me, Ash; what the hell happened to the girl from last night?”
“She’s sick of being second best.”
I take a bite of my bread, knowing it’s homemade, and try to savor it yet fail as I sit back and look at her while keeping my emotions in check. I’m pissed that she’s able to be so cold to Tessa, making me the villain and her the victim while she’s the one fucking up our lives. She needs to play the victim, but she’s not the victim here today. Not even close. I’m not, either. Collin, Harper Tessa, and Emma Hines bear the markings of victims.
I clear our barely touched plates of food and let her sit there alone, feeling sorry for herself. I have to tell you, it’s fucking embarrassing. I need to get her the hell out of here before anyone sees what she’s doing.
I hear Tessa yell, “Luke!”
I laugh when I see my godson walk up to Tessa and hug her.
I head over and give him a hug, too.
“They let you come home?” I ask.
“I have two weeks leave.” Luke pats me on the back.
“That’s it?” Tessa asks.
“I have two more weeks this summer, and then my time is up.” Luke takes Tessa’s hands. “I am so sorry. Mom told me what happened, and I would have been here sooner, but—”
“You’re here now.” She hugs him again.
“Where is Harper and the guys?”
“Over there.” Tessa points to the kids.
“Thanks. See you in a bit. You, too, right?” Luke asks me.
“Of course. You know where to find me.”
“Right next door.” Luke winks.
“You should all come up after the service. Too much food at the house, and I hate to throw it away.” Tessa smiles then pushes him toward his cousins and my kids. “Go have fun.”
She looks back at me. “Ashley okay?”
“No.”
“What’s going on, Lucas?”
I smile and bullshit my way through this.
“Pretty sure she’s going through the change.”
Tessa stops her laugh by catching her lip between her teeth to hold it back.
“Tell me what you need, Tessa. Anything you need.”
She shakes her head and shrugs. “Nothing. We’re all—”
“Don’t do that.” I want to hug her so damn bad.
She swallows hard. “I can’t be anything but strong right now. Those kids of mine need me.”
I understand how she feels. “When you need to fall apart, call me?”
“I was thinking about trying to get my hands on a joint,” she whispers, and I laugh out loud.
“Shh …” she says, looking around.
“No, it actually sounds like a damn good idea.”
“It sounds irresponsible, Lucas.” She shakes her head. “I was thinking the other night that, if I did do that, Collin would probably rise from the ashes just to kick my ass.”
“Even more tempting now, huh?”
She nods, and a tear falls down her face. I reach up and wipe it away.
“When you need someone to get high with, let me know. I’m all in.” I give her a quick hug and kiss her cheek.
“Thanks, Lucas.”
We stand quietly for a moment, and I see her looking at Luke.
“He looks just like Tommy, doesn’t he?”
“More and more every day.”
I look over at my wife, who I see is seconds from exploding.
I clear my throat. “You need anything at all, you know my number.”
She nods.
“I’m gonna take off, but seriously, anything—”
“Come up later. We’ll all be at the house.”
“You got it.” I don’t care that Ashly is no doubt looking at me. I lean forward and give Tessa a kiss on the forehead, forcing myself not to inhale her scent. “See you soon.”
I walk over to the coat closet, grab our stuff, and head out to gather the family.
Once in the vehicle, Ava starts sobbing. She’s held it in long enough.
“Did you see her face? The bruises? Tessa’s, too? I hate that they did that to them.”
Harper was kidnapped, beaten, her unborn child was killed, and her father shot in front of her. The little sweet girl who grew up right in front of my eyes. I shudder just thinking about it. Tessa and the Brit’s wife were beaten, too. The man who did it to her was now dead, or I’d fucking kill him myself. He was Collin’s own brother, a brother Collin never knew of.
I look back to see Logan hugging his sister.
“I’m so sorry, Ava. So sorry they went through it all. If there was anything I could have done to prevent it, I would have. If I could go back and fix it for them, I would. But there is nothing that can be done to erase what happened. We’ll just be there for them and help them heal.”
“I know, Daddy,” she sobs.
“And you keep making them smile, Ava. They need that.”
“Okay.” She takes in a few quivering breaths.
“And you know we are all here for you,” Logan says in her ear. “No matter what, Ava.”
“Okay, so we go home, we cry, we get changed, and head over to the Abraham home.”
“I don’t think so,” Ashley whispers at me as I turn the key and start the SUV.
“Play nice, Ash.”
“I know Ava wants to be there, but I’m tired and really don’t think I can handle this. Logan, do you wanna go to the Abrahams’ or home with me?”
I look up in the rearview mirror and see Logan’s tangled expression.
“We can drop Mom off, Logan, and then come back.”
“I’ll go with Mom.”
Ashley sits back and looks out the window.
Bitch!
❖
Logan does, indeed, stay with his mother. Ava and I went to Tessa’s.
When we return home, the winds of the east make the cold January day in Upstate New York seem like the Sahara when I walk into our frigid home.
