Alex let himself into his house the next day. It was nearly 1:30pm and he’d just dropped Brielle off at her job. They’d had the doctor’s appointment that morning and it had gone exceptionally well. After their conversation on the sofa and his impromptu marriage proposal, they’d curled up together in the bed and he’d held her the whole night through. That morning, they’d gone out to breakfast and then on to the doctor’s. Her work had given her the morning off and after the appointment they’d had a quick lunch before she was due back to the office.
Dr. Morraseu had said everything looked great as she checked Brielle’s weight and pulse and blood pressure. The tests from her previous exam had come back and the doctor said she saw nothing that alarmed her that the baby was developing in any way but normal. She’d performed an ultrasound and Alex had breathed a sigh of relief when she announced that the baby wasn’t in the right position to tell the sex. They’d have another four weeks to debate on finding out before she’d be back for another appointment. Her next visit had been scheduled for February 4th when she would be 20 weeks. Maybe by then they’d know what they wanted to do.
For now, they had some time. And he needed to have a long conversation with Renee. He meant every word of what he told Brielle the previous night. He was going to call Renee’s parents and do everything short of ordering them to take care of their only child. He wanted to focus on his future with Brielle. She’s the one that needed to be there with him; her and their child.
Tossing his keys to the side table and hanging his hat on the coat rack, Alex glanced around the foyer and listened for any sign of the brunette who had taken up occupancy four days ago. “Renee?” He didn’t get a response and sauntered further into the house. “Renee?” Still nothing.
By the time Alex checked the downstairs, he thought maybe she’d gone out. Slowly climbing the steps, he ventured onto the second level and peered into her room. It was empty. Maybe she’d decided she needed some fresh air. That was fine by him; he could make the phone calls then he’d have to go out and pick Brielle up in a few hours.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he strode down the hall and entered his bedroom and stopped short.
Renee lay on his bed, her legs extended but bent at the knees, propped on her side with her hair tousled and dressed in nothing but a skimpy black thong and barely there matching bra. Upon seeing Alex, she pushed herself up and stroked a hand over her neck. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
He forced himself to put his eyeballs back in their sockets. “Wh…what are you doing?”
“Waiting for you.” Her fingers ghosted down over her chest toward the swell of her breasts.
He couldn’t decide if he was more shocked than angry or more angry than shocked; either way this didn’t surprise him. “You need to put your clothes on.”
“Mm, I think you need to take yours off.” She slipped to the edge of the bed then rose to her feet. “I miss you, Alex, and I know you miss me too.” She started toward him. “We’re so good together; so hot and raw and intense.”
With every step Renee took toward him, Alex took one back. “Renee, don’t. Get dressed.”
“I don’t want to.” She continued toward him until his back was to the wall. “And I know you don’t want me to either.”
“Yes, I do,” he quickly countered with.
She was just inches from him, her sweet breath hitting his neck in a way that made goosebumps spread over his skin. “No, you really don’t.” She smoothed a hand to his stomach and tugged lightly on his shirt. “Remember how hot we make it? Our cries and moans filling the room and how wet I get for you?”
“Renee…” he pulled his shirt from her fingers. “You need to get dressed and not come into my room again.”
“You don’t mean that.” She pushed his hand away and yanked his shirt up over his stomach and chest. “God, I’ve missed this.”
Alex jerked and grabbed her upper arms, roughly moving her back from him and slipping away from the wall. “You need to stop right now.”
“Alex!” She pouted and tried to grab at him. “I just need you. I need to feel that connection with you again.” Tears began to fill her eyes. “I’m so lonely and I have this gaping hole where you and our baby used to be. Now it’s empty blackness and I just need to feel some comfort. Please don’t take that away from me.”
“I can’t do that for you, Renee.” He released her and shoved his phone into his pocket then moved away and began to gather the clothes she’d stripped off before he’d come into the room. “We’re not together anymore and I can’t pretend to be.”
“Not even for now?” She wiped at her cheeks. “How can you do this to me? To us?”
Anger jolted through his veins and he did his best to not yell at her. “I’m not doing anything to you. You’re the one trying to seduce me and I’ve plainly told you to stop. And now you’re throwing a guilt trip at me to make me feel bad.” Their eyes met and he held her clothes out toward her. “I’m not letting you do that. Get dressed and then go downstairs because we need to have a conversation.”
Renee’s green eyes grew hard and she yanked her clothes from his hands. “Do not talk to me like I’m a child.”
