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“Happy?” Ford asks and I loll my head towards him and snuggle in deeper, nodding my head yes. He chuckles, pulling me closer. “Me too,” he whispers and presses a kiss to my head.
A loud crash comes from the front of the house that sounds like broken glass shattering and we both startle.
“What the hell,” Ford mumbles, lifting me off his lap so he can stand up and then depositing me back into his chair. “Don’t fucking move,” he orders, storming off to the front of the house. Dean and Jax follow him. I holler for the kids to come up to the firepit so I c
an see all of them and once they’re all accounted for, I order them to stay with Avery and jog to the front of the house.
I round the corner and stutter step to a stop. The guys are all standing around Ford’s truck. The windshield is smashed in and all the other windows are knocked out. I gasp and my stomach drops. Jason. Who else would do this?
Ford turns towards me and reaches his hand out. “Baby, I told you to stay out back.” I immediately run towards him.
“I’m so sorry,” I say but he cuts me off.
“Sorry? For what? This isn’t your fault, Lex.” He says and I’m just at a loss for words. I want to scream that it is my fault. I know who did this. I open my mouth to say the words. To tell Crawford that it’s my piece of shit fucking husband doing this, showing me he still controls the situation even if he can no longer control me, but the words just won’t come out. I can feel the panic creeping in at telling Ford my secrets. Everything I stand to lose, this community that I’ve built in the time I’ve been in Monroeville. I would lose it all. Ford, our friends, the kids.
“I… I know, I’m just, fuck. This is going to cost a fortune,” I say, shaking my head, still in disbelief that Jason would do something like this with all the cars parked in the driveway and on the street.
“Cops are on their way,” Dean breaks in, stuffing his phone in his pocket and crossing his arms. He looks between the both of us. “Any idea who would do this?” He asks, keeping his eyes trained on my face. I shake my head and Ford sighs.
“No man, no clue. Rival football team, pissed off parents. Could be anybody,” he says, steering me towards the backyard. “Why don’t you go tell everyone the party is over and take the kids inside so they can get ready for bed? I’ll be in once I’m done filling out the police report.”
I do what Ford asks and say my goodbyes to all our friends. Clarissa pulls me aside and asks if there’s anything she can do. I tell her to just go home and lock the doors, I’ll be home later. I usher the kids into the house and double lock the backdoor. I clean up the kitchen while they get ready for bed. I tuck Z in first, kissing him on the forehead and telling him how special he is, how much I love him. I read Aria her favorite story and when she’s sound asleep I press a kiss to her chubby little cheek and tuck the blankets around her. Ford is still outside talking to the police, so I quietly unlock the back door, locking it up with my spare key. I make the trek to my house, where Clarissa is waiting for me by the back door and I collapse in her arms, sobbing while she reassures me everything will be okay.
But I know better. Nothing will be okay. Things will never be fine until Jase is gone. For good.
Ford
It’s been two days since Lex slipped out of my house like a thief in the night. I finished up my statement for the police and went inside to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. I checked on the kids and made the trek to her house to see what was going on, but Clarissa answered the door and wouldn’t let me in. She said Lex needed some time and didn’t want to see me.
I’ve been busy with the kids and trying to get arrangements squared away for the state championship, making sure all of the hotel accommodations are ready to go and we have enough buses and drivers. I’ve been running myself ragged and haven’t had a chance to talk to Lex, but that shit ends tonight.
Mom just got here to sit with the kids for a while and Lex and I are going to talk about whatever is bothering her, even if I have to bust her door down to fucking do it.
Her car is the only one parked in the driveway so that means Clarrisa is gone, which is fine by me. I bound up her back steps and pound on the door. It takes a minute before she comes into view. She sees it’s me and lets out a big sigh. I’ve never seen her look this run-down before. There are bags under her eyes and she’s in what looks to be her pajamas,
“Open the door, Alexandra,” I say, motioning to the handle. She shakes her head.
“I can’t do this with you right now, Ford. Just go,” she says, and I shake my head in return.
“Nope, that’s not good enough for me. Open the goddamn door before I do.” Enough with this shit. Whatever is going on, whatever I did, we are figuring it out right now.
She heaves out another sigh and flips the lock on the door before turning around and heading back into the living room. I follow her and she flops down on the couch.
“You’re in. Say what you need to say and then please, just go,” her voice cracks. I take in the state of her house. All the curtains are drawn and the blinds are closed, there’s coffee cups and wine glasses littering the coffee table. A blanket and pillow rest on the couch, like she’s been sleeping out here instead of in her room. I move the blanket and sit beside her, resting my elbows on my knees and running my hands through my hair.
“What the hell happened the other night? I come inside from talking to the cops and you’re just gone. And then Clarissa tells me you don’t want to see me? What’s going on, Lex?” My stomach is all tied up in knots at the thought of losing her, at losing what we have that I know is special. She sucks in a shaky breath.
“I’m just not sure I was ready to do whatever this,” she gestures between the two of us, “is. I’m not sure I’m ready to have a family, Ford.” She whispers, still refusing to make eye contact with me. I drop to my knees in front of her as she swipes tears from her face.
“Honey don’t do this. We are good for each other. So good for each other. I love you. The kids love you. I don’t know what happened between the other night and now, but whatever it is can we just let it go? I just want to be back to the way we were before. Some things just go better together, baby, and one of those things is us.” Leaning in, I kiss her tear stained cheek, slowly making my way to her lips, pressing a cautionary kiss on them, waiting to see if she’s going to open up and let me in. She freezes for a second and then melts into me, letting me kiss her. I deepen it, sliding my hand up her leg and around to her back, pressing her into me as I make love to her mouth. Sliding my tongue in, pouring all that I am into this kiss. This woman.
Kissing me back just as feverishly she finally breaks apart and looks at me.
“How do you do it?” She asks, shaking her head and lacing her fingers with mine.
“Do what?”
“Make me fall in love with you every day. Always making me feel like I’m special, like nothing else matters. I’m sorry I’m so hot and cold, I’m just scared,” she whispers.