When I stand outside the bedroom door that night, willing myself to walk into the Arctic bedroom where the Ice Queen has been held up for nearly two hours, I stop for a moment to ready myself.
And then I hear …
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Robert. I’m sorry. I do love you. I just don’t know what to do. Tell me what you want me to do … If I do, he’ll make it so much worse for you. I don’t want your life to be ruined because my soon-to-be ex-husband is a tyrant.”
Like a flash, I swoop into the room and grab the phone from the un-expecting bitch on the bed.
“What’s up, Robby?”
“Lucas, give me the phone.”
“No can do, wife. You need to know what to do, this fucking worm won’t be the one you’ll listen to.” I fume at her, “I can’t believe you, Ash. You’re such a fucking—”
“That’s enough, Links.” Robby finally grows a pair and is now sticking up for the bitch I married.
“Excuse me? No, you listen, walking small.” I take a dig at his height. “All she will do is play nice until my son graduates from high school.”
“She wants to leave. Let her.”
“Don’t you tell me what to do, you fucking cocksucker! I’m the one with pictures that could blow your measly chance of becoming a US Senator if you so much as breathe another word, you little bitch.”
“Your threats don’t—”
“Shut the fuck up, slappy. It’s my world you’re fucking with now. President and CEO of Casa Links, I fucking rule here. So, this is what’s up; you go back to letting everyone think you’re a boy banging closet bitches—that’s probably why you got where you are in the first place.”
“So now you’re homoph—”
“Listen, slick, I have no issues with homosexuals, just pussies like you who wanna cash in on the votes while banging a married woman.”
“I did—”
“Bottom lip over your head, turtle, and listen up. I will willingly let go after graduation. I’ll even give a parting gift. You can bang my wife on the side—I don’t give a fuck—but one ripple in the iced-over pond I now reside in, and your ass will be the one who pays. My kids come before your happiness, fuck stick, or the bitch I butt-fucked—”
“I’d love to knock—”
“Oh, please do try,” I cut him off a-fucking-gain. “You don’t even have to come to me. I will gladly meet you at whatever play yard it is your weasel-ass hopes to be kissing babies in for votes. That’s it, Robby, non-negotiable. My way is the only way.”
I hand Ashley back the phone. “Vibrators in the top drawer probably a bit dusty. Just lock the door behind me when you fuck a plastic dick because his ain’t that big.”
I grab a pillow and shut the door behind me as I walk out.
Bitch!
❖
I don’t fall asleep wondering how to keep pushing through this mess. I fall asleep thinking of Tessa. Her pain, her hurt, her sorrow, and her strength. Strength, a quality that most think is admirable. I want to take it from her. I always wanted to. It brings her further pain, and it’s something I’m going to force her to realize someday.
When she’s done grieving, she will be mine again. Mine to take care of.
Fuck yes, she will be.
I am now the man she deserves, the man who will give her no reason to have to show the world her strength for her survival. I will breathe life back into her and heal every pain me or anyone else has ever caused her.
One day …
SIX
PLAYOFFS
It’s a colder than usual February day, and my boy and I are in New Jersey so that we can watch the playoffs together. My college buddy, José, is coaching the Giants, and I haven’t seen him in years.
We were at Dad’s place when news of the storm coming up the coast hit, so we packed up the car to head closer to New York City, neither of us wanting to miss the big game.
Ava surprised us and came home for the weekend. I wasn’t there, and Ashley never was. I felt bad but called Jade to see if she’d keep her busy. Jade let me know she was with Harper, so the guilt subsided and I set out to enjoy the weekend with my boy.
“You really gonna wear a Cowboys jersey to the Giants’ stadium?”
“Hell yes, I am.” Logan laughs.
“You trying to get your old man in a fight?”
“Will your buddy be pissed?”
“José? Hell no. He’s one of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet. But you have NFL hopes, and you wanna piss off my NFL coach friend, boy?”
“My team’s playing. No band wagon jumper here.” He shrugs. “When the Giants are paying me, I’ll still be wearing blue, white, and silver, just not on the field.”
The phone rings as we’re pulling out onto the highway.
I answer it on Bluetooth. “This is Lucas.”
“Lucas, this is Donavan. We just received a call that Ava was in an altercation in New York City.”
“What?” I yell.
“She’s with Harper Abraham and, well, apparently, she assaulted a young woman and—”
“Makes no sense. My daughter is not—”
“It’s all over social media. It happened on the Plaza during a live show Burning Souls performed on The Today Times program. Bones saw it and called me. I looked into it and, sure enough, the young woman’s father is an attorney.”
“The fuck,” I grumble as Logan shakes his head, hiding a shit-ass grin.
“Lucas, the attorney is Sam Hammond.”
“That’s just fucking great. Thanks, Donavan. I’ll be in touch.” I end the call.
I glance at Logan and am about to speak when the phone rings again. I recognize the number and hit accept.
“You’re on speaker, Bones, so give me the rest in PG, please.”
“Dad, I’m almost eighteen,” Logan huffs.
“Hey, Logan.” Bones laughs.
“’Sup, Bones?”
