Love Disregarded

by Rachel Blaufeld

  “Did you tell her I meant well? That I want to be with her, and Piper?”

  “I told her how fucked up you are, confused and misguided, but you love her. Always have.”

  “Good. Maybe I should go there?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?” I swiveled my body to stare at his profile.

  “Seth brought Tyler home, and Piper told him what happened.”

  “That fucking ass. She’s my daughter. And that’s my woman.”

  “For a minute, Aston. Seth’s taken care of them for a long time.”

  We pulled up at my house, and Mike put the huge beast of an SUV into park. “You stink and you look a mess. Go shower, hug your kids, and go to bed.”

  “Nah, I’m going to do all of that and then go see Bexley.”

  “I don’t recommend it. They’re quieted now.”

  “Are you saying that to defend yourself? You put yourself back in Bex’s good graces, and you don’t want to ruin it? Milly is waiting to hear a good report on you? This is my life too. You’ve had it good for years, and now it’s rough. It’ll be good again. Milly will get her head out of her ass.”

  “No, I’m telling you to go to bed. That’s all.”

  “Huh-uh. I’m not,” I said, whipping off my seat belt once I remembered I had it on.

  “Don’t go there, Aston.”

  “Why?” I practically growled at him.

  “Piper asked Seth to stay. First, she asked me, but I can’t. I have to go home to Milly.”

  “Fuck!” I roared, slamming the dash. “Forget the shower. Take me to Bexley’s. Now. I’m too fucking mad to drive.”

  He set his jaw and shook his head.

  “Mike, you know me better than this. I’m not getting out of this damn fucking car until you take me.”

  Cursing under his breath, he put the Hummer back in gear, and we sped off.

  Bexley

  “You don’t have to stay. She’s asleep now,” I said to Seth, my back to him while I steeped a mug of tea at the kitchen counter.

  After crying on my shoulder, then Mike’s, and finally Seth’s, Piper wore herself out. She vacillated between being scared of and mad at Peter. Mostly, she was worried for Aston, but I wasn’t. He made his bed.

  Once again, Seth did the right thing. Despite being mad at me, he comforted Piper. Told her she was going to be okay, that no one was going to hurt her, saying all the right things.

  “Hey,” he said, tugging on my shoulder and turning me. “It’s going to be okay. Piper’s young. She’ll get over this.”

  Looking at him, I wondered if I could love him again. “Yeah, but I don’t know if I’ll get over this.”

  He lifted my chin with his finger. When Seth looked at me like he did when we first got married, with caring adoration, I wondered if this was the same guy who’d refused to meet me recently for a cup of coffee.

  “You need to forget about Aston. He’s haunted you for too long. It’s time to give him up.”

  “I know, but it’s not that easy.” As I stepped back, Seth held on to my arm. “This is weird. I don’t want to talk about him with you.”

  “It’s too late for that now,” Seth said, stepping closer. “He’s in Piper’s life now, and I’m smart enough to know he isn’t going anywhere. I’m forever connected to the guy because I care for Piper. Love her like she’s my own, and she was for a while. This hurts me too.”

  “Ugh, Seth. This is a mess.” I sighed and stepped into his arms, my tea forgotten.

  Of course, at that very moment, my back door burst open and a haggard Aston appeared, ready to tear Seth to shreds.

  “Get the fuck off her, dude.”

  His hair unruly, eyes wild, clothes rumpled, I’d never seen Aston look this disheveled.

  “Sorry, Bexley, but there was no stopping him,” Mike said as he begrudgingly trailed behind Aston.

  “Listen, calm down.” Seth stood tall, but he was no match for Aston’s six-foot-plus frame.

  “Don’t you fucking tell me what to do.” Aston stomped toward me, and I regretted not checking to see if the back door was locked. “Where is she?”

  “Who?” I asked, playing dumb.

  “Don’t be coy.”

  “She’s asleep, and if you don’t stop stomping around here, you’re going to wake her. It took us a long time to calm her down, and may I remind you, it’s almost midnight?”

