Love Disregarded

by Rachel Blaufeld

“Oh,” I said, sheepishly crawling back onto the bed.

  “Come here.” He sat up and pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.

  “I’m sorry,” I said into his chest. “You shouldn’t have to comfort me now. Tell me what happened.”

  “Cass was good at first. Had dinner with the kids, pretended like she was happy they were there, in that big house I let her keep. Whatever, it was the right thing to do. Anyway, she sent them to watch a movie and then proceeded to get rip-roaring drunk. Denise put them to bed anyway, but a little after midnight, Cass started tearing through the house, yelling at them.”

  Placing a kiss on his temple, I ran my hand down the back of his hair, pulling him tight.

  “Same old shit. It was their fault that I left. Kids cramp my style. I’m a playboy . . .”

  A little giggle escaped me. “Shit, I’m sorry. It’s nerves.”

  “No, it’s okay. She’s not wrong. I did go down a bad path when we first separated, but that’s behind me. And before you ask, I’ve been to a doctor and I’m okay health-wise.”

  I hadn’t thought of it, but now that he mentioned it, it gave me pause. I’d jumped back in bed with him so easily. “It can’t be good for Mara and Little A to hear all that, though,” I said, getting back to the more urgent matter.

  “No. Denise tells them otherwise, and so do I, but Cass gets twitchy with it. Anyway, they want to go home, and I told Denise to go ahead and take them. I’ll need to call my lawyer in the morning. I tried to avoid taking visits away from Cass, but it’s time. Denise has some video evidence.”

  “Poor babies. I hate that they had to deal with that. I understand you want them to see their mom, but this doesn’t seem good for them. But I’m not qualified to make that decision.” I kissed along the side of his face, watching his brow smooth out.

  “I know. I don’t mean you’re not qualified. You’re a mom, a good mom. Look, just an hour ago, we were discussing Piper. You were sticking up for her with every bone in your body, even when it meant taking sides with your ex.”

  “She’s my daughter. That’s my job,” I said, defending myself now. “To watch out for her.”

  “You don’t have to explain yourself. I admire it. I wish my other kids had that. Piper is lucky to have you. Damn lucky.”

  A tear trickled down my cheek, despite my demanding the waterworks stay in.

  “I tried, but Cass isn’t going to be a present mom. Nan said it, even though she was the one to introduce us. I guess I’m shit when it comes to evaluating moms. Look how I fell for my own. Her dying wishes still haunt me.”

  “She was your mom. She did her best—”

  “If she didn’t insist I go after heading up the family business we would have been together all these years, Bex.”

  As much as it hurt me to think about it, I had to grant Aston some peace. “Shoulda, coulda, woulda. We’re here now. You need to do right by your kids. My mom did her best until she died, but you already know that.”

  “I did, but right now, this . . . it just means more work for me. More to tackle. I have to get out from under these charges. I want to make this work with you. I need to protect the kids. Denise will help, but . . . this is all on me. My dad is a piece of shit. Nan is busy. My mom is gone, and Cass is helpless.”

  “Look, go now. And we’ll worry about all the rest in the morning.”

  “Denise said for me to stay. She knows how much this night means to us. The kids are tired, and she’s going to put them back to bed at my house.”

  “Are you sure? I’m not going to be mad,” I said, and it was the truth. Worried, yes. Mad, no.

  “I’m staying,” he said. “I’ll text Denise, and then let’s take a warm shower and sleep. I need this few hours of calm before I tackle the rest.”

  He tapped at his phone while I rubbed his back, and then I took his hand in mine and led the way to the bathroom.

  Bexley

  A few days had passed since our sleepover date night that started out full of promise and ended with tension. Since then, I’d busied myself with work and near constant worry over Aston. He’d texted that the witness he procured was going to speak up in court in two days at a preliminary trial.

  This whole thing was surreal—with deep pockets, Aston was still walking around a free man and tackling full custody with his kids. I had no clue what type of alternate universe I’d entered, but it wasn’t one I’d grown up in.

  Especially when my phone rang, and I swiped accept call.

  “Mom!”

