"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month," I continued with a huge grin.
"If you keep this up, I'll make sure you don't sit for a year." Her threat fell on deaf ears.
"I am only an average man, but by George, I work harder at it than the average man." I pointed to the ceiling for emphasis, really getting into it.
"You are such a nerd." She abruptly stood. "I'm out of here. I need to feed Maria before you ruin her appetite." She started walking out of the room to go upstairs and nurse the baby.
"You might want to change her diaper while you're at it too," I added casually. She stopped and glared at me, then took a sniff near Maria's backside and made a disgusted face.
"What happened to the you sniff it; you fix it rule?" she growled at me.
"That only applied to the boys," I said reasonably. "We never made any such rule for her."
"You're an asshole." She smiled, and I shrugged as I returned it. She shook her head and left the room, apologizing to Maria for her uncle David being a numbnut and a jerk. I was fairly certain that all three of her names for me were more accurate than she knew, but I was trying to fix that. I just hoped I had the strength to do it, or this asshole, numbnut jerk would end up all alone, again.
Chapter Ten
Natalie
I pulled into David's driveway with a deep sigh. I left work early today so he wouldn't have to be alone with Paige for very long, but he wasn't even home yet. I guess he was still trying to avoid her, and I couldn't blame him. However, he couldn't keep going on like this. It was making him miserable, and it made me worry about him and us. I put the car in park and stared at the house. Dread filled me as I thought about being alone with Paige. Maybe there was something to this avoidance after all. I was seriously considering backing out and leaving, but just then; I saw Paige peek through the large front window. Great, now I had to go in.
With another even deeper sigh, I grabbed my purse and my computer bag, and climbed out of my red Passat. David had given me a key this morning since I'd be spending so much time here. He wanted me to feel at home, and be able to come and go as I pleased. I loved his house, and I was elated to be staying with him for an extended amount of time, but Paige's presence put a huge damper on that happiness.
I used the key to let myself in. The very idea of ringing the doorbell so Paige could let me in just seemed wrong. This wasn't her home anymore, and I wanted to make that perfectly clear. And if she had any inclination of trying to get David back, it was even more important for me to make sure she understood that he was mine. Hopefully, things wouldn't come to that, but I didn't trust her or her motivations, even if she was in trouble. She was still the same woman who broke David's heart on a whim, then destroyed him with the horrible truth of what she had done behind his back.
I walked through the door into a mess. Paige was hastily picking up dirty dishes and utensils off the coffee table. There were magazines strewn across David's couch and on the floor. She looked up at me with a guilty expression on her face.
"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly as she clutched several plates and a glass above her pregnant belly. "I should have cleaned up after myself, but...but Aiden always insists on the house being perfect, and it was nice not to worry about it."
"Don't worry about it," I told her kindly. I would be polite and let this go. Although, I was pretty sure that it would annoy the hell out of David to have her strewing all this stuff around like she lived here again. She nodded and carried the dishes to the kitchen.
I heard feline chirping, and looked toward the hallway to the bedrooms to see George coming over to greet me. I set my bags down and hoisted his massive frame into my arms and put his front paws on my shoulder.
"Hey, baby boy," I murmured happily as he purred loudly. I nuzzled my face into the thick ruff around his neck. We were having a great time, George purring and chirping, and me talking in the baby-talk he loved, when he suddenly stiffened in my arms. I looked up to see that Paige had come back into the room.
"You should do something about that cat," she said matter-of-factly as she began gathering up the magazines off the couch and floor. I didn't like the disgusted tone she used when she said the word "cat".
"What are you talking about?" I instantly felt defensive, but somehow managed to keep my voice even.
"He hissed and growled at me off and on all day," she complained in a whiny tone. "I was afraid he was going to come after me."
This time I couldn't stop the incredulous laugh that came out of me. "That's ridiculous. George has never hurt anyone."
"Well, you do know it's not safe to have cats around pregnant women." Her condescending tone grated on my nerves.
"I'm pretty sure as long as you stay away from his cat box, that you'll be fine." Why was she pulling this shit out of her ass?
"Well, I'd better check with David, just in case. He's a nurse, so he would know." Her tone was patronizing now, and it pissed me off. If she thought that David would side with her against George, she was nuts. I took in a deep breath to calm myself, before I told her to go fuck herself. I had to remember why she was here. I was helping her get out of a dangerous situation, not trying to become best friends with her. This was only temporary, and I could suck it up and be the bigger person.
"I'll tell you what," I suggested reasonably. "Tomorrow I'll shut him in David's room, so he can't bother you." What I really wanted to say, was that I didn't want poor George to have to put up with her shit while David and I were gone during the day.
"Alright," she said with a dismissive shrug. I fought the growl that almost escaped my mouth.
"I'm going to change out of my work clothes." I grabbed my bags in one hand, and carried George back to David's room and closed the door. I started this nightmare thinking that I'd have to calm David's temper while Paige was here. Now I was starting to wonder who was going to keep me calm and stop me from wringing her neck.
I let George down gently onto the bed and set my bags on the floor. I used the time it took to change into jeans and a sweater to calm down before I called David. Where was he? And why didn't he take me with him?
