“Heard about what you were going through, so… Yeah. We were trying to figure out the best way to help you through it.”
Of course they were. They wouldn’t be friends if they weren’t planning to meddle. I’d be pissed, if I hadn’t once done the same thing with Rye and Brin.
But this is different than that. Everyone just keeps underestimating me. It’s getting old.
Allie and Wren are here, along with Ruby and Corbin. Rye and Brin are also here, but I don’t notice them until I make it all the way into the living room.
“Hey, man,” Wren says, standing slowly as he watches me with wary eyes.
“Are you okay?” Rye asks. “I swear we—the guys—didn’t know.”
“But the women did,” I say, looking at Brin like she’s betrayed me. I actually thought she and I were cooler than that.
Guess not.
She looks away guiltily.
“Don’t do that. It was a difficult position for her. She’s close to Bella,” Rye says, stepping in front of Brin like he’s shielding her from me.
“No one thought I’d make a good dad so I didn’t deserve to know. I get it. It’s cool. Not one bit hurt by it,” I state dryly. “I just came to talk to Tag, and then I’m going.”
“Actually,” Ruby says, looking at me like she wants to take a swing. “All the women had an intervention with Bella on your behalf. Rain even told her you’d be a good father. So stop judging us by assuming we’re judging you.”
That hurts even worse. Everyone begged her to tell me, and she still didn’t. I had to figure it out with a fucking kid.
“I’m barely holding it together right now, so please stop hitting below the belt. It would be best if I thought you guys were the problem instead of her. Knowing the mother of my child hates me that much—”
“She loves you,” Allie interrupts angrily. “She loves you and defends you, and never once did she think you wouldn’t be a good father. In fact, she told me you’d be there, give up absolutely everything for your kid. Her entire decision hinged on how much you’ve preached about your freedom and how you want to party like a teenager. She didn’t want to take that away from you, after you’ve made it clear that’s the most important thing in your life, since you were robbed if it and all. Never mind the fact that most people in the world are skipping that part of life… Because that’s just life.”
My knees wobble, and I drop to a chair behind me to keep from falling.
Wren pats Allie’s hand, trying to calm her down, and she gets up and walks away like she can’t sit in the same room as me.
“You know,” she says when she gets to the door, not facing me. “W
hen we had that intervention, I thought Bella would never tell you… I thought she’d never take away that special freedom from you because of how much you love it. But honestly, I think she was just hoping you’d tell her you loved her before she confessed. She’s just too prideful to ever admit that aloud. God forbid you fall in love, want a family, and not have your weekends free to party.”
With that, she walks out, slamming the door behind her.
“I guess she hates me,” I mumble, groaning as I lean back.
“Bella’s her family—her only family before me,” Wren says, trying to softly defend his fiancée.
No defense needed. I get it. I sound like a petulant teen, because I really did drill it home about wanting to party. But that’s why I came here today… To fix shit.
Bella won’t listen to a thing I say. Actions have always been the way to get through to her.
“Kind of hard for you to give her a confession of love if she’s ignoring you,” Rye says. At least one person is defending me.
No one says anything, but Brin glares at Rye.
“What? It is.” He shrugs.
“You don’t even know that he loves her,” Brin tells him.
“You don’t know that he doesn’t,” he points out.
Great. Now I’ve sparked an argument between them, and they never have a real argument.