“Then don’t act like one.” He arched a brow at her then brushed past and slipped from the room. Once in the hall, Alex leaned against the wall and rubbed his eyes. What had gotten into her? What made her think he’d even want to do something like that with her? Yes, he definitely needed to get her out of his house before she tried jumping him in the shower.
Rolling his eyes at that thought, he pushed away from the wall and moved back down the hall to the stairs and back to the first floor. Before he headed into the living room to talk with Renee, he wandered into his kitchen and took out a glass, filling it with ice then water from the door of the fridge. A bottle of Corona sounded really good to him at the moment, but he knew he couldn’t go there. Not today, not ever.
Trying to shake it out of his head, he made his way back down the hall and found Renee in the living room, seated on the sofa with her legs crossed and foot wiggling. The anger was just resonating off her and he knew this was not going to be a pretty conversation.
“What do you want to talk about,” she practically snapped at him the moment their eyes locked.
Alex sighed and crossed the room to a black, leather armchair. He set his drink on a coaster on the coffee table and sank down into the seat. “About your living situation.”
“Oh great,” she rolled her eyes, “did your sweet little princess convince you to kick me out?”
“No, I made that decision on my own.” His eyes hardened at the sarcasm in her voice. “You being here is not good for anyone.”
“Are you serious?! You have to be joking because I know you would not throw me out!”
“It’s not called throwing you out if you have your own home to go to.”
“Do you even hear yourself?” She pushed her dark hair behind her shoulders. “You sound like some whipped little boy. Brielle has you so wrapped around her finger and you’re so far up her ass it’s hard to tell where you end and she begins.”
He had to clench his fists and bite his tongue to keep from yelling at her. That would only get her angrier and she was like a stray bullet; never knew where she would hit. “One reason you have to go is because you can’t stop disrespecting Brielle. She has never, not once, disrespected you.”
“Uh, yeah huh,” her head nodded so hard he thought it might come off her shoulders, “she disrespected me the minute she walked into this house. She disrespected me the minute she stole my man. And she disrespects me every time you two are together, because you’re supposed to be here with me…with our child that you caused me to lose.”
“I invited her here, Renee. I did, me! I wasn’t going to have her living in the street. She hasn’t done a damn thing to you and you know that. You’re just upset because since she’s been here the clouds have cleared from my vision and I can actually see you for the person you are; a hateful, vindictive bitch. And I’m not sorry I don’t want to marry someone like you.”
Renee’s eyes narrowed to two slits and she trembled with the anger from his words. “How can you say that,” she seethed low and with venom in her words. “You murdered our child! You did! You never wanted that baby and you could care less about it! You’re nothing but a lying, cheating, murderer!”
Alex rose to his feet as she shouted at him. “Get out of my house!” He flung his arm toward the door, pointing at it for emphasis. “Get your stuff and get out of my fucken house!”
“Alex, don’t,” she pleaded, her tone softening as if she realized what a big mistake it was to yell. “We both know I need help; you told me so yourself.”
But he wasn’t having any of it. “Heh, yeah you really do, but not the kind I can give. Maybe you oughta try a shrink; they can fix that head of yours.”
“Why you little ass.” And then she was charging at him, her fists flailing and her nails catching his skin sharp enough to leave marks.
“Shit!” He grabbed at her arms and turned his head, but she caught his cheek and he knew there’d be a welt there. “Renee, stop it!”
“I hate you!” She spat out, yanking a wrist free and slapping him hard across the face. “I hate you!”
Alex gave a growl and circled his arms around her, capturing her own down at her sides. Then he lifted her off her feet so she couldn’t kick him as easily. “Stop it! Calm yourself down!”
But she wasn’t having any of it. She continued to struggle and shout curses at him until the tears finally cam and she sobbed, her body going slack against his.
When he was sure she was no longer a threat, he carefully set her back on her feet and let her go. Then he reached and took her hand in his. “I’m going to call your parents,” he spoke in a gentle tone, hoping the fight had left her body. “You really need them right now. What you’ve been through is horrible, but I can’t help you anymore. I just wish you could realize that.”
Her only response was a sob and her head went to his chest, her shoulders racking.
“Alright,” he sighed and patted her on the back, “how ‘bout you go upstairs and take a nap and I’ll call your folks?”