  Piper had called from some unknown number—lucky for her, I’d picked up. Call it a sixth sense, or one of my hunches, but I knew it was important.

  “Mom! Are you there?”

  “Piper, calm down, what’s wrong?” I tried to steady my voice. Her shrieking was freaking me out, but I had to be the strong one.

  “I’m stuck in the Italian restaurant in the Village Shopping Center. Come get me, please. Hurry.”

  “What? Why? What happened, Piper?” I shrugged off my robe, letting it fall to the floor, and stood stark naked in my closet as I grabbed clothes. “Piper? Are you there? What happened? Why are you stuck? Where’s your dad? Aston?”

  A million questions ran through my head at lightning speed.

  Aston had taken Piper for a daddy/daughter date, trying to give her some individual attention despite being pulled in a million different directions. I’d planned to take a hot bath and relax.

  Aston wanted to get to know her, look out for his other kids, be kind to Tyler, deal with Cass, exonerate himself, and care for me at the same time. He’d murmured something about me doing some self-care while kissing me, his tongue teasing mine. There were promises about him sneaking into my bed later, with a piece of tiramisu and a crème brûlée, about feeding me and licking whipped cream off of me.

  Christ, I need to concentrate on what’s happening.

  “Dad’s gone. Aston, I mean. Mom, hurry! The police were here.”

  “What?” I shrieked.

  Shaking, I put the phone on speaker and shoved my legs into a pair of jeans, forgetting underwear, and tossed on an old bra and a ratty white T-shirt. My flip-flops were on my feet before Piper spoke again.

  “He . . . he . . . I mean, we were eating. Aston and me. Everything was great. He’s so nice, the best. Then his dad, Peter, you know who I mean? Aston’s dad came up to our table and stared me down. Marched right over . . .”

  “Take a breath, Piper. I’m coming.” Unsure how I could ask her to do something like breathe when I couldn’t, I grabbed my purse.

  “He said all these mean things, Peter did. Then I remembered you told me he’s not nice, so I tried to ignore him. But then he said something about Dad—I mean Aston, not Seth, okay? He said Dad better get rid of some evidence he recently found, or—”

  “I’m coming, baby,” I told her, turning on the car, grateful that Tyler was at Seth’s place.

  “Mom, he said or he would get rid of me. Peter said that. What does that mean? Mom, are you there? He wants to get rid of me. I didn’t do anything. And what does that mean?”

  I was speechless. My heart cartwheeled in my chest as my daughter shrieked on the other end of the line.

  Thank God I was on autopilot, backing the car out of the carport.

  “I’m here. Don’t worry about what that means, honey,” I told her, and then told myself to not worry either. Aston was there . . . he would protect her, right?

  He hadn’t stood up to his dad in the past, though.

  “Mom, listen. I’m trying to tell you what happened. Dad got so mad, he stood up and punched Peter in the face. Blood sprayed everywhere. I think his nose is broken. Dad’s fine, though, but the restaurant called the police, and they took Dad with them after Peter said he was going to press charges. What does that mean?”

  “I’m on my way, sweetie. Sit down and order a Coke. I’ll be right there. Promise.” My voice was steady, but I was anything but calm.

  What
kind of person told their granddaughter they would get rid of them?

  And what would happen to Aston’s witness now that he was in jail? His preliminary hearing was in thirty-six hours.

  Just as I was pulling into the shopping center, my phone rang through the Bluetooth.

  “Hello?” I said without glancing at Caller ID.

  “Bex, it’s me.”

  “What the hell, Aston?”

  “I’m sorry. Things got carried away. My dad’s a prick, you know.”

  “Um, yeah, I can’t talk. I’m parking now at the restaurant to get Piper. She’s scared half to death because your father said he’s going to get rid of her. Do you understand what that does to a young girl?”

  “Fuck, Bex, that’s why I’m sitting where I am. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. It’s because of the witness. He’s trying to quash it.”

  “You know what, Aston? I don’t care.”

