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“Ed, I know you’re coming from a place of shock and fear, but this is a decision that Susan should make for herself. It’s her body, her choice.”
Ed’s face tightens, his voice tinged with frustration. “But, Artie, think about it. We’re not ready for this. We can’t just disrupt our lives because of a mistake.”
“Mistake?” Susan says, shaking her head. “It’s not a mistake for me.”
“The rules were clear, Susan,” Ed says. “I don’t want babies. I’ll never want babies. We’re doing this.”
“Edward, let’s talk about this,” I say, walking up to him so I’m standing between him and Susan.
“What do you know, Artie?” he spits out, his voice dripping with venom. “You always think you have all the answers, don’t you? You’re just as clueless as the rest of us!”
My jaw tightens, my own frustration rising. “I don’t claim to have all the answers, Ed, but I know that fighting among ourselves won’t solve anything. We need to support Susan right now.”
Ed’s voice grows louder, his words laced with contempt. “Support her? Like you’ve been supporting her all along? Maybe this is just another chance for you to play the hero!”
“Fuck you,” I say. “It’s not about that at all. You know that.”
Ed’s fist swings wildly, and I find myself instinctively raising my arms to defend against his onslaught. Ed and I lock eyes, our fists clenched, and the next moment, we’re locked in a brutal struggle. Each punch lands with a sickening thud, and our bodies violently collide against each other. My heart pounds in my chest as adrenaline courses through my veins.
I try to pin him to the ground, but Ed overpowers me, holding me by my back.
“Stop it! This isn’t helping anyone! We need to find a way to work through this together!” Susan says.
But I don’t care. I keep hitting Ed wherever I can find an opening. I’ve always been the calmer one, the good boy, but Ed has crossed all the lines today.
“Stop it! Both of you, stop! You’re hurting me.” Her words slice through the air, cutting through the haze of fury. “Please, I can’t take it anymore. It’s not right.”
Ollie tugs me back from the fray. He still looks shaken, but he seems to have sobered up. “Let him go. You can’t do this in front of her.”
In that instant, my anger dissipates, replaced by a heavy weight of guilt and regret. What have we become? I pull away from Ed, my chest heaving, bloodied knuckles hanging at my sides.
I swallow hard, my body still shaking from the adrenaline.
Ed’s breathing is heavy, his gaze shifting from Susan to me, his expression mirroring my own remorse. Slowly, he lowers his fists, his anger seemingly deflated. “You’re right,” he mutters, his voice hoarse. “This…this isn’t how we should be handling things.”
With that, he walks out of the house.
“Ed, wait,” Susan says, running after him, but I stop her and shake my head.
“Let him go. He needs to clear his head first.”
23
OLLIE
Iwatch as Ed and Artie engage in their heated confrontation, their anger and frustration ultimately leading to a brawl. I want to do something, but stand there frozen.
It’s only Susan’s pleading that breaks me from my shock. Artie pulls back, and I drag him away before he can hit Ed again. Both of them are bleeding—Artie from his nose and Ed from a point below his chin. They stare at each other, and for a moment I feel like they’ll go at it again until Susan intervenes, stepping in between.
And then, finally, Ed walks out the door. Susan tries to go after him, but Artie stops her.
“Let him go,” he says quietly.
“You’re bleeding,” I say, walking up to him. He doesn’t say anything, just glares at me.
“Susan, you all right?” I say.
She hugs herself, and I don’t miss the way she puts her hand above her belly. The gesture makes me swallow hard. This is really happening. She’s pregnant, and we’re going to have a kid.