  “I want to see her. I won’t wake her.”

  “Why? Because you feel guilty exposing her to the asshole who is your father? Or because your childish outburst led to someone calling the cops?”

  Aston didn’t answer, and I dropped my face in my palms and took a long breath.

  When I looked up, I said, “You all need to go. All three of you. Mike, go home to Milly. Seth, call me in the morning, and we can work out when you’ll see the kids next. Aston, just go.”

  “No. You two can go,” Aston said while waving his hand in front of the other two men who were just standing there, bearing witness to our private battle.

  “I don’t want to do this right now, Aston. Please.”

  “We’re not doing anything. I’m here to see my daughter, and these other guys are leaving. I won’t wake her. I’m just going to look in on her. Then I’m going to set her mother’s mind at ease and take care of you. Why? Because you’re mine now.” Turning toward Seth, he said, “Not yours.”

  “Don’t, Aston. It’s not necessary. Seth was here tonight, and he’s a part of Piper’s life. He always will be, because he was there when she was born.”

  Seth shook his head, walking toward Aston. “Christ, you don’t have to defend me, Bexley. I took care of Piper tonight because I wanted to, because it was what she deserved. I changed her diapers, bathed her, held her when she had a fever, gave her a brother, took her to her first day of school, while you,” he said, glaring at Aston and pointing a finger at him, “built a business and a different life. You weren’t there, and I was. Yeah, I got the shit end of it, learning she’s not my daughter, and getting a divorce. I may be bitter, but you know what? I do what’s right when it’s needed.”

  “You son of a bitch. I didn’t even know she existed,” Aston growled out. “And that wasn’t my fucking fault.”

  I worried this was going to escalate quickly as I watched Aston’s fists clench and unclench. The last thing I needed was for him to break someone else’s nose tonight.

  “This is all my fault,” I said quickly. “The blame is on me. Listen to me, both of you.”

  Aston and Seth continued with their stare-down, not bothering to even glance my way.

  Frustrated, I shrieked, “Look at me!” and then clapped my hand over my mouth. I didn’t need to wake Piper. Lowering my voice, I said to Aston, “Don’t disregard me and my feelings. I loved you, and I thought I could love you again. Or maybe I never stopped loving you.”

  This got his attention, his wary eyes turning on me.

  “And I loved you, Seth, very much at one point. Cared for you very much, I should say.”

  Seth shrugged. “I’m over the hurt, Bexley. Truly. Now I do what’s right, and none of that has to do with my feelings for you.”

  “Look, guys, I love Piper the most. I’m her mom. I’ve always been there for her, and she doesn’t deserve this, all this fighting between the three of us.” God, I was bone tired, and I didn’t have the time or patience for temper tantrums from grown-ass men.

  “This isn’t a debate over who loves her the most,” Aston said, then spoke with authority. “Mike, leave.”

  Mike shook his head as he turned and walked out the back door. When he was gone, Aston turned to me.

  “This is about a girl who has a lot of people who love her, and me, who was shut out of her life. I want back in.”

  “Not everything is always about you, Aston,” I shot back, and he looked at me like he’d been punched. “Don’t look at me that way. I mean it. That’s the whole point . . . you can’t punch someone
in front of your daughter.”

  “And expect me to pick up the pieces,” Seth said.

  “Dude, get out,” Aston said to Seth. “Seriously, get the fuck outta here. Thanks for helping. I mean it. When I calm down, I’m sure I’ll appreciate it even more, but just go home.”

  Aston glared at Seth until he started walking toward the door.

  How does he do this? Always get his damn way?

  Aston turned his focus on me. “Bex, look at me.” Moving to stand in front of me, he said softly, “I’m sorry. I fucked up.”

  I shook my head. At what, I didn’t have a clue.

  “I fucked up, Bex. You know how messed up I am when it comes to my dad, but the fact that you turned to him—Seth, I mean, not my father. Seth, your fucking ex.” Aston spat out the name like he was choking. His expression anguished, he said, “I can’t handle it. I love you. I’m sick over you turning to him. Please, listen to me.”