I grabbed my phone and sat on the edge of the bed. George immediately started rubbing up against my side. I guess that answered the question about who was going to calm me down. I gave him a few scratches on his head before I called David. He answered immediately.
"Hi, sweetheart," his voice was warm and affectionate, but I was still too worked up to be calm.
"Where the hell are you?" I asked abruptly and to the point. I guess I hadn't calmed down as much as I thought.
"I'm on my way home from Diana's house," he answered calmly. "Is everything okay, Natalie?"
"No," I blurted out in annoyance. "I came home early so you wouldn't be alone with Paige for very long, but now I'm stuck here alone with her."
"I'm sorry," I heard him let out a deep sigh. "If I had known I would have come straight home." His voice was apologetic.
"She told me I had to do something about George," I grumbled irritably. "She said he growled and hissed at her, and was going to come after her. Which we both know is utter bullshit. Then she said it wasn't safe for him to be around her pregnant ass." I was really getting angry now, my voice becoming clipped and harsh. "If you think for one fucking second that I'm taking George out of here, you're insane."
"Easy, Natalie," David said soothingly. "She's probably talking about a parasitic disease called toxoplasmosis, but you can only get it from cat feces. The only way for George to be a threat to her is if she cleans the litter box, and there is no way in hell that she would to that. So relax, George isn't going anywhere."
I huffed out a relieved breath. "I'm sorry, David. I kind of freaked out there for a second."
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," he reassured me. "This whole situation is stressing both of us out. Sit tight, and I'll be there in ten minutes or so. Can you keep it together that long?"
"I'm hiding in your room with George, and I'm not coming out until you get here."
He let out an easy laugh. "Maybe George, you, and I should stay in a hotel and leave her at my place to fend for herself."
"You don't want that, the place would be a wreck by the time we came back," I said warningly. "She had dishes and crap all over the coffee table and couch when I got here."
"Just remember, this is only temporary," he said reasonably. "Then things can go back to normal."
I fought the frustrated growl that wanted out. "Why do you have to be all calm and reasonable? Why can't you just complain along with me?"
"I thought you wanted me to stay calm and not get angry."
"Well, yeah, but can't you piss and moan with me just a little?" I grumbled irritably.
"It does piss me off that she's leaving her crap all over like she still lives there," he complained. "Does that make you feel better, Natalie?"
"Yes." I smiled. "It does, actually."
"Good." His voice sounded amused. "I'll be there soon. I love you, Natalie."
"I love you too. Bye." I crawled the rest of the way onto the bed to lay down next to George, and killed the rest of my wait for David scrolling through a social networking app on my phone.
Finally, I heard the front door open. I leapt up and hurried out of the bedroom with George following right behind me. I came out to the living room to find Paige talking nervously to David with an adoring look in her eyes that I didn't like at all. David was ignoring her and looking anywhere but at her, his lips pressed tightly together in a tense uncomfortable expression. His eyes flicked to me as I approached, and they lit up with relief and affection. He immediately came to me and took me in his arms, pulling me in tight against his body. He didn't notice the disappointment in Paige's face, but I did. It looked like I might have to get a little territorial here. Although, she didn't really know David at all if she thought she stood a chance of getting him back. She burned that bridge to ashes.
I could feel George rubbing himself all over our legs, chirping like crazy to get David's attention. David looked down at the cat and smiled, then let go of me, so he could pick George up. George immediately started rubbing his face all over David's chin when he got close enough.
"Hey, buddy," David murmured to the cat.
"David?" Paige asked in a concerned tone as she watched George. I saw disgust flash across her face before David looked over at her. "Isn't it dangerous to have a cat here, since I'm pregnant?" A look of pain crossed David's features at her use of that last word. I ground my teeth together and let David handle this. She wouldn't know what hit her if I got to lay into her. If she thought that George was dangerous, she hadn't seen anything yet.
"Paige," he said in a stern tone. "Unless you decide to start digging around in George's litter box, there's nothing to worry about."
"But David..." she began in a wheedling tone, but David stopped her with a hard look. She looked shocked by his reaction. I wondered if David's more dominate inclinations were something she hadn't seen before. She was probably the cause of them.
"You're a guest here, Paige," David told her in an irritated tone. "If you have a problem with the living arrangements, you can always leave."
"I...I don't have anywhere else to go," she said in a soft pleading voice as she shrank into herself. I'd have felt sorry for her if I didn't suspect she was attempting to manipulate David more than anything with her pathetic act. Fortunately, David was unaffected by it.
"Then you need to respect my home." His polite, yet firm reminder shut her up, and she merely nodded in understanding. I had to fight the urge to gloat and stick my tongue out at her like a child. George chose a more mature response. He gave Paige a long disdainful look when David put him down, then left the room in a dignified manner, giving her a dismissive tail flick as he walked out. I loved that cat.
"I'm going to start dinner," David announced dismissively as he headed toward the kitchen. I followed him, feeling the distinct impression that Paige was glaring at my back. I took a quick glance back at her just before I left the living room. She quickly schooled her face into a smile, but not before I caught the hateful look she was shooting at me. Her eyes had been hard and angry, and if looks could kill, I would have dropped dead on the spot. I felt my heart harden against Paige. Helping her had been my idea, and this was the thanks I got? Oh, it was on now, bitch. It was on.
