by Toni Aleo
And to see Coach Dweeb.
**********************************
Not only did Lucas not like Aiden’s coach because he was trying to get with Fallon, but he found that he was starting to really dislike the guy because he couldn’t coach worth shit. Lucas understood making the sport fun for kids because it needed to be, but there needed to be structure too! There needed to be authority, and this guy had none. Kids ran all over the field while he asked for them to pay attention.
Asked!
Only two kids, Aiden included, actually stood listening and Lucas’ temper was climbing with every passing second. Lucas wanted to scream at the kids to listen. He wanted to go out there and show them how to play even if he wasn’t that good himself. At least he knew he was better than this idiot!
Aiden glanced over at Lucas, who was leaning against his truck, and shrugged his shoulders as he rolled his eyes. It tore Lucas apart to sit there and watch his kid do something he obviously didn’t like. He wanted go out there and steal his kid away, take him to get ice cream just so he knew that Aiden was happy but there was one thing, well person, standing in his way of doing that.
Fallon.
Lucas weighed his options. Try to make Fallon happy, or make Aiden happy? Fallon didn’t like quitters — neither did Lucas — but if Aiden honestly did not like baseball, why make him finish it? If she was worried about him playing a sport, Lucas had that covered. They were gonna start up hockey. Everything would be fine, but Lucas knew him pulling Aiden would piss her off. Any chance of him getting her to trust him would go out the window. Fallon requested Aiden play until the end of the season, and Lucas could respect that.
No, he couldn’t.
When Coach Dweeb threw Aiden back in right field and Lucas saw Aiden’s shoulders fall as he made his way out to right field, Lucas came off that truck like a bat out of hell. Lucas temper was at its breaking point and he just prayed that he didn’t hit this guy. He felt eyes on him as he marched himself up to the idiot coach and hated the fact that he had an audience. Aiden hadn’t walked far when Lucas said, “AJ, truck, now.”
Aiden looked back at him and without question ran to the truck. Lucas felt bad for about two seconds for scaring Aiden but then Coach Dweeb turned around with a dirty ass look on his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Okay, listen here asshole, Aiden doesn’t belong in right field and since you have your head so far up his mother’s ass to see that, I’ll point it out for you. He is the only one beside that kid over there that pays attention. He’s attentive and the best damn kid out here, but since you can’t see that, I’m pulling him,” Lucas said through his teeth, since he knew he had an audience. He had forgotten his hat in the car, and hoped that no hockey fans were in the stands.
“For one, jackass,” Coach said, taking a step towards Lucas.
Aw shit, Coach Dumbass had balls. He must not be a hockey fan because hockey fans knew of Lucas’ temper. They knew the look he got when his victim was cruising for a bruising.
And Lucas knew he had the look right then.
“For one, the reason why Aiden is in right field is because he can’t catch a ball for shit and for two, my head is not up some bitch’s ass, and for three, you can’t do that since you are nothing to him.”
Oh, fuck.
Lucas took a deep breath, counting to 10 as he took a step forward.
“Let me tell you something, you skinny little fucker. If I ever hear you say my kid can’t do something, I’m pretty sure I will hit you so hard it will knock that ugly ass fro off your head,” Lucas sneered as the fuck face’s eyes went wide. “If you ever call my child’s mother a bitch again, it’s simple, you will die. And lastly, I am something because if you haven’t heard, that is my kid, and I’m kind of protective over what’s mine. Stay away from Fallon and Aiden, or I will fuck you up.”
Lucas waited for the guy to say something. When he didn’t, Lucas’ eyes never left his as he slowly backed away. When he turned, he saw some of the mom’s saying something, but he didn’t care. There were only two moms he was worried about, and that was his own and Fallon.
As Lucas got into the truck, Aiden didn’t say anything as he buckled his seatbelt and pulled out of the parking spot. Lucas drove off as he tried to control his anger. It was truly a blessing that Aiden came into Lucas’ life. Lucas was quick to throw a punch but now that he knew Aiden could see him, he decided to use his words instead, which was probably for the best.
After a moment of driving, Lucas looked up in the rearview and Aiden was looking down at his glove. “Ice cream, bud?”
Aiden looked up. “Yeah, ‘cause it’s probably gonna be our last meal,” he said sadly.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, confused. “Why is that?”
“Momma is gonna kill us.”
Oh yeah.
Chapter 17
When Fallon’s meeting ran a little over its end time, she was worried that she wouldn’t beat Lucas and Aiden home, but she thankfully had. Being alone gave her time to finish up a few things that needed to be done before she could spend some time with her little guy. She had missed Aiden so much and couldn’t wait to see him. After doing the dishes and putting some soup on the stove for dinner, Fallon was sitting at the kitchen table in front of her laptop when her phone rang. She glanced down at the display and saw that it was Chase.
What the hell did he want?
“Hello?” she asked
“Hey,” he snapped.
Okay.
“Hey,” Fallon said cautiously.
“I wanted to let you know that I can’t see you anymore,” Chase said in his annoying voice.
Fallon raised an eyebrow begging herself not to let the giggle she was holding in escape. “Can I ask why?”
