“Hi Avery. We brought you a bottle of wine; it’s there on the counter. Oh, mom! I brought flowers; they are on the table by the door!” “Thank you Ryleigh.” Avery said as he brushed his hand through his salt and pepper hair. He looked like he was ready for a haircut. He had always worn his hair a bit shorter than it was. “I will put this in the fridge and we can have it with dinner.” He examined the bottle. “This actually will go very well with steaks, good choice.”
I think that was the first compliment that he had ever paid me, I about fell over.
“Thanks, Avery.” I smiled over at my mom. I looked back outside to see the boys were talking. I wanted to run out there to say hi. I decided I would finish up this tomato and then do just that. “He is trying to be a bit nicer. To everyone.” My mom chimed in. “That night when you and I were talking; after I got off with you, I told him that he was an ass. He said he was going to try and be a bit nicer to everyone, so give him a chance.”
“Wow! I think I can.” I winked. It was then when my heart about stopped. I could see Liam lean into Caleb and begin to tell him something a bit closer. I could tell that Caleb was clinching his jaw. I stopped what I was doing, grabbed three beers out of the fridge and made my way outside.
“Hey Caleb! How have you been?” I reached up and gave him a quick hug.
I handed him a beer and then handed one to Liam and pretty much stood in the middle of them.
“Hey Ry. Not too bad! I haven’t seen you since that night at The Melting Pot.” He looked over at Liam. “How you been? You look stunning by the way.” He cracked open the bottle of beer.
“Been good, just been busy with work. What are you boys doing?” I tried to open my beer and Caleb grabbed it from my hands and opened it.
“Nothing honey. We are just shootin’ the shit. Making sure that the steaks get cooked to perfection.” Liam said in a short tone and finishing up his first beer. “Well I wanted to come and say hey and then head back to the kitchen to help my mom. It was so good to see you again Caleb. Glad you could make it! My mom said that your parents should be here any minute.” I said and began to head back into the house.
“Thanks Ry, great to see you too.” Caleb said.
Just then Liam pulled me around and gave me a deep kiss. I felt a little embarrassed by this; it was almost as if he were trying to show off.
I pulled away and headed into the house. I wiped my lips, that was the sloppiest kiss I had ever received and it wasn’t even a good sloppy. I actually felt disgusted by it.
I went back to chopping tomatoes and then moved onto the cucumbers. Could this night just please end. “Ryleigh!” I turned around and saw Caleb’s mom, Joanna, walking into the kitchen. “You look all grown up!” She was always the sweetest woman to me; it started when my mom and I had a rough patch my sophomore year of high school and she became like a second mom to me.
“Hi Mrs. Martin! You look amazing!” She pulled me into a hug.
“Honey, you’re allowed to call me Joanna. You were always so polite, but now you are really need to stop making me feel any older than I already am.” She laughed
“Okay, Joanna.” I smiled, feeling sort of bad. I had always called her Mrs. Martin and never really addressed someone that I been so proper with by their first name. It was actually a little embarrassing.
At that moment, Liam and Caleb both came into the house.
“Joanna, this is my husband. Liam. Honey, this is Joanna Martin. She is like my second mother and Caleb’s actual mother.” I laughed. “Pleasure to meet you Liam.” Joanna stuck her hand and they both shook hands. Joanna had a look on her face as if she had known something. I right then knew, Caleb had told her everything. I was actually mortified and could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks.
I introduced Liam to Caleb’s dad, Patrick, as Avery headed back out to the grill to grab the steaks.
“Dinner is officially ready!” Avery hollered in.
“Great, I’m starving!” I said quickly leaving everyone to go grab the wine. I was going to need excessive amounts of alcohol. Everyone gathered at my mom’s formal dining table, grabbing at food and pouring glasses of wine. We all made small talk around the table. Joanna found ways to ask Liam small questions and then compare her son to him. Thankfully they were just random where did you go to school? College? Did you serve in the military?