*********
When I left work on Tuesday, I decided to go check on Ford after David texted me to tell me he was working an extra couple of hours today. After the fun I had with Paige yesterday, I had no intention of going home to David's house until I knew he was there to keep me from smacking the shit out of her. Dinner last night was tense and uncomfortable. Paige kept trying to engage David in conversation, but he would only give her terse replies and as little attention as he could. She ignored me completely, which pissed me off and set me on edge. I kept my mouth shut for fear of what might come out.
Not long after David and I finished the dishes; he picked George up, grabbed my hand, and led me to his room without a word to Paige. I was sure that she was staring daggers at my back as we left her alone in the living room. We spent the rest of the night in his room, watching TV and fooling around. He needed to get away from her as much as I did. Fortunately, Paige was still sleeping when we got up and was in her room when I left for work an hour after David.
"Miss Natalie," A.J, one of Ford's tattoo artists, greeted me warmly as I walked into Apex Ink, Ford's tattoo shop. A huge smile spread across his face, lighting up his hazel eyes as he stood up behind the reception desk. A.J. was tall and leanly muscular, with short reddish-brown hair and a thick full beard and mustache. He was about my age and an extremely good-looking man, with full sleeve tattoos and another on his chest peeking out above the v-neck of his white T-shirt.
"Hi, A.J." I returned his greeting with a small smile, not wanting to encourage his usual flirting. It was harmless, but I wasn't in the mood today.
"You seem tense today." His smile twisted wryly. "Do you want a massage? I've been told I have magic hands." He raised his hands and waggled his fingers.
"A.J., you are obnoxious." I rolled my eyes at him, and his eyes lit up with amusement.
"No, I'm adorable," he retorted. "Ask anyone."
"You may have snowed everyone else, but I see right through you and you're full of shit."
"Shh," He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Don't tell anyone, you'll ruin my street cred."
"We wouldn't want that," I replied with a thick layer of sarcasm before changing the subject. "Is Ford here?"
"Yeah," he answered, still smiling lasciviously at me. "He's in his office."
"Thanks." I headed toward the hall that led back to Ford's office.
"If you change your mind about that massage, you know where to find me," A.J. called after me.
"I'll keep that in mind." I shook my head in exasperation as I left the room.
I walked through Ford's open office door to find him staring at his computer screen with an annoyed expression as he chewed on his lower lip. Some of his chin length blond hair had escaped his hair tie yet again and was hanging down one side of his face. He glanced up to see me and gave me a wide grin, his dark-blue eyes sparkling as he tucked the lock of stray hair behind his ear.
"Hey, Natie," he said happily as he pushed back his desk chair and stood. He walked slowly around the desk with a slight limp, and held his arms out wide. "Check it out. They let me start walking on it." I glanced down at the gray walking boot on his broken foot and stuck out my lower lip in a pout.
"Aw," I said in mock disappointment. "Now I can't call you Gimpy anymore?"
"I'm still limping." His eyes glittered in amusement.
"Oh, thank God," I said with a relieved sigh.
"Come here, Natie." He held his arms wide again, and I eagerly walked into his arms. "I haven't given you a proper hug in weeks." He squeezed the air right ou
t of me and lifted me off the floor. I grunted in distress, and Ford put me back down on my feet.
"One of these days, you're going to break me," I grumbled as I looked up at him.
"You're a Spencer. We can't be broken." He waved a dismissive hand at my concern.
I looked down pointedly at his injured foot than back at him. "Really? Spencers can't be broken?"
He glared at me. "You know what I mean."
I walked over to the couch in Ford's office and took a seat with a deep sigh, my smile fading away.
"What's up, Natie," Ford said with concern as he took a seat next to me. "Do I need to kick David's ass?"
"No," I grumbled. "But I think I might have to kick his ex-girlfriend's ass."
"What?"
I told Ford everything that happened over the last week or so, leading up to Paige's staying at David's house, and about Paige's behavior toward me. He listened intently, his face turning serious the more I told him.
"How much longer will she be there?" he asked.
"I don't know," I answered dejectedly. "But it's putting a lot of stress on David and me."
"She sounds like an ungrateful bitch." Ford shook his head.
"I keep trying to tell myself that she needed help, and that I'm doing the right thing, but she sure as hell is making it hard to feel charitable toward her," I grumbled. "And I'm pretty sure she's trying to get David back, and she has it out for George."
"Who the hell would have a problem with George?" Ford's face was incredulous. "That cat is awesome."
"Well, George hates her too."
"George is a smart animal." Ford nodded. "Maybe you and George should go back home to your apartment, and let David deal with it. It's his problem, not yours. Unless you think that he might actually get back together with her. Then I will kick his ass."
"There is no way in hell David would take her back," I said vehemently. "Not after the way she broke things off with him. He despises her, and I don't want him to have to deal with this alone. He's been through enough shit because of her."
You Are My Love: Breathless Book 2 Page 19