Page 44 of The Problem with Fire
“Leta-”
The girl looked at her mother. “No, Mom,” she said, her voice taking on an ugly edge. “It’s not okay for men to treat us like we’re disposable. They don’t get to damage us, and then clean up their mess with a pretty, little wrapped-up-in-a-bow apology.” The fucking kid was breaking my heart. “Dad did what he did, but really has the nerve to think he deserves a second chance with you? Are you kidding me? And then, Mr. Sayer wants a chance with you, but knowing how you’ve already been screwed over by your husband, he doesn’t have the compassion or just goddamn common sense not to treat you any better?”
“Whoa, hey, Leta,” I said, jumping in. “Your mom and I just had a fight. We-”
She turned on me. “My mom’s not a delicate flower, Mr. Sayer,” she snapped. “She doesn’t clutch her pearls like a seventeenth-century maiden. If she’s telling you to leave her alone, it’s because you lie, cheated, or put hands on her. My mom doesn’t walk away from the people she cares about just because things get hard.” The girl with balls the size of Texas stepped up to me. “So, which one is it, Mr. Hayes? What did you do?”
“Leta, that’s enough,” Monroe bit out. “First off, now is not the time or place for this conversation. Second, it’s irrelevant what Mr. Sayer may or may not have done. There’s no longer a relationship there.”
“Bull-fucking-shit,” I hissed out. I stepped closer to her in a sorry attempt to maintain a bit of privacy, but Monroe was right, this wasn’t the time or place. “I acted like a jealous asshole, and I’ll own that, but everything else isnotmy fault and just a huge misunderstanding you need to let me make right.”
Monroe’s brows shot up. “Oh, I do? And why is it you think I owe you anything, Sayer?”
“You don’t owe me anything, Monroe. But I love you.” I could hear Leta let out a rush of air. “I love you, Monroe,” I repeated. “I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you since I moved in next door, two months ago.” Her face paled, but what else did I have to lose. “And you’re in for one hell of a fight if you think I’m just going to let you end us. No way am I letting you walk away from me.”
Just then Thomas walked up, and I almost beat the hell out of him in front of his own daughter. “People are starting to stare,” he remarked, his eyes on Monroe. “I think we need to take this inside.” And as much as I hated to agree with the prick, he was right.
Quiet as church mice, we made our way back to Monroe’s with a few polite hellos to random neighbors on the way. Once we got inside, Monroe sent Leta to her room. Leta had protested, but Monroe broke out her mom voice and that was that.
As soon as we heard the door shut, Monroe turned to Thomas. “Look, I don’t know what is going on in that mind of yours, but whatever it is, this crap needs to stop, Thomas,” she said. “Even if I were stupid enough to believe you’ve seen the error of your ways and want me back, you are seriously stupid if you think I’d ever trust you with my heart again.” I watched as she took a deep, shuttered breath. “Your Leta’s father. And more than anything, I’d like for us to be on the same page with her. I’m so over you, Thomas, but I have no problem getting along with you for Leta’s sake.”
“Anybody but him,” Thomas said, and fire started flickering in my gut.
Monroe smirked. “Your vanity is showing, Thomas.”
“Monr-”
“Is that what you’re going to say about the next guy? Or the guy after him? Or every guy, until I find the right one?” she asked, and each word was like a stake in my heart.
“No,” I jumped in. “He won’t be saying that since there’ll be no other guys after me. I fucked up, Monroe, but I’mnotwalking away from what we have.”
She finally looked at me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “That’s where you’re confused,” she said. “Until Leta turns eighteen, I have to put up with Thomas’ crap because we share a child.” She lifted a brow. “I don’t have to put up with your crap.”
Now I was getting pissed.
I was taking full responsibility for screwing up, but she was shutting me out without even hearing me out first and that was fucked-up.
I wasn’t Thomas.
“Well, that’s whereyou’reconfused,” I said, throwing her words back in her face. “You’re going to be putting up with my crap for the rest of our lives.”
“You think so?” she challenged.
I stepped to her. “Iknowso.”
“Hey, step back,” Thomas said, and I saw red.
I turned to face him. “What in the fuck is wrong with you?” I practically shouted. “Do I seriously have to kick your ass for you to get the picture?” I could feel myself foaming at the mouth. “Monroe is mine.Mine.Do you get that? She’s mine because you no longer wanted her. Like a fucking idiot, you gave her up. And frankly, I don’t give a fuck if you really are in love with her still or just jealous, but she is mine. And I will fuck you up every day of the week until Leta is eighteen if you keep trying to come between us.”
And then Thomas reminded me of the one thing that would never change, even if I did end up killing him. “You think you’re special?” he taunted. “You might have her now, butI’mher first serious love.I’mthe man she pledged to spend her life with.I’mthe man who she shares a child with, who will bind us for-fucking-ever. If it hadn’t been for me walking away, Monroe would still be in love with me.” Every word he spewed was the truth and I wanted to punch him in the face for it. “She’ll never love you the way she was in love with me, because I was her first and only forever.”
I had Thomas shirt in my fists, hauling him up on his toes.
Monroe jumped in between us. “Stop it!” Monroe yelled. “Just stop it!” I let the bastard go, but I wanted to fuck him up something serious.
“He-”
“Shut up, Thomas!” she yelled at him. “Just shut the fuck up!” Looking at me, she said, “I need you to leave-”