  I’d spent the better part of a week worrying, and then Aston hauled off and acted like a testosterone-filled teen. And how the hell did his father get off talking to my daughter like that? Rationally, I knew Aston couldn’t control Peter, but my mom guard had shot up and wasn’t going down.

  “You go deal with your own mess of a life, Aston. And I’ll deal with the monsoon of disappointment that, once again, you left in your wake.”

  I disconnected the call and tossed my phone in my purse, determined to rid myself of Aston Prescott for good.

  Aston

  “Listen to me!” I pounded my fist onto the desk.

  “Aston, that’s not helping anything,” Aidan said, grabbing my arm, and I shrugged him off me.

  “Look,” I said to Dan, the police officer. “Do you have kids? Because I’m not a violent man. But my father threatened his own granddaughter. Do you hear me? And that’s not called for—that’s wrong in anyone’s book.”

  Stuck in an interrogation room this time, I stood up and paced, but at least I wasn’t going to a holding cell like I did before.

  “I understand my father wants to press charges, but that’s because he wants to silence me. I have a key piece of evidence in the trial against me, and he doesn’t want me to use it. We need to secure that first. Then, do what you want with me—”

  “Let me talk,” Aidan said, interrupting me. “Dan, let’s have the chief come in, and we’ll discuss this. Aston was defending his daughter, and he could also press charges against his father for threatening a minor. The man is unstable, for sure, perhaps not totally right in the head. Anyway, I spoke to the chief on the matter of our evidence, and he’s dealing with this, and then I’m sure he’ll be in. In the meantime, let’s all calm down.”

  “Oh yeah, I’ll calm down,” I said, pacing. “The woman I’ve been in love with for fifteen years is mad at me. Again. The daughter I only recently got to know is accosted by my father and then witnesses me pummel him. And, oh yeah, I’m on trial for drug trafficking. Sure, I’ll calm down.”

  I leaned against the wall and looked down at myself, my Polo wrinkled, my jeans tight and hot. I was a mess. Taking a deep breath, I tried to control myself. I had to get a handle on things, because I might have just blown everything.

  Fuck, I whispered to myself, flexing my aching hand. I shouldn’t have done that.

  “Okay, Mr. Prescott,” the chief said as he walked into the room, stealing all the air. “I used to see you once a year when you donated money. Now I see you all the time. No offense, but I’d like to stop seeing you.”

  I nodded. “Me too. This is all a misunderstanding.”

  “Your father’s broken nose says differently.”

  “I can explain that, and if he wants to press charges, then so do I. He harassed my daughter, his own granddaughter, intimidating her and threatening her with bodily harm.”

  “I hear you,” the chief said, motioning for me to sit across from him.

  Wanting to be a good boy, I did.

  “My daughter, who I only just met, and I were getting to know each other.” My whole body shook as I spoke. “My father had the nerve to tell her he was going to get rid of her. She’s a minor, and that’s a viable threat, Chief.”

  “I understand, Mr. Prescott, but we learn in preschool not to use our hands when defending ourselves. We use our words.”

  “Chief, you know if it were your kid, you would do the same. Be honest, would you let someone threaten your kid?”

  “I’m not the one sitting here wanted for drug trafficking, and then picked up for breaking his father’s nose. In a public place, no less.”

  “Alleged drug trafficking,” I said.

  “About that. I spoke with your lawyer.” The chief cocked his head toward Aidan as if they’d just met.

  In reality, they grew up together. They went to the same local prep school, both two years behind me, and both from money like me. The chief hailed from a longtime family legacy in law enforcement, a dynasty that lined their pockets with healthy donations from businessmen like me.

  “Let’s cut the crap, Brad,” I said, addressing the chief by name. “You and Aidan go way back. I’ve been donating to your campaigns since I was old enough to do so. I need to get out of here now, and you need to attend to the more pressing matter at hand. I have a hearing on Friday, and my goal is to get this whole fucking thing thrown out.”

  Brad leaned his elbows on the table in front of him. “Your dad’s a powerful man. You sure what you’re doing is a good idea?”

  “Fuck off. Yes. I’m getting my life back together.”

  “Okay, fellas, let’s not get off track here,” Aidan said, then turned toward Brad. “Did you take care of what I needed?”