“You lied to me. You said that Aiden’s dad wasn’t in the picture.”
Fallon’s heart stopped. What the hell did Lucas do?
“I said he wasn’t in my picture. He is active in Aiden’s life, though.”
“Well he just cussed me the hell out and told me if I didn’t stay away from you and Aiden, he would kill me.”
“For the love of God,” Fallon groaned as she put her face in her hand. “Why did he do that?”
“He’s crazy!”
Fallon rolled her eyes. “I doubt that, you must have done something to him.”
“Whatever, stay away from me.”
When the line went dead, Fallon couldn’t help but laugh. Not only was that the second time she had been hung up on in one day, but going to baseball practice tomorrow was gonna be awkward. She wasn’t mad, because she knew that off the ice, Lucas didn’t fight unless he had a reason. If Chase was telling the truth, he had to have done something to Lucas, or to Aiden.
Fallon looked at the clock. Lucas must have taken Aiden for ice cream because they were running a little late. As she went back to work, she tried not to worry but it didn’t work. She knew in her heart that Lucas would have called if something was seriously wrong, so she took a deep breath and continued on the report she had to get done before the next day. She might not trust Lucas with her heart, but he was good to Aiden and she believed that he loved Aiden dearly, so Fallon wouldn’t worry.
**********************************
Fallon was standing at the stove when the front door opened and Aiden walked in. Fallon knew instantly something was wrong because Aiden usually ran everywhere. “Hey buddy,” Fallon said as Lucas walked in, shutting the door behind him.
“Hey Mom, I’m gonna go get changed,” Aiden said, detouring for the stairs.
“No sir, come eat first,” Fallon said as she eyed him. He wouldn’t look her in the eyes as he made his way to the kitchen table as if it was his death sentence. “Everything okay?” she asked as she glanced over at Lucas.
Aiden didn’t say anything as Lucas moved his hands through his hair nervously. “We need to talk.”
“Okay, do you want to sit down and eat some soup?”
She figured if he wanted to talk privately, he would say no to the soup, so when he said yeah and sat down, she shrugged her shoulders, thinking that whatever the two were nervous about was no big deal as she went to get two bowls.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she filled Aiden’s Spiderman bowl up with the fresh black bean tortilla soup. It was Aiden’s favorite and she was hoping that Lucas liked it. Fallon decided that she would question her need for his approval later as she went to lay the soup down for Aiden.
“I pulled Aiden from baseball.”
Fallon looked over at Lucas and blinked twice before placing the soup bowl down slowly so it wouldn’t scald her child. Lucas brought his bottom lip into his mouth as he looked into her eyes. “It’s hot Aiden, be careful,” she said as she turned to go to the front door. “Let’s go outside, Lucas.”
“I thought I was gonna eat soup while we talked,” Lucas said but before he even got the whole sentence out, she shook her head.
“No soup for you. Say bye, Aiden.”
Aiden looked up at Lucas. “I’ll see you Thursday, bud. Have fun tomorrow.”
“I will,” Aiden said and Lucas placed his hand on his head. “Bye.”
“Bye, bud.”
Lucas walked through the house and out the door. Fallon followed behind him and slammed the door. “What the hell, Lucas?!”
“Listen that coach is an asshole and I’ll be damned if the best kid on the team is going to be in the outfield. So I told the dude that.”
“No, you threatened to beat him up, and who cares where Aiden plays as long as he plays?”
Lucas face scrunched up. “How did you know that?”
“Chase called me to say he can’t see me anymore because you said all that,” Fallon said, giving him only the gist of the conversation.
“Like you care if he doesn’t want to see you, and he deserved it. He’s lucky I didn’t pound his face in. I’m sorry, Fallon, I’m not going to make Aiden play something he doesn’t want to.”
“You don’t get to make that decision, I do!” Fallon yelled as her temper rose. “I am Mommy, and I make the decisions for him.”
“So what does Daddy get to do, Fallon?” Lucas asked, taking a step towards her but Fallon stood her ground. She wasn’t going to let him think he could run things.
“Nothing,” Fallon said as her breathing pick up from him being so close.
Lucas searched her face. “How is that fair? He is mine too,” he said in hush tones.
“He may be yours Lucas, but I’ve raised him for the past seven years. I know what’s best.”
“That’s not fair Fallon, I want to help. I want to be included.”
“And I am letting you be included. I haven’t said shit about him spending all this time with you, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let you come in and try to run shit.”
Lucas scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “So this is a power thing? You are trying to show me who’s boss?”
Fallon glared. “I don’t have to show you anything. I am the boss.”
A heated moment passed between them as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Lucas’ lips were parted as one side pulled up a little while Fallon’s eyes narrowed even more.
Why did everything turn into flirting with him?
When Lucas’ gaze fell to her lips, Fallon took a deep breath in. “Don’t go over what I said again,” she said with nothing but anger in her voice. She had to stop being affected by him, or she would go back to the way she was — when she used to bend every which way for him. She would never let that happen again.
Lucas took a deep breath in as he took a step back. “I’m not getting into a power struggle with you. Aiden doesn’t like baseball. I’m thinking of him and what he wants, while all you are thinking about is trying to show me who’s boss and keep him in something that you are comfortable in because nothing else matters but you.”