Caleb sat across from me and I could tell that he was constantly staring up at me. I tried to keep my head in my food. It was only when I went to take a drink of wine I caught his eyes. He looked as if he was going to burst at the seams. Something had pissed him off earlier with Liam and he had not been the same since.
As we wrapped up dinner, we headed to the back patio and brought out the dessert wine. Besides me; nobody really cared for sweet desserts, such as cake, so we opted for the wine.
“I would like to make a toast!” Liam said as he stood up, “To a great family, friends and expanding the brood.”
I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head and I about spit my wine out through my nose. I began to cough.
“Ryleigh! Are you pregnant?” My mom screeched.
“No, Mom!” I yelled back at her.
“Sorry, I wasn’t supposed to announce that.” Liam said with a smile.
“What’s going on then?” My mom looked utterly confused. “Lynda, we were talking last night and we have decided that we are going to try for a family here in the very near future.” Liam said as he came over and stood next to me as I sat down in the lawn chair. He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Sorry honey, I have just been too excited to keep it a secret.”
I got up and started to walk away towards the opening of the lawn. Liam began to follow me and then I heard him stop. He began to say something else to Caleb. I turned just in time to catch Caleb throw a right hook right into Liam’s jaw!
“What the FUCK?!” I screamed running back and kneeling down to Liam who had fallen down onto the brick patio. “Sorry, Lynda. Avery. I’ve gotta go.” Caleb said shaking his fist. I think everyone was in too much awe to respond. He leaned in and kissed Joanna on the cheek and patted his dad on the shoulder. He turned and walked back into the house.
“Are you okay?!” I asked Liam.
“Yeah. Don’t know what the fuck his problem is. I think that he is upset that we are so happy together.” Liam said as he stood up. I left his side and ran after Caleb.
“Caleb!” I shouted as he was heading towards the front door. He turned to face me. “What the fuck just happened?”
“Ryleigh, I am sorry! That guy, your husband, he is a fucking dick! Did you tell him? About us that is?” “No! Of course not! Why?” I asked in shock. “Cause he must have seen something, heard something but it seems to me that he knows. He told me when we were out in the back right before you came out…” We were interrupted by my mom coming in the house to get some ice.
“Look, Ryleigh, I would watch out for him. He’s nothing good, he is not right for you. I know that I can’t tell you who to be with, but Ry, if you can’t tell that he is just fake then you are right you do deserve him.” Caleb said as he headed out the door. He jumped in his truck and headed out.
I was just in shock over the whole thing. I couldn’t move from my mom’s living room.
I felt a hand placed on my shoulder and saw Joanna standing behind me. “He loves you, Ryleigh. He has always loved you, since the day you first met him. Yes, I know everything. He was never one of those kids that told their parents only part of the story. Caleb, he has never hid anything from me and even if he did, after that punch, we would all be dumb not to see that he is trying to protect you. You are a very smart girl, so I can’t tell you the choices that you need to make in life.” She leaned in and gave me a hug.
“Thanks, Joanna. Everything will work out one way or another.” I pulled away and headed back to check on Liam.
When I got to the backyard, Liam was icing his jaw. Avery, my mom and Liam were all drinking again. I wanted
to crawl into a hole.
“Did he say why he hit him?” My mom popped up from the porch swing.
“No, he didn’t.” I looked over to Liam. “Do you know why?” I asked angrily.
“I don’t! I was just walking over to you and he stopped me and I was trying to get by and he punched!”
“That just doesn’t sound like him! Are you okay?” I walked over to him and moved the ice pack. He was going to have a nice bruise.
“Yeah, it wasn’t that bad at all.” He acted like that punch didn’t just knock him on his ass. “Mom, I believe that Joanna and Patrick are getting ready to head out. I think we are going to do the same thing.” I looked over at Liam, he nodded in agreement. “We have work in the morning and it’s going to be a short week for the both of us so I amsure we both are going to be incredibly swamped.”
“Short week?” My mom asked as she gave me a hug goodbye.
