He slams the door behind him, his face red and eyes glazed. He’s clearly drunk. “Go home and sleep it off, or stay here—”
“I’m not fucking staying here! In the house you’ve probably fucked my girl in!” he yells.
Frowning, I try to restrain my anger, but he’s getting on my last nerve. “She is not your girl. If you came to argue, you can leave. I’ll call you a taxi. If you came to talk like men, then take a seat.” I give him his options, my arms crossed.
He grinds his teeth and wrenches out a chair before falling into it. I stay standing, not liking the look in his eyes. I really don’t want to have to break my relationship with him—or worse, call the police—but I will protect my angel. Maybe without her here to enrage or distract him, I can get through to him and make him see the truth.
Sighing, I look at him as he stares at the table. “I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. I need you to know we did nothing while you were together. We both tried to resist the spark between us, but she needed comfort and one thing led to another. We are both adults, Justin, and you didn’t love her, but I do. You need to move on from this, or you will lose me.”
He snorts bitterly and starts to laugh before lifting his head to glare at me. There’s no sign of my son left in that malicious face. “I didn’t come here to be friendly or hear your excuses.”
“Then why did you come?” I ask, dropping my arms and stepping towards him. “To fight again? You need to grow up, Justin. You cheated and broke up with her. She is nothing to you anyway, and she makes me happy, can’t you see that? After all these years, I finally found that, and you want to break it like a child? Because you’re jealous? Because something you threw away like trash has found happiness, and now you decide you want her back?”
He tries to interrupt, but I narrow my eyes in warning.
“Grow up and fast. Maybe I’ve spoiled you too much, but you don’t threaten, harass, and break into a woman’s house. You’re lucky she convinced me not to call the police. And you don’t come into my house unannounced,” I snarl, winding myself up as I step towards him. He gets to his feet, facing off with me. “I have loved you through all of your mistakes, always supported you, and tried to teach you right from wrong, but I have clearly failed. You have turned into a terrible man, and I’m disappointed you are my child.”
I know it’s too much, too far, when he flinches. For a moment, I see the little boy in his eyes, whose dad is his hero, who looks up to me, loves me, and is always fighting for my pride in him. And I crushed him. I wince and rub my eyes. “I’m tired, I shouldn’t have—”
“Shut the fuck up!” he yells. “Fuck you, and fuck your whore! I don’t care what you think of me. You’re nothing but a pervert fucking some cheap, quick tail.” He grins at me as I narrow my eyes. “You think she won’t leave you? That she won’t move on to someone younger and more exciting? She has the attention span of a fucking fish, and once she grows bored with your dick like she did me, she will be gone, and you will have ruined everything over one shit pussy.”
“Leave now, before I throw you out,” I growl, my fists clenching and body shaking in anger. How dare he talk about my girl like that? How dare he accuse me of being a pervert, of trying to tarnish the fucking angel that is Lexi?
In this very moment, I hate my son and what he has become.
He is my biggest mistake.
“Now,” I demand. “And you’re wrong, Lexi and I are in love. Get over it. She won’t get tired of me or leave because she loves me and my fucking cock. Just because you couldn’t satisfy her doesn’t mean I can’t,” I snap, letting out the rest of my rant. If he doesn’t get out of my face in the next second, he will be in the hospital for his words and actions.
I’m tired of protecting him, defending him.
He’s not my son any longer. He’s nothing more than a stalker, a crazed ex.
“You aren’t my son. You are a bitter, sad little man. Come back when you’re ready to apologise and maybe, just fucking maybe, if you do or say nothing else, our family won’t be wrecked,” I tell him and turn away, dismissing him.
“Fuck you and your family. I don’t want to be your son,” he yells. “And I will ruin you both for what you have done.” Something is slammed onto the table, and I look back to see a picture—a picture of Lexi and me. It’s taken in my garage, she’s pushed against my car. I’m fucking her, it’s clear and explicit… How did he even get this?
He laughs bitterly. “I have the whole fucking video on my phone. You forgot to change your security passcode and that there’s a camera in there. You’re going to end it, you’re going to break her fucking heart and trash her, or else this little video? It goes viral. I’ll send it to all your clients, your friends and family. Everyone will know what a sick fuck you are. It will ruin your reputation, your work, your relationships. Is one pussy really worth that?” He steps back, leaving me staring at the picture.
He took a beautiful, treasured moment and turned it into something dark and angry, infecting one of the best moments of my life. It’s something private between Lexi and me, and he wants to make it public? To shame and embarrass us for finding love?
I lift my head to demand he delete it or do it myself, but the door is swinging open and he’s gone.
I have no doubt he will do it, he will post it everywhere. The question is can I stop him? And if not, can Lexi and I live with the consequences?
Will she leave?
Will she hate me?
I don’t give a fuck about my reputation, about what people think, but she’s had a hard life, and this might push her over the edge. Love doesn’t make you blind, you can still love someone and leave them. Sometimes because it’s easier, sometimes because it hurts too much to stay.
If they all see this, if they make our lives hard…miserable…will it be too much?
Is this the end of my angel and me?
I slam my fist into the wall and press my head there. I can’t lose her, I can’t. What the fuck am I going to do? Hate like I have never felt fills me at Justin for putting me into this situation. For making me choose.
Because I will always choose her.
Now I just need to figure out how to keep her and stop this from getting out.
Lexi
I haven’t heard from Tyler all day, so when he arrives to pick me up from work, I’m pleasantly surprised. I kiss him hello, but he just helps me into the car, and all the way home he white knuckles the wheel, not even looking at me.
When we reach his house, and he helps me out before heading through to the kitchen and dropping into a chair at the table with his head in his hands, I know something is wrong. Something bad. An icky feeling starts in my stomach as I stand in the darkened doorway watching him.
“Tyler?” I whisper, and he flinches but doesn’t look at me.
Oh God, is he breaking up with me? Or worse?
My legs shake, but I force myself to cover the distance. Unable to stand, I drop to my knees at his feet. My heart is pained, and my lungs are tight, making it difficult to breathe as I suck in desperate little breaths. My lips tremble, and tears blur my vision. I know what’s coming, he’s going to leave me.