  The chief nodded. “It’s done, and I don’t think you’ll need to worry, come Friday.”

  “Can I go now?”

  Once again, the chief nodded, and this time he stood. “Only because of your girl, Aston. I’m sure she had to be scared.”

  “Thanks. I’m sure by now she wants nothing to do with me. Her mother probably doesn’t either.” Hurrying past them, I told Aidan, “See you Friday. Be ready.”

  When I got outside the police station and belatedly realized I didn’t have a car, I muttered, “Shit,” and pulled out my phone to call Mike.

  “Can you stay out of trouble for one day?” was how he answered the call.

  “Fuck off.” Seems that was all I was saying these days. “Listen, I’m at the police station and I need a ride. Are you in town today?”

  “Lucky for you, I am.”

  “Good. Come and get me,” I said, leaning back into the wall.

  “Are you going to ask why I’m in town today?”

  “Yeah . . . why?”

  “Look, Aston, you’re not the only one with problems. My fucking life is on the rocks. Milly’s running around, says I don’t pay attention to her, that I don’t jump when she says to jump. As freaking luck would have it, tonight she got a frantic call from Bexley . . . who, by the way, hasn’t called in weeks. You screwed her over, Piper was a mess over your dad, and Tyler was out with Seth, so she didn’t want to bother her ex.”

  “What the fuck does she need her ex for?” Squeezing my eyes shut, I wanted to slam my fist into the brick wall.

  “Is that all you can focus on? Seth? Maybe because he’s been there for Bexley for years, when you weren’t. And now you weren’t again.”

  “Just get here and finish your story then.” I didn’t have the patience to do this with Mike over the phone. I should have called Bill, my PI, or even Cass, but for some stupid fucking reason, I wanted to talk with Mike. Maybe because he knew Bexley and Piper, and was one step closer to them?

  I disconnected the call before Mike could protest, wishing for a cigarette or a bottle of Scotch.

  I didn’t open my eyes until I heard a car pull up and stop in front of me. Looking up, I saw Mike waiting in his Hummer. Not one for the environment, and always wanting to make it clear he had the biggest dick in the room, Mike bought a car that personifie
d him.

  After rolling down his window, he said, “Get in.”

  Happy to comply, I jumped in. “Talk,” I said when I was seated in the passenger seat.

  “Well, I’m actually just coming from Bexley’s. A month ago, she hated my guts. Now she says I was right all those years to keep you two separated.”

  “What the hell?” I blew out a long breath. “Did you tell her she was mistaken?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to say much. By the way, you self-centered prick, did you hear me say Milly’s cheating on me?”

  I nodded, feeling the burn in my eyes. “We all knew. My guy, he knew.”

  Mike slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “Christ, do you ever do what’s right? Do you ever think of anyone else?”

  “I try. It’s not my strong suit. My life was fucked up—”

  “Enough of that shit, Aston. Grow the fuck up.”

  “I’m trying. Really.”

  “Look, man, you’re a good dad. You were way better to Cass than she deserved. You lived your whole life for your mom. But your dad is pure evil, and I don’t want to see you become him.”

  “That’s what I’m trying not to be. Look, I’m sorry about Milly. She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s doing. She has a good life, and she should wake the fuck up and realize that. You’re not some robot.”

  “Try telling her that,” he said, glancing at me for a second as he drove toward my house. “She says I’m not there for her. Christ, I have to make money, and a lot of it, to support her and our lifestyle. She thinks it’s easy.”

  I huffed at him, rolling my hand in the air to tell him to get on with it, and he glared at me but continued.

  “Anyway, she calls me tonight as I’m finishing up a work dinner. Says Bexley needs help, and I need to go right away. That’s our new reality. Milly says jump, and I say how high . . . and Bexley is fucking furious with me since the last time I saw her. Why? Because I told her you had someone watching her and knew about Piper.”

  “Did you go help her? What did she say?”

  “She was hysterical, consoling Piper. Told me I should have never let you close, that this was my fault. I should have stopped you from intruding on their lives.”