“Yeah, I forgot to tell you! Courtney and Jason are getting married! They’re doing the Vegas wedding!” I tried to sound excited. “Oh goodness! Tell her I said congratulations! Havea great time, but be safe!” She gave me a quick squeeze and then leaned into my ear and whispered, “Call me later.” I nodded and went to say goodbye to Avery.
“Thank you so much for dinner Avery. I am so sorry about the fuss.” I said as I went to shake his hand. He completely surprised me when he brought me in for a hug.
“Ryleigh, thank you for coming over. Don’t worry about what happened, nothing was broken and I am sure that it was just a misunderstanding. Thank you for the wine.” Avery said with a pat to my back. I knew my mom was saying he was trying to be nicer, but I was not expecting that moment between us. I actually was very happy about this, I wanted my mom to be happy and I always thought the nonrelationship held by Avery and I was holding that happiness back.
Liam said his goodbyes and I headed into the car. I was pissed. I know that somehow Liam instigated the whole situation, but wasn’t sure what he had said so I couldn’t prove it and I am positive he wasn’t going to admit to doing anything wrong.
He got into the car and pulled away as he waved goodbye.
“Now are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?” I asked without looking up at him.
“I saw your phone.” He said coldly.
My heart stopped.
“Yeah, I saw his text to you. He misses you? He can’t wait to see you? So yeah, I fucking said something. He obviously got a little butt hurt.” Liam said, obviously pissed.
“What did you say to him?” I asked trying to keep the tears back.
“I just told him that you were mine and that I was not going anywhere. Apparently he thought he might have a chance.” He said smugly. I just sat quietly the rest of the drive home. I stared out the window, thinking. Caleb was not one to just outright punch someone that would have told him that he didn’t have a chance with his wife. I just wasn’t buying it, but I didn’t want to argue anymore about this.
We got home and I went straight upstairs and began to undress. I was tempted to go soak in the tub but at that moment I just wanted to go to sleep.
“Are you seriously mad at me?” Liam said in a raised voice. “You know what, I know that I’m married to you andhe knows that. He and I are JUST friends! You really had no right to say anything to him. It was uncalled for and you should have just let it be. He said in that message that he had been drinking. Did you ever think that he was just being nice?” I shouted.
“Ryleigh, if you don’t realize that he was hittingon you. You are a bigger idiot than I thought!” He snapped “What the fuck does that mean, Liam?” I snapped back. “He was practically drooling all over you that night at the restaurant and you didn’t even notice and then tonight he was staring non-stop at you at dinner! Did you really not notice?” Liam said snidely.
“Liam, he is an old friend of mine! How would you like it if I found one of your SKANKS and went and knocked them out?” I thought I was seeing red at that point.
“Shit. Ryleigh, I am so sorry. I just got jealous. I wanted to make sure he knew that you were my wife.” He tried to say calmly. “Well, Liam maybe you are the stupid one. He knows that I am married to you and you should have just kept your mouth shut!” I said as I turned over on my pillow away from him. He headed out the bedroom and I could hear the fridge slam shut.
I was right when I told my mom that we had an early morning and a short week. I needed to just get to sleep and then I could finish this upcoming week and have a good time.
I pulled my phone out of my purse to set my alarm and I got a text right then.
Look, sorry I didn’t mean to punch him. I got fuckin pissed and was sick of his shit.
I heard the TV come on downstairs, so now was the best time to get an answer. I laid back in bed and texted Caleb back.
What the hell happened? He said all he told you was that he wanted to let you know I was his! I kept waiting for him to respond, but I wasn’t getting any response. I fixed my phone that the notifications were on silent but I could still get my alarm. I would try and talk to him tomorrow. I always hated Monday’s but this Monday just seemed to suck more. I obviously need to learn how to operate my phone a bit better, my alarm didn’t go off. I woke up an hour later than I should have. Liam must have still been pissed off because he had showered and left and didn’t even wake me up. That only made me even madder at him.