She gave a nod and wiped at her face then turned and shuffled from the room. Once she was gone, Alex fell back into his chair and gingerly touched his cheek; the scratch stung and he winced at Brielle seeing it. She was going to be pissed.
But he had other things to worry about right now; like calling her parents and figuring when he could get her out of his house. Glancing to the clock and gauging the time he’d need to leave to go pick up Brielle, he started for his office to have some privacy. He was really going to hate to have to talk to her dad; but it needed to be done.
~*~*~*~*~
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Brielle questioned Alex as he pushed the door open to his house and motioned her to enter. It was nearly six o’clock and he’d just arrived back home after collecting her from work.
The sight of the long red scratch on his cheek and the redness on his other from the slap had immediately aroused her curiosity and concern and she made him tell her the entire story, save for the little seduction attempt in the bedroom, before they even left the parking lot. Of course, she’d wanted to come back and kick the brunette’s ass, but Alex was able to calm her down and smooth things over.
He explained that things had gone very well in his conversation with her parents and they were going to purchase a ticket for Renee to head out to see them first thing Saturday. So she’d finally be out of their lives and things could go back to normal. A huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders and for the first time in a long time, he felt completely at peace.
“For the 50th time, I’m just fine.” He stepped into the house behind her and closed the door. “It’s just a little scratch. I’ve had much worse.”
“I can’t believe she attacked you.” Brielle set her handbag to the side and glanced around the quiet house. “She’s not here, right?”
“Right.” Alex tossed his keys onto a nearby table and kissed her head. “She’s going back to her place tonight to pack and get ready; you know, find her passport and what not. So we’re in the clear.”
“Phew, good.” She slipped her shoes off. “What should we do for dinner tonight? I could make you something.”
“You cook?”
She chuckled at the surprised expression on his face. “Well, I haven’t in a long time, but I took Home Ec. in high school.”
“Well, I’m curious to see what you can whip up.” He reached and gently pulled her closer. “And then maybe after, we could have a little dessert,” his voice dropped an octave at that and he dipped his head to place soft kisses along her neck.
Brielle shivered and giggled softly. “What is it with men always thinking they’re going to get lucky?”
“Maybe because we’re just that smart,” he murmured it against her neck, his tongue seeking out a sensitive spot on her skin and teasing at it.
“Ooh,” she shivered again and felt the goosebumps rising along her skin. Then she slipped a hand to his head and gently pushed him back. “But hold that thought because I really gotta pee.” Then she was off and hurrying from the room toward the closest bathroom.
She could hear him laughing as she slipped down the hall and giggled to herself. He seemed to be in a much better mood and she could just feel the tension easing away. Getting Renee out of the picture like this was a Godsend and she was so proud of him for finally stepping up and doing something about it. And now, maybe they’d be able to focus on their budding relationship and all the excitement that came with it.
Brielle was just exiting the bathroom a few moments later when something made her pause. She tilted her head and strained her ears, very faintly picking up a soft murmur of some kind. What was that? Moving away from the bathroom, she tiptoed a little more down the hall to the library and slowly peeked around the corner.
Renee stood near the large fireplace with her back to the doorway. She was on the phone and gesturing a hand wildly about. Even from the back, Brielle could see the frustration and she nearly fled back down the hall to let Alex know that his guest hadn’t left yet. But her feet didn’t move and instead, she slipped right against the door and tilted her ear toward it to hear what the brunette was saying.
“I just don’t know what to do anymore. I mean really. It’s like she cast some spell or some shit on him and he’s not the same person.”
The blonde’s brows drew together; was Renee talking about her and Alex? She knew she shouldn’t be listening, but her curiosity was getting the better of her and so she stayed.
“I tried that,” She paused and gave a sigh, nodding her head. “Believe me, I’ve tried. I practically threw myself at him and he wasn’t having it. How the fuck can he turn me down? Me?! I was nearly naked and he didn’t even bat an eye. That bitch has got him by the balls for sure.”
What? Brielle nearly burst into the room and grabbed her by her long hair. How dare she put a move on Alex! He wasn’t available for Renee to do that anymore and someone better let the bitch know before she got a hot poker to her eyes.
But she managed to refrain herself and clutched her hands into fists, feeling the nails pressing into the soft skin of her palms.