  He tried to gather me close, but I pulled out of his arms.

  “Aston, please. I’m begging you, just go home. Go home to your other kids. They need you right now. Take a shower, get a good night’s sleep, and deal with this drug shit. I don’t need anyone to rescue me. First, Milly sent Mike here, then Piper called Seth over here, and then you showed up. For God’s sake, I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”

  “Can you?”

  “Screw you, Aston. Yes, I can. I want you to go. Really.”

  “Not until I at least set my eyes on Piper.”

  He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his expression formidable, and I knew I wasn’t getting rid of him until he got what he wanted.

  “Come on and be quiet. And then you’re going,” I said firmly, then turned to pad my way toward Piper’s bedroom.

  Gently, I opened the door and motioned for him to peer inside. Piper was in a much-needed deep sleep, burrowed under the covers, her hair tangled all around her face. As quickly as I allowed him to look, I swiftly shut the door and stalked back toward the kitchen.

  “Don’t do this.” Aston came up behind me and slid his arms around my middle.

  “Aston,” I said, turning and finding myself caught in his sneaky embrace.

  “Please, Bex. I have a plan. My dad was messing with it, and I can’t let him do that.”

  “Oh, you and your mysterious plan. I meant what I said, that I loved you. Love you, Aston. But this can’t go on.”

  “It can’t be over,” he begged, pleading with his eyes.

  So typical when it came to Aston, I found I couldn’t say no to him.

  “It’s on hold,” I told him.

  I didn’t move away from his arms. I couldn’t. Aston was home to me, but I had to separate myself from him. I needed space. We needed a breather.

  “This will be over in a couple of days. Please, Bexley.”

  I pulled out of his hold. “Go. Go to Mara and Aston Junior. This isn’t fair to them. Relieve Denise, and take care of them.”

  His head hung low, and I was desperate to comfort him.

  Shoving that need away, I pointed to the door. “Go.”

  “Will you have Piper call me tomorrow?”

  I nodded. “If she wants to. Remember, Aston, this isn’t about you.”

  I pulled the door open, and he walked out without another word.

  Bexley

  After a mostly sleepless night, I sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee.

  “Morning, sweetie,” I said to Piper when she came into the kitchen, and swiped her messy hair out of her eyes with my free hand.

  “Are you okay, Mom?”

  She’s asking me?

  “You don’t have to worry about me, Piper. I’m the mom. Let me do the worrying for both of us.” Setting my coffee mug down on the counter, I gathered her in for a hug.

  “I was scared,” she said into my chest. “But I’m not now.”

  “That’s good. You don’t have any reason to be scared. Peter’s just a lot of hot air and mean words.”

  “Yeah, he’s not so nice. I’m glad I don’t have to be close with him,” she said, pulling back from me.

  “Do you want to stay home from school?” I asked as she opened the fridge and pulled out the juice.

  “No. We’re doing a project in history class, and I don’t want to have to make it up.”

  I nodded. I didn’t know where I got this levelheaded kid, but she was amazing. “I’d better go wake Tyler.”

  Moving across the kitchen, mug in hand, I wasn’t looking forward to going to work. I needed a martini instead of coffee.

  “I’ll be ready,” Piper called after me.

  “Oh,” I said, turning toward her, trying to act nonchalant. “Aston wants you to call him. Only if you want.”

  She simply nodded, and I let it be. It wasn’t my job to force him on her or push their relationship.

  I went through the motions—dragging Tyler from bed, getting myself ready, and taking the kids to school.

  Finally settled at my desk, I texted Seth.

  bexley: Thanks for helping with Piper. She went to school this morning. I thought you’d want to know.

  He didn’t respond other than to thumbs-up my text.

  I knew better than to beg him for more. Honestly, I didn’t want to get tangled up with him again, any more than I already was.

