Page 28

Chapter 27

Penelope

I bite my bottom lip as I try to hold in my laughter watching Crissy curse because Dylan managed to grab Hudson off his father. He originally had him when we snuck into the side door at his insistence, so he could have some time with his grandson which pissed Crissy off who hasn’t managed to hold him in the forty minutes we’ve been here. I wince and bring my hand up because I forgot about my split lip.

Ouch.

“Seriously, Firecracker,” Taylor scowls from beside me on the couch and I turn and smile at him innocently despite the throbbing in my lip.

He narrows his eyes, and I lean forward and gently kiss his lips, making him soften and I grin.

I love that I have this kind of reaction to him, and honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t give in sooner.

“Whipped,” Ezra coughs.

“And what, you’re not?” Taylor retorts, and I chuckle as I lean on Taylor's shoulder and wrap my hands around his bicep, needing him close. He kisses my head and pushes his hand in between my thighs, making me smile as my eyes go back to the show of Crissy trying to fight to hold my son, who, I must admit, loves the attention.

Dylan’s running around the coffee table as she chases him, all while my little boy giggles.

Taylor's hand tightens around my thigh, and I squeeze his arm in response.

Seeing Taylor trying to keep his emotions at bay in the hospital yesterday was hard. Seeing the hurt when my own sister accused him of being like her ex all because he denied me going home with her and then denied our son going home with her, well, that gutted me. I had never been so disappointed in Avery, especially when she knew if the situation was reversed, Tony would kill anyone who tried to stop him from taking her home.

She did apologize profusely to Taylor this morning when she showed up unannounced with a pissed-off Tony. I think she may have broken whatever friendship she was building with Taylor, which sucks, but I can’t blame him for keeping a distance.

She called him a woman beater, for Christ’s sake, all because he put me and our son before her feelings.

He did say it was alright, but by the fake smile she gave him as he said the words, she knew she royally screwed up. Especially when he didn’t want her to hold Hudson, and the next few months are going to be difficult to navigate. I mean, I know he’ll be cordial around her, but he won’t go out of his way to make her feel comfortable anymore.

Again, I can’t really blame him.

“Did Avery really accuse you of being like that nasty man Harry Calvins?” Hannah demands to know as she walks into the living area with a red face, and I wince.

Uh oh, she looks pissed.

“Not now, Hannah,” Taylor sighs, while Nico asks, “How in the hell did you find out?”

Hannah holds up her phone and states, “She’s just messaged me apologizing for her behavior and the accusations she made and hopes we could still be friends.”

I turn my head and lean my chin on Taylors' shoulder. He looks my way, and I can’t help but look at him in awe.

“You didn’t tell your family?” I confirm.

He smiles and admits, “Only my dad when we arrived, and Kaylah decided you were her favorite person now.”

I smirk and ask, “Jealous much?”

He grins and states, “Of course I am; you’re mine, not hers,” and I laugh at the silly man.

“I love you,” I whisper, and he softens and leans down, gently pressing his lips against mine. Then he mumbles, “I love you too, Firecracker.”

“Yuck, you two make me sick,” Dylan whines as he sits in the chair near us, and I chuckle as Taylor turns to him and raises a brow.

“Have you lost him already?” he asks. I turn and look to see Kaylah has Hudson and laugh loudly as Taylor sighs, “Seriously, you allowed a seven-year-old to take him from you?”

Dylan huffs and crosses his arms over his chest, sulking as Nico walks into the room with a beer. His eyes go near the window where I know a scornful Xanthe is sitting, and he narrows them, showing his disdain for the woman.

This is the third meal I’ve attended with the Evans’, and not once has she participated in the conversation, instead, she’ll sit in the corner and glare at my son and Kaylah before giving Taylor lustful eyes, making me want to smack her.

“Hello?!” Hannah snaps, and I look her way. “Are we not going to discuss these very serious accusations?” she demands as she places her hands on her hips.

Taylor sighs and states, “No, we are not. It has nothing to do with you, and Avery never should have gotten you involved. She was upset and allowed her insecurities to take over, and now she has ensured we don’t have the kind of friendship that a brother and sister-in-law should have.”

I cut in, “Tony has also decided to sleep in the spare room, so she’s being punished.”

Dylan frowns and asks, “Which room would be classed as the spare? He has about eight.”

I grin and shake my head making him wink at me as Hannah sighs.

“Please just stay out of it, Hannah. She came over this morning and apologized, and I’ve accepted the apology, so leave it at that,” Taylor commands, and Hannah eyes him before Nico butts in, “Leave it alone, Hannah,” She drops her head, and the room becomes tense, and I hate it.

I look down, ashamed of my sister for causing this, when Ezra chimes in and comments, “Fuck, I need you to teach me that Nico, your daughter is a pain in the ass!” Everyone laughs while Hannah scowls at him, but he ignores it and kisses her head then whispers something to her as he looks at me.

She nods, then looks at me and says, “Sorry, Pen.”

I give her a small smile and reassure her, “You have nothing to apologize for.” She smiles back as Taylor kisses my head.

“What accusations are being made against you, Taylor?” Xanthe asks, and I look her way along with everyone else.