Fallon’s mouth dropped at his accusations and anger filled her as she took a step towards him. “Are you calling me selfish because I don’t want my son to quit something?”
“I’m calling you selfish because you only want what you want. Hockey is a sport. You want him to play a sport, why not hockey?”
“Because it’s stupid!”
“No, because it’s my sport and you are scared that if you are around me and my sport, you’ll go back to the way we were. I get that you are scared that it will be the way it was, but don’t you get that we aren’t those people anymore? I’m not going to hurt you or Aiden. I care about you both. Fallon just give it up. This power struggle shit is getting old.”
Lucas looked down at her as she just stood there in complete shock, not able to form a word. When she didn’t say anything, Lucas shook his head and went down the stairs.
“I’ll see you guys Thursday.”
“Maybe you won’t!” she snapped causing him to whip around and glare at her.
“Are you going to keep him from me?”
Fallon couldn’t control her breathing, she felt like she was going to pass out or fall into a puddle of tears. She hated that he knew her so well that he knew what she was thinking, what she was scared of.
He drove her crazy!
When Fallon didn’t say anything, he turned back around and headed towards his truck. Fallon watched as he got in and started it, before pulling out the driveway without giving her even a second glance. She felt like falling against the door and crying but knew it wouldn’t do any good, and plus Aiden might hear her. Fallon took a deep breath and headed inside, seeing that Aiden was still sitting in his chair, his head hung low.
Fallon walked by him and poured herself a bowl of soup before sitting in front of him. Nothing was said as she started eating.
When Aiden looked up at her, and said, “I’m sorry, Mom,” Fallon’s heart broke.
“Aiden James, you have nothing to be sorry about.”
“Yeah I do. If I didn’t hate baseball so much Lucas wouldn’t have got mad and pulled me from practice.”
Fallon couldn’t look Aiden in the eyes because she knew her eyes were full of tears. “It’s over with, no big deal.”
“You’re mad at us, though.”
“I’m not mad at either of you,” she said, and it was true.
There was no way she was mad at her baby, and Lucas, he was right. It was a power struggle on her end and she had to learn to deal with it. He had told her many times he wasn’t going anywhere when it comes to Aiden. Fallon had to put what happened between them aside when it came to Aiden, but with other things not so much. She would never trust him with her heart again, and she needed to keep reminding herself that she could not sleep with him.
That spelled disaster.
“I like Lucas a lot, Mommy,” Aiden said quietly, and Fallon smiled.
“I know honey, and he adores you. Y’all are good buds, huh?”
Aiden nodded slowly, still not looking up at her. “Why do I get to hang out with him a lot?”
Fallon shrugged her shoulders. “Do you not want to?”
“I do, but I’m usually with AA.”
Fallon thought for a moment. “I don’t know what to say, honey. I just thought maybe hanging with a guy would be good for you.”
Fallon’s pulse kicked into high gear, because if Aiden asked if Lucas was his dad, Fallon had no clue what to do. She couldn’t lie to him, but she also wanted Lucas there for that.
“I do, I was just wonderin’,” Aiden said as he continued to eat. “Lucas plays hockey.”
“I know,” Fallon answered.
“He says you used to like it. He said y’all were friends when you guys were younger.”
Fallon nodded, nervous since she didn’t know Lucas had told Aiden about them. “We did, and I used to.”
“Why don’t you now? It’s so awesome! We went to the arena today. I met all his trainers and all kinds of people. I got to run on the ice and slide across it, and Lucas chased me around and fell twice!” Aiden gushed as he giggle
d. Fallon smiled as he went on. “He bought me a new jersey and told me I could come to all the games I want. He said you can come too. Thursday, we are going shopping for all my equipment! He’s so cool.”
Fallon smiled as Aiden took in a deep breath. The kid talked a mile a minute. “Sounds awesome, honey.”
“He said you can come to the game too.”
Fallon nodded. “Maybe.”
“Well you come watch me?”
“Of course, I will.”
“Okay,” he said with a grin. She may not be able to watch Lucas play but she’d be damned if she ever missed her baby boy play. Even if that did mean that Lucas would probably be sitting right next to her.
Crap.
They both went back to eating as Fallon sat thinking that the next 11 years were going to be torture. When her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts, she looked down seeing that it was Elli. “Hey.”
“Hey girl, listen, I have dates for the campaign. Lucas will be out on road trips for the next three weeks, and then there is break before the playoffs. We want to do it then.”
“Lucas didn’t tell me he was leaving,” Fallon said with her feelings a little hurt…for Aiden’s sake, of course.
“I mean it’s not like he’ll be gone three week straight, but gone three days back two, you know. So we just figured that week before the playoffs would be best,” Elli said. Fallon nodded as she grabbed a writer’s pad, writing down the dates.
“I’ll get everything set up, and call you back with times. Thanks so much, Elli,” Fallon said.
“No problem girl, talk to you soon,” Elli said before the line went dead.
Fallon laid her phone down and looked across the table to see Aiden staring her down. “You okay?” she asked.