  Of course, as soon as I started to do some charting and look at the day’s agenda, my phone pinged. Thinking it was Seth again, I looked at the screen.

  aston: How is she? When does she want to talk with me? I want to be available. I’m spending the day at Aidan’s office, prepping for tomorrow. Then this will all be over.

  Cocky as always, Aston never considered Piper might not be up for talking, or that he might not have this whole case-being-dropped thing in the bag.

  I didn’t feel like getting tangled up with his rhetoric either, so I left the text unanswered.

  The rest of my workday went by relatively quickly and easily. At three o’clock, I went to get a coffee down the street, and was met on the sidewalk by Peter Prescott as I pushed open the door to the coffee shop.

  “Bexley,” he said, his tone stern.

  “No, don’t talk to me. Go away.”

  “You know me better than to think I will walk away from what I want, and what I want is to talk with you right now.”

  With his hand on my back, he guided me to a table inside the coffee shop. He was that much of a bully, and confident to boot.

  “Get your hand off of me,” I said through gritted teeth, then added in a hushed tone, “Screw off.”

  “Not until I get what I want,” he said, his voice slightly over a whisper but firm. He had the nerve to motion to a chair.

  “What is it you want, Peter? Or should I say Mr. Prescott, sir? You ruined your own son’s life. You’ve made mine miserable, and I hardly know you. Should I go on? I think I will. You scared the shit out of your very own granddaughter. What else could you possibly want?”

  He sat down across from me like we were two people happy to meet up for coffee, gently splaying his sport coat behind him. “I need a favor.”

  “You want me to do a favor for you? Are you serious?”

  He nodded as if this wasn’t the most outlandish conversation. “I want you to call your boyfriend off the road he’s going down. He acted poorly when it came to our business, and he needs to accept the consequences. End of story. I need Aston to accept all this.”

  “You’ve gotta be fucking shitting me. First off, I barely know you. Oh, wait, I already said that,” I hissed as I leaned forward, my eyes narrowed on Peter Prescott. “I met you when I was a teen, and it sucked. You judged everything about me, and then you took away the one person I ever loved, the one person who made me believe life may be a little better for me. Later on, you came after Piper when she was a baby, and now you’ve terrorized her.” I continued to whisper when I wanted to scream.

  “Look, Aston’s going to get what’s coming to him,” Peter said through gritt
ed teeth. “There is no second chance for you two, and the sooner you realize that, the better.”

  “I don’t know what Aston’s going to do, but I’m done with this whole scenario. I’m throwing in the towel.” I stood, talking loudly enough for a few people to notice. “What I do know is that I’m done talking with you.”

  With bystanders’ eyes on us now, Peter acquiesced and nodded while he watched me walk away from him.

  What was it with these Prescott men demanding what they wanted? Granted, Aston never meant to hurt people the way Peter did. Clearly, Peter meant to hurt Aston in some way with this drug allegation. I couldn’t help but think he was involved or at the center of it.

  But why? Why else would he be threatening Aston?

  By the time I ordered my coffee and was ready to go, Peter was gone. On my walk back to work, I decided to put all Prescott men out of my mind for forty-eight hours.

  Slipping out my phone, I noticed three more texts from Aston asking if I saw his first text. I switched the phone to do not disturb and went to pick up my kids.

  I needed a break from all of it.

  Bexley

  “Hey, sweetie,” I said to Piper when she jumped in the car. “How was your test?”

  “Okay,” she said. “I’m glad it’s over. And guess what? I made the soccer team! They posted today.”

  “Oh, wow, baby, that’s so awesome.”

  Just then, we were interrupted by Tyler getting in the car. “What’s awesome?”

  “Piper made the soccer team.”

  “Great, can we go for ice cream? To celebrate, right, Piper?”

  Memories of running into Aston at the ice cream shop filled my mind. “Maybe this weekend?”

  Piper nodded, and Tyler whined.

  Pulling away from the school, I told the kids I was going to get pizza for dinner, and their mood changed dramatically. It was mostly smiles and laughs all the way home. I wished my mood could improve at the mere mention of pizza.

  “I need to call Dad,” Piper said as we walked into the house.