Page 9 of Fourth Wall

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.

“I’m fine,” I called out, trying to calm my tone.

“Let me in, Maeve,” Christian said. I really wasn’t in the mood to see him right now. I didn’t need to hear some shitty commentthat he would make about how I deserved this. I didn’t want to hear from anyone about how I needed to clean my house. The anger from the whole situation coursed deeply through my veins as I got up and opened the door. I could feel the fumes coming off my body in waves.

“I’m not in the fucking mood right now, Christian,” I barked back, and just as he was about to say something, I cut him off immediately. “Whatever fucking comment you have to make about my parenting or my cleanliness, it’s not the time. I don’t need to hear about how I deserved this or what a shit mom I am because, in fact, I’m not. I don’t want to hear about how maybe if I locked the guesthouse door or lived alone, this would suddenly solve all my problems.” He stared at me as if I had just sliced a knife into his heart too.

“I especially don’t want to hear about what a shitty person I am from you because, trust me, I’m perfectly capable of making myself feel that way all by myself.” I lifted my hands to my face, where I let out the deepest guttural sob that was stuck in my chest. It broke through me, and the waterworks just exploded.

Christian’s sturdy arms grabbed me tight, and he held me against his chest. He didn’t say anything, just let me sob into his black T-shirt, completely soaking it.

Tatum came in behind him, and I felt her tender arm as she circled my back.

“This sucks,” I finally sniffled as I pulled away from Christian. It felt like he didn’t want to let me go for a moment, his arms lingering on my lower back.

“We’re going to make this better. You know you’re the best mom in the world,” Tatum reassured me.

“I know, but it sucks that the girls are over at his house for the week too. My court date is in four days.” Christian still didn’t say anything about how I completely exploded on him just minutesago. No, he stood there with a furrow in his deep brow and a large wet stain on his shirt from where my head was.

“It’s also creepy that the guy followed me here. My parents are going out of town this weekend, so it's just me on the property.”

“I’ll stay.” Christian spoke almost immediately as I finished my sentence.

“That is ridiculous.” I took two steps away from him and rolled my eyes. I looked over at Tatum, whose head was cocked to the side like Christian suddenly had a good point.

“No.” I looked at her and walked back out to the kitchen, where Julian was on the phone with his brother, talking about lawyers from the hushed sentences that I heard.

“You said Julian needed you and James to review tapes anyway, so you are busy.” I waved him off, grabbing the paperwork off the countertop.

“He’s fine to stay with you,” Julian said, pulling the phone away from his mouth for a moment.

Tatum moved in closer. “Let him just make sure everything is okay with Tyler. I don’t know what else he has planned for you. Please,” she begged. I placed a hand on her stomach. “He’s a bodyguard, Maeve. Out of anyone here, he is the most trained if anyone were to come in.”

“I’ll agree, but only because I don’t want to upset the preggo.” We smiled at each other for a moment.

“It’ll all be okay. We’re going to work this out as a team,” Tatum told me.

“Can you let the other girls know what’s going on? I’ll need a drink tomorrow. Maybe we can do a wine night, and the two pregnant ones can have mocktails?”

“Chels is already on her way here,” Julian said, who was talking to Alex, her fiancé. Thank god because she was the only other non-pregnant one, so I needed a drinking buddy right now.

I hugged everyone, and Julian promised to text me the name of the lawyer Alex claimed was the best and meanest family lawyer in the entire state.

Christian walked me out to the car, where he opened the door this time.

“Don’t do that. It’s weird.” I pulled the door away from him and got in myself and heard him chuckle. It was the first thing that had come out of his mouth since I exploded on him.

He opened the driver's side and slid right in. I looked over at him and realized how large he looked when he splayed out along the seat.

“I have to go grab a bag from my house. You’re coming along, firecracker.” He looked over at me with those sad blue eyes.

“Hey, about earlier—”

“It’s nothing. Do not worry about it.” He glanced over at me quickly before peeling his eyes to the road and driving to his house.

“Can we stop at 7-Eleven?” I asked hesitantly as we pulled onto the highway.

“7-Eleven?” Christian questioned but again didn’t look at me.

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