Inside the room, Renee was now pacing back and forth. “I really thought I had him. He wasn’t talking much to his mom and we were planning our wedding. He was mine and then she came along and it all went to hell. I even faked that damn pregnancy to try and rush the wedding, but did it work…no,” she drew the last word out in an exaggerated manner. “And the ‘miscarriage’,” she used finger quotations, “I thought that was a foolproof plan and should have worked like magic; but again, that bitch screwed it up. And now, instead of trying to help me get better, he’s shipping me off to my damn parents.”
She paused a moment to listen to the person on the other end and then continued, “Already did that; didn’t eat a couple days or take care of myself and he was almost putty in my hands. But he gets around her again and it’s like he grows some new balls. I don’t know what to do anymore short of giving up.”
Brielle was frozen in her spot as she listened to Renee. Faking the pregnancy, the miscarriage and the whole depression thing was all an act? She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even move as it all hit home. The bitch. That horrible bitch that stood there, ten feet away calling her horrible names when she was the one that was the monster. How could she do that? How on God’s green earth could anyone do something like that? Play off his emotions and guilt him into things that weren’t even real.
Suddenly, anger was flooding through her again and she stepped into the room, clearing her throat loudly to announce her presence.
Renee whirled around at the sound and her eyes stretched, she froze for a split second, before quickly regaining her composure. “I’ma have to call you back,” she spoke into the phone before snapping it shut. “What the fuck are you doing in here? Eavesdropping on me?”
“You…you...” Brielle was so angry she couldn’t even form complete sentences. All she longed to do was fly across the room and attack the other woman. “How dare you!”
Renee didn’t bat an eye. “Excuse me? How dare I? How dare you stand out there listening to my private phone conversations!”
“Oh, cut the crap! I heard you! I heard every. single. word. How could you do something like that?! What the fuck kind of person are you?!”
“One who isn’t going to let some stupid bitch come between me and my man!” The older woman’s eyes narrowed even more and she rose to her full height. “Besides, you didn’t hear shit. And if you even think about running back to Alex with this I’ll make you wish you’d never even met him!” She hissed the words but they were full of venom and hatred.
“You’re psycho!” Brielle exploded, trying to ignore the threat that had hit home in her tummy. “Of course I’m going to tell him, you bitch! He needs to know the truth, not let some psycho spin him a web of lies!”
“If you even breathe a word of it, you’ll be more than sorry. I can guarantee that.”
“Fuck you! You don’t scare me,” she spat the words out at the other woman. “In fact, bring it. Let me knock you on your ass like Alex couldn’t do earlier.”
Renee gave an angry growl at that and started for her, but Brielle was ready and she grabbed the other woman’s hair, giving it a hard tug and yanking her head to the side. Then she brought her other hand up and pushed at her, trying to keep her away.
The brunette yelped and swung her arms, catching her hand on the collar of Brielle’s blouse. She tugged hard and a loud ripping sound echoed through the room. Then her hand went for Brielle’s hair, trying to grab it and yank it like the blonde was doing to her. “You bitch!” She shouted as she swung again and tried to claw Brielle’s face.
Brielle felt her neck snap to the side when Renee tugged her hair, her fingers tangled in it good. She shrieked and clawed back at the other girl, trying to get her head free. But Renee wasn’t having any of it; instead, she pushed Brielle back into the wall hard and jarred the breath from her body.
Brielle felt the air rush from her lungs and she pushed back as hard as she could, using her foot to swipe one of Renee’s legs out from under her. The brunette caught herself and charged at Brielle again with an angry growl. She smacked the blonde and grabbed a handful of her hair again, tugging it hard.
Brielle yelped and swung a fist, connecting with Renee’s mouth. She swung again and again as Renee tightened her hold on her hair. “Let me go, you bitch!” She shouted to the brunette.
“What the fuck is going on here?!” Alex’s voice filled the room and he grabbed Brielle’s sides, lifting her up into the air and physically separating her from the brunette. Then he stepped between the two, his eyes hard and his body tense.
Renee took a breath and held the back of her hand to her mouth. “She fucken attacked me!”
“You started it!” Brielle glared to the brunette, peering around Alex to see her. “She came at me!”
“You egged me on!”
“Enough!” Alex held up his hands and looked hard between the two before his gaze landed on Renee. “Are you fucken insane?! She’s pregnant! You never hit a pregnant woman!”
“She’s crazy, Alex; she just went off on me!”
“I did not!” Brielle edged around the male and stared daggers into Renee.
“She did so!”
