“Yeah, I fucking get it. She has nothing to worry about, though. I’m not even in her life anymore, let alone close enough to hurt her. Who fucking knows if I’ll even get to see my child.”
“Oh, you will, trust me. Just as long as you understand the second you misstep, I’ll be here to fuck your whole world up.” I pull my head off the broccoli and pause.He thinks I’ll get to see them?
“You think Britain is going to let me have joint custody?” His facial expression doesn’t falter in the slightest.
“I know she will. Again, because she’s too fucking good for you. But in case you’ve forgotten,shedidn’t have a dad. She’d never keep her child away from the opportunity to know you. Why the fuck do you think she stayed with Damian for so long after he cheated on her the first time?So the girls could grow up with a dad.And why the fuck do you think she moved to the middle of fucking nowhere?” Alex gestures with his hands to indicate our area, but I get stuck on something else he said. Cheated on herthe first time?
“Wait, what? Damian cheated on her before the assistant thing?”
“That’s not my story to tell.” So that’s a yes, andwhat a piece of shit.“Listen, Britain’s set the bar pretty fucking low for men in her life, and that includes me. But not anymore. I’m raising the fucking standards. Either meet them or answer to me. Your choice.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. I’d do anything to make things better…I just don’t know if I can, or will even get the chance to.”
“I mean, yeah, she might not let you back into her life, but she’ll let you be in your kid’s, just don’t fuck it up.”Cool, no pressure.I nod in understanding, though. Alex gets up, walking his half-full glass to the sink before pouring it down the drain.
I roll my eyes. “Fuck, man,” I say to him, but he just laughs a “fuck you” laugh.
“There might be hope for you yet, Liam. She wouldn’t let me kill you, so next time you see her, a thank you is probably in order.” I think he’s joking, but maybe not. It doesn’t matter because at least Britain thought about me in a non-murderous way today, even if it was just for a minute.
“Yeah, will do.” I hang on to the small sliver of hope his words just gave me.WhenI see her, notifI see her. Alex sets his glass in the sink and walks in the direction of the door.
He calls out before he leaves, “Vinegar or charcoal!”
“What?” I yell back, dumbstruck.
“It’ll absorb the smell of her perfume. Your house fucking reeks, man.” My cheeks pinken in embarrassment, but I wonder how the fuck he knows that. I don’t get a chance to ask because he slams the front door shut.
That could have gone a lot fucking worse. The front door opens back up a second later, and I call out, “You forget to break my kneecaps?!”
But instead of Alex, Max walks into my kitchen. “You look like hell.”Great.
“Have you come to shit on me, too?” I ask. He shakes his head, leaning back against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Believe it or not, I came to check on you.” I pull the bag of broccoli off my face. “Oof, that’s gonna be a shiner,” Max says.
“Yeah, it certainly feels like it.”
“I’m guessing Alex?”
“YUP.” He just nods. I drop the broccoli back in the freezer and head for the bottle of Pappy Van Winkles. Now that the seal’s broken, why the fuck not? I pour two glasses and slip one to Max on my way back to the chair.
“Is this celebratory?” He holds up the glass in question, “Or end of life and we might as well drink it?”Fuck.
“Both?”
Max holds up the glass and says, “Then cheers, brother.” He takes a sip before continuing, “Pretty sure I can figure out why it’s the end of times, but what are we celebrating?”
“That I’m gonna be a dad and Alex thinks Britain will let me have some kind of custody arrangement, but that’s where the good news ends. Oh yeah, and about that,” I throw my hand down on the table, “thanks for fucking letting me know.”
“You’re welcome,” is all he says.
“I was being sarcastic, dickhead.”
“Oh,” he shrugs. “Well who the fuck do you think told Tori to go tell you? So yeah, you’re fucking welcome. Matt asked me not to tell you, and being a good brother and all,Ididn’t.”Ahh, okay.
“Well, then. Thank you, actually.” A stray tear escapes,fuck me.
“Yup.” We stay in the kitchen, awkwardly silent for a few moments before he speaks again. “Listen, I need your help tomorrow night.”