“It was just a misunderstanding, Xanthe. Stay out of it,” Dylan snaps, but she ignores him, keeping her eyes on Taylor as she moves her right hand a little.

No one sees her action, but I do because I have had my guard up with this girl and when I notice what she’s doing, anger courses through me. Without a second thought, I let go of Taylor and stand, catching everyone’s attention, but I ignore them and storm over to the bitch.

Her eyes widen, and she pushes herself back in her chair when I lean forward but instead of hitting her like I want, I grab her phone, making her gasp, “You can’t take that,” but I ignore her and turn the phone around for everyone to see.

“What the fuck?” Ezra curses and then winces before looking behind him, but Kaylah is still too busy entertaining Hudson while Crissy lingers in the doorway, waiting to pounce and take him before looking back at the phone that is on record.

Shaking my head, I turn the phone and click on the photo symbol. My eyes widen when I see a folder for each family member.

“She’s been watching you a lot for years,” I mumble as I look through each folder before I feel Taylors presence beside me.

He doesn’t take the phone from me, instead, he allows me to use the vile woman’s phone as tension radiates through the room. However, Taylor soon growls with anger when he sees a file on Kaylah and Hudson.

“Let me guess,” Dylan snaps, and I jump, nearly dropping the phone, fumbling the device in my hands, not realizing he was beside me. He gives me a ‘sorry’ smile and continues as he turns to his wife. "You were going to use these videos as collateral if I decided to divorce you, right?”

I look at Xanthe to see she’s pale and shake my head.

What an idiot.

Dylan growls when she doesn’t deny or confirm as he grabs her phone from my hand, throws it on the floor, then stomps on it, making her stand in shock and just so the phone is completely trashed, he stomps on it three more times, picks it up before dropping it in his mother's vase with flowers inside on her coffee table, drowning it with water. He then turns to his wife and points at her, stating, “I was going to wait until we’re alone to give you at least some dignity but you know what, you’ve made your fucking bed.”

He pulls out some papers from his pocket, and I lean my back against Taylor, who wraps his arm around my waist and watch as he slams them against her chest and sneers, “I have proof of you fucking several other men to try and get pregnant and claim the child as mine. Sign these papers otherwise, I’ll press charges. Now!”

He shouts the last bit making her sob, but he ignores her reaction and grabs a pen from his pocket, and states lowly, “Fucking sign them, Xanthe!”

Shaking, she takes the pen, and, without reading through it, she signs the bottom of the page, and he grabs the papers to confirm she did, then gets in her face and sneers, “Get the fuck outta my family’s home.”

Xanthe sobs loudly but doesn’t beg, knowing there’s nothing she can say. She runs to the door but flinches when Dylan snaps, “By the way, the locks have been changed. Everything in that house belongs to me,” as she turns to look at him.

“You’ll regret this; you love me, and you’ll come running back, and when you do, I want a big wedding this time,” she stutters.

Dylan chuckles darkly and states, “I don’t love whores.” Her nostrils flare before she runs out of the house, and I swallow hard at the tension that fills it, suffocating me.

Dylan didn’t deserve to be treated the way he was by her. She wanted money and fame, while he just wanted to do the right thing only to be played. She used his family history against him without him realizing it until it was too late.

I eye him wondering if he’ll break if he’ll realize he actually loved her, but instead, he sighs in relief and mutters, “Fuck I’m finally free,” as he looks at the signed papers in his hand, breaking my heart.

Years trapped; years of his life wasted.

“Granny, give me back my baby!” Kaylah shouts, and we all turn to see Crissy making a run for it upstairs with Hudson. Kaylah follows, and the tension in the room breaks as we all laugh while Taylor moves, leaving my back cold to hug his brother.

“I don’t know about this, Taylor,” I say two hours later, my eyes looking over the ice. “I mean, why don’t you skate, and I'll watch from here,” I try, and he grins as he skates my way effortlessly.

When Crissy practically begged to have Hudson for the night, I was skeptical, but when Taylor said he wanted to take me on our first date, I wanted to say yes, only I didn’t have enough milk bottles or clothes, but Taylor, being Taylor, already thought of all of that.

He packed an overnight back for our son, so I gladly accepted, but now I regret it.

I’ve never skated before, and honestly, I’m terrified I’m going to break something.

“I promise you, I will never let you fall, Firecracker,” Taylor says as he stops near me and holds his hand out. I look at it and then at him, and he smiles softly and asks, “Do you trust me?”

And I smile back because I do, with everything that I am so without replying, I put my hand in his, making him grin as he gently guides me onto the ice.

My legs wobble, and I gasp when I struggle to stay up as Taylor lets go of my hand but as soon as he lets go he quickly wraps his arms around my waist and begins to skate backward, pulling me with him as I grip his shirt. I’m trying to steady my shaking legs but as soon as we lock eyes, I forget that we’re on the ice, and he’s all I see.

For over an hour, Taylor skates with me while I cling to him and we talk about everything and nothing. We enjoy being in each other’s company and all those feelings I had when we first met, they pull at me, and I know I’m making the right decision to be with him.

He’s my one, just like I’m his, and I am one lucky girl to have found it and I’ll never let it go.