“Not much. When you talk to Ava, tell her I saw her on TV and she hits like a girl.”
Logan chuckles. “Can’t believe she’s hitting people now.”
“Self-defense, little Links.” Bones chuckles.
“I got your little swinging between my thighs, Bones. Why don’t you send your girl over to check it out?”
“Logan!”
Bones barks out a laugh. “Let him be the other little Links.”
“Yeah, little. That’s not what your sister said,” I bust on him.
“Shit’s old-school stuff you’re bringing up, Lucas. You sure you wanna go there?”
Seriously keep forgetting his step-sister is a pre-marriage … acquaintance.
“Shit! I’m sorry, man. I forgot—”
“Digging that hole deeper, Lucas.”
Logan busts up laughing.
“Sorry, man. Just to confirm, Ava’s okay?”
“She’s with the Abraham/Hines crew; she’s just fine.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.” I end the call and clear my throat before telling Logan, “I was inappropriate, and so were you.”
“Nothing wrong with sharing the love, Dad.”
“It was a long time ago—”
“In a galaxy far, far away?”
“Absolutely.”
We laugh, and then we’re silent for a while.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Mom says Harper is a bad influence on Ava. She’s gonna be upset.”
“What else does your mom say, Logan?” I didn’t mean to snap.
“Nothing.” He looks out the window.
I can’t believe that bitch said that to him. Mind fucking whore! Playing games with my kids is not part of the deal between her and me. She can fuck whoever she wants, max out credit cards buying lingerie every damn month to try to get under my skin, talk on the cell phone I pay for every night before she goes to bed, and now not even stop the conversation when I walk into the room to push me further. Fuck with me all you want, but do not fuck with my kids’ heads!
“Do you think Harper’s a bad influence on her?”
He shrugs. My snapping pushed him back into a corner, distancing himself again.
“I think your sister and Harper have been friends for years, and they balance each other out pretty well. But that’s my opinion, Logan. I won’t force it on you, bud, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Should we go check on her?”
“Yeah.” Logan rests his head against the window and closes his eyes.
“Tired, bud?”
“I am.”
“Take a nap then. I’ll wake you when we get close.”
I phone the Brit and tell him what’s up, and then we head in that direction. I sit back and get all in my head.
There is nothing as disheartening as pulling into the underground parking lot of the Hotel Athenee with Logan sulking beside me. My son reminds me so much of my younger self over the past year. He’s either angry or distant. He will act out at school or just not talk. I know it’s because of the confusion his mother and my relationship is causing him.
Bitch.
Now, as I sit next to Logan, I know I, too, am hurting him. I don’t know how to stop that hurt. I’ve tried my damnedest to keep things normal. But now, without Ashley even trying to hide the shit from me, and telling my son that Harper is a negative influence on Ava … well, she’s crossing fucking lines.
❖
Once we meet up with Ava and the rest of them, we exchange information.
“The Sam Hammond?” Ava laughs.
“Ava, it’s not funny in this instance.”
“Why are lawyers involved?” Tessa stands and walks toward me, looking beautiful but too thin and exhausted. Understanding.
“He wants to press charges against Ava.” I look over at Ava.
“Me?” she gasps as she points to herself. “That skank bitch was saying horrible things about Harper.”
“You can’t hit people, Ava; you know this.”
“She elbowed Harper in the damn eye, Daddy.”
“Okay.” I nod. “We’ll figure it out, but you can’t have a record, either, if you still intend on becoming a lawyer.”
“Maybe you should become a boxer, Ava,” Logan jokes.
Tessa laughs quietly, and I shake my head at her.
“How did they find out who we are?” Ava asks.
“I assume that weasel, Sam, looked into it, and as soon as he found out it was my kid, he probably just about burst.”
“Why is that, Lucas?” Tessa asks.
“He won a contract for a big job on 78th Street. We were contracted to do the next phase of the project. I noticed that he was using cheap materials—materials that weren’t up to code for this project—to increase profit and pocket more money. My crews would have been going in when his phase was completed, and I took it to the general contractor and said no way would my guys’ safety be put in jeopardy because Sam was a fuck-up. They looked into it, he lost his contract, we gained, and the bastard has hated me since.”
Tessa nods. “Okay, so what do we do?”
“I’ll handle it. You guys just enjoy your getaway. I’m going to go to Sam in the morning to chat.”
“I’ll go, as well,” The Brit, Brody Hines, pipes up.
“I can take care of it.”
“No, I’ll go, too,” he damn near demands.
No fucking way am I having him in on this. My shit doesn’t need to be aired.
“I think I’ll be fine, Hines.”
“If this could cause issues for my future daughter-in-law, I’d like to be there,” he states.
Pisses me off because I plan to do what I can to help my daughter’s best friend, Tessa’s daughter.
“I, too, am concerned about Harper. I’ll see to it that she is fine, as well.”
We glare at each other until a knock on the door calls all our attentions.
Logan and I haven’t even been here an hour before NYPD comes knocking at the door. My girl is in trouble, mainly because of me.
