Page 45 of Waggs

“Now, tell aunty Bebe all about it.”

Willow blew her nose and let out a little giggle, then she explained everything to her new friend, not leaving out any details. She told her everything from the moment she’d met Aaron and Aiden up until that day.

“Wow, that needs to be on a soap opera. Seriously though, give him some time. It’s a lot to process. He’ll come around, I’m sure of it.”

At those words, all hell broke loose as the back door exploded and armed men ran into the house. Willow screamed as Bebe fought them, and as a man went to shoot Bebe, a voice she knew stopped him.

“No, leave her alive. She’s a pretty one and feisty too. There’s a definite market for that.”

Willow looked up in shock. “You!”

Then a fist came toward her and there was nothing but pain before blessed unconsciousness took her.

Chapter 19

Waggs was sitting in a bar nursing a Tequila he’d yet to touch when Decker sat next to him. He barely glanced at him, not able to form words to how he felt. He’d walked here because it was the closest place that sold alcohol. It was a shithole, but it had what he needed and that wasn’t to talk. “I don’t need a shrink, Deck.”

Decker held up his hand and the bartender brought him a beer. “What about a friend?”

Waggs threw back the Tequila and savoured the burn as it bit at the back of his throat. Slamming the glass back down he indicated the barman to bring him another. When it appeared in front of him, he twirled the glass as his mind went over the bombshell Willow had dropped on him.

Never in all these years had he considered that AJ could be his and he didn’t know how to feel about it. Part of him was ecstatic about the prospect of such an amazing child being his but then other parts wanted him to be Aaron’s, so he had that part of his brother still. Then there was anger at Willow for keeping it a secret from him. How could she do that to him?

“Ten years ago, I was living in New York doing my dream job and married to the woman I’d loved since high school.”

Waggs turned to look at Decker with surprise. Decker had never mentioned being married and never talked about himself.

Decker’s hand shook as he grabbed Waggs’ Tequila and downed it. “We had a son, Milo, who was three years old, and Susan was expecting our daughter. I was working long hours and one day she was taking Milo to kindergarten because I’d been called into work when her car was hit by a truck and they were all killed.”

Waggs was shaken by Decker’s revelation. “Jesus man, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not telling you this to make you feel sorry for me and I’d prefer it if you never repeated it to anyone else. I don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want sympathy. The only reason I’m telling you is because I want you to see that no matter what Willow did, this is a blessing.”

He looked at Waggs and it was hard to look away from so much pain reflected in his friend’s eyes. “She lied to me.”

“Yes, she did but not out of malice. You have to admit it couldn’t have been easy for her to tell you when you were in the state you were. I’ve watched you these last few weeks and she loves you, really loves you.”

“I love her, too.”

“Then work it out. Yes, this is a big thing to have kept from you, but you need to be honest here, Waggs. Deep down you must’ve known the timing made it possible. You’re a medic, for fucks sake. You know how this works.”

Had he known deep down that AJ could be his and not acknowledged it? He wanted to say no but perhaps a tiny part had, and he didn’t want to admit it.

“I slept with Willow every time I came home. I’d turn up drunk after going to the cemetery and then go to her house to see AJ and take her to bed. I was always gone before she woke up.”

“Answer me this. Would you have told you given the circumstances?”

Waggs considered it for a second and shook his head. “Probably not.”

“She was protecting AJ and herself, and maybe even you. This isn’t like a usual situation and you need to think long and hard before you close any doors.”

“I can’t walk away from her. I love her so much it hurts and being with her these last few weeks, I feel like I can see in colour again. I did everything to move on, dated every single woman in Kentucky, but I knew, so I gave up. I was never going to replace her in here.” He tapped his chest where his heart beat.

“Then tell her and don’t make her suffer.”

“Bebe is with her. They’re probably doing a character assassination on me right now.” Waggs smiled knowing Bebe would have Willow’s back and wanting that for her. She’d been alone for too long, and whatever the outcome of AJ’s parentage, it didn’t change how he felt about Willow or him. They needed to talk properly, and he needed to apologise to her for being such a dick.

“Wanna grab some wings?”