I quickly got ready and realized I wasn’t going to have time to fiddle with the coffee pot OR stop for coffee. I knew that the office coffee was going to suck; maybe I could send Ava for a coffee break.
I drove into work and since I was running late, I managed to hit every light and an accident on the highway. Perfect! I dug my phone out and called up Ava.
“Ryleigh Andrews office, Ava Martinez speaking.” She answered. “Oh Ryleigh, I didn’t even look at the caller ID first. Are you coming in?” She asked surprised. “Hey Ava, I am running so incredibly late! I’m having a shitty fucking morning. Is there any way that you can possibly dip out and grab me some coffee? I’m stuck in traffic and will be there in 15 minutes? I would love you forever!” I begged.
“Sure! I’ll tell your conference call with the Bradley Partners that you’re going to be a little late and push it back maybe a half hour?” She asked as I could hear her packing up her bag.
“Oh that would be awesome. Thank you so much Ava. I will tell your boss that you are an amazing woman!” I laughed.
“I think she already knows! Do you want your usual?” She asked. I could hear her wrestling with her purse.
“Yeah, just stick with that. I can’t have anything else go possibly wrong. I will see you in a bit.” I said as I hung up with her.
I sat in traffic for a bit longer and thought I was going to lose my mind. I couldn’t see any reason for the backup so that made me even more furious. When I got to my building I parked in my usual spot and headed up to my office. I noticed that my phone was blinking with voicemails and I could only assume that it was my clients wondering where I was and if everything was okay since they had to push our phone conference back.
Moments later, Ava walked in with a large coffee. Liquid gold is what it actually was.
“You are my savior!” I stood up really quick to reach for the cup.
“Man, for a cup of coffee? I wonder what would happen if it were something of value!” Ava laughed I sat back down in my chair and began to load up mycomputer. I picked up the phone to listen to the few rants that awaited me. The first call was from my conference call making sure that I was okay and that the push back was fine but they would need to postpone it as well until afternoon. The second call was from my mom; she wanted to know if Liam was okay after yesterday’s debacle.
I quickly deleted that message before I could hear all that she had to say. I was not in the mood to discuss Liam at all right now. The thought of him was making me even more pissed off. I then began to play the last message and I could hear some voices, it almost sounded lik
e Liam. Then a click. I tried to replay it but it was muffled and only a moment on the message. Just as I hung up my phone, Ava knocked on my door frame.
“Ryleigh. Liam is here to see you.” She said quietly. “He has flowers in hand, is everything okay?”
“Go ahead and send him in.” I said sternly.
Liam came around the corner slowly and held out the flowers. “Look, I’m really sorry honey! I was an ass and I should’ve at least said goodbye to you before I left. I had an early meeting to get to and I almost forgot about it. I really am sorry.” Liam walked over to my chair and got down on a knee.
“You pretty much ruined my day. I want you to know that.” I said angrily.
“You have every right. I am so sorry. How can I make it up to you?” He begged.
“I am not sure, but I will figure something out.” I tried to say without smiling, but was failing miserably.
“How about I pick you up here, say 5:30, take you to dinner and treat you to a wonderful back rub?” He said as he started to stand and pull me up with him.
“Sounds like a start.” I said cheekily. “Alright, I will see you out front at 5:30 sharp.” He said and stole a kiss. “I need to get back to the office, but I really wanted to say how sorry I was.” He headed out my office door and I finally felt like today was going to go right for the rest of the day.
I put my flowers in the vase and got to work. The rest of the day seemed to run rather smoothly. I managed to get ahead on my work, which actually surprised me; especially since I was so frazzled when I got to work late.
I decided for lunch, to head out and actually grab something. Ava had tagged along; Brantley had to miss a lunch with her.
“So?” I asked her with a nudge to her side.
“So, what?” She said with a big grin.
“How are things on cloud nine? Mind coming down for a little bit and have a convo with me?”
“Ryleigh, I’ve never been this happy! We have only been together for what a week? Two? I have lost track of all time with him and it just seems to get better! I have to say, though, I am a little nervous.”
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