Broken Lyrics (Book 3 of the Black Heart Series)

Seventeen

Asher

"Ash, why is Bree's friend here to see you?" Chris stomped into the kitchen.

I had heard the doorbell, but I was too busy looking out the large kitchen window and drinking my coffee to get it.

It was late morning and I had been up all night, working on some new lyrics. With all this shit going on in my life, I couldn't write fast enough.

"She's bree's lawyer." I shrugged, taking a gulp of my coffee.

"What did you do?" He crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze at me.

Fuck him and his attitude... I just continued to casually drink my coffee.

"Don't give me that look. I just had my lawyer drop off the custody papers yesterday. She probably came to yell at me or counter or some shit."

"Are you trying complicate things?" He snapped, "We don't want to loose DC, because you're a fucking idiot!"

"DC is my kid!" I shouted, "I'll do whatever the fuck I want! So, shut the fuck up and let the blonde in!"

When he turned to walk away and I raised my voice, calling after him, "Oh, and keep your gossipy fucking wife away from the kitchen!"

He sputtered something about me being a douche, as he walked out and I smiled.

I knew the second she entered the kitchen. The floors in our rental house were marble and her shoes clacked as she marched toward me.

She tossed her briefcase on the table next to me and pulled out a stack of law folders as she spoke, "I haven't decided yet, if you're an idiot or a complete asshole, but you've definitely got a set of brass balls, to go with that fucked up attitude."

She smacked the folders into my bare chest and I grabbed them before they hit the floor.

"You hurt her, Ash McGhee and, mark my words, I WILL kill you! And she will raise my daughter, with your money, while I rot in jail."

"Now, that's not very lawyer like." I put my coffee down first, then tried to right the files.

"I have always been her best friend, before her lawyer! And now, I'm just her friend! So, let me repeat myself," She crossed her arms and stared me down, "If you HURT her, I will KILL you!"

I thumbed through the paperwork.

She...

"She signed..." I couldn't believe it, "She signed all of them? Everything?" I was stunned, but there it was, right in front of me.

"She almost backtracked, when she read the part about birth