“No, Alex,” she cast her eyes toward him, trying to talk over the brunette, “she’s the psycho. She was on the phone telling-”
“Okay, stop!” He interrupted her and frowned at Renee, but his gaze softened when he looked to Brielle. “Are you okay?” He reached and smoothed her hair then touched her red cheek before fingering the torn blouse.
Brielle nodded some. “Yeah, I’m okay.” An arm protectively wrapped around her stomach. “She didn’t get my stomach.”
His eyes drifted to her tummy and he put his hand on it. The look in his eyes screamed at her that he had quite a lot to say, but instead, he kissed her forehead then spoke in a low tone, “Go wait in the kitchen for me.”
“What? Alex,” she glanced over to Renee then back to him, “I have to talk to you. She’s been lying about the whole thing!”
“I have not!” Renee shouted before he could react. “She’s the one lying! She stormed in here throwing it in my face how she had stolen you from me. Then she said she was going to make you believe I’d lied about the baby.”
Brielle gave a growl and started around Alex again, but he caught her arm and gently tugged her back. “You were lying! I just heard you on the phone telling whoever it was that you made the. whole. thing. up. The pregnancy and the miscarriage!”
Alex felt his jaw dropping. He shifted his eyes back to Renee. “Is that true?”
The brunette’s eyes hardened. “Of course not! She’s the one lying!”
“I can’t even believe this!” Brielle threw her hands up into the air. “I know what I heard and that was her on the phone admitting that she made it up.” Then she glowered over at Renee. “I also overheard how she tried to seduce you, but you didn’t even bat at eye.”
The male in the room frowned. He hadn’t told Brielle about that, which could only mean one thing. “You’re lying,” he spoke the words slow and even to Renee as if he were still trying to get a grasp on it all.
Some of the blood had drained from Renee’s face and she quickly fumbled for a response. “I…I, okay, maybe I said that, but I did not lie about the baby. And I can’t believe you’d even consider believing her.”
“Well, why the hell would she lie, Renee? She hasn’t done anything that she needs to lie about. You’re the one that’s been nothing but nasty.”
“She hates me!” She angrily flung her arm toward the blonde. “And she wants us to have nothing to do with each other!”
Alex had to bite the inside of his cheek as the anger over the situation began to flow through him. “Actually, that’s me, Renee, that wants nothing to do with you. I’m done; there’s nothing I can do to help you anymore. I think the best thing for both of us is to part ways and live our own lives now.”
Renee’s eyes widened in horror. “You don’t mean that. That bitch has you brainwashed.”
His eyes flashed at her and he pointed toward the doorway. “Get out of my house! And don’t ever try to contact me again! Are we clear?”
She glared hard at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Then with even more hatred, she turned her gaze to Brielle. “This is all your fault,” she hissed out.
“You made your own bed,” the blonde snapped at her.
Alex gently guided Brielle behind him. “Just get your stuff and leave.”
“Gladly,” She huffed at him then grabbed up her phone from where it had fallen and stalked from the room.
Once she was gone, he turned to Brielle. “Are you sure you’re okay?” His hand went to her stomach in a protective gesture.
“Yeah,” she brushed some tangled hair from her face, “my cheek’s a bit sore, but I’m okay.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” He gently pulled her into his arms. “I can’t believe she attacked you.”
Brielle settled against his chest, her arms winding around his waist. “It’s okay; I did kind of egg it on. But she was being horrible, Alex.” She pulled back and met his face. “She did make the baby up and the miscarriage. And she was only pretending to be depressed so you’d spend time with her.”
He frowned and tried not to let it bother him, but truth be, it really did. “Well, she’s going to her parents for awhile, so we don’t have to worry about her. And hopefully, she won’t try contacting me again.”
“I hope not.” She pressed her face back into his chest. “I’m just so sorry she put you through that; all the grief and hurt and the guilt that’s been eating you up.”
A lump formed in his throat. “I…” he cleared his voice and tried again, “I can’t think about that right now. How ‘bout we go find something for dinner and try to get our mind off all this?”
Brielle pressed her lips together. The idea of Alex brushing it off didn’t sit well with her, but maybe he just needed some time to think it over and digest it. That was a lot of information and she just didn’t want it to make him go back off the deep end and turn to the bottle. But hopefully with Renee out of their lives, it would never come down to that again.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks so much for all the feedback! Hope you enjoy this one. :)
Chapter End Notes:
Viola! The truth has finally come out. Thanks to all you for sticking with me. hehe. Please, let me know your thoughts. I'd love to know what you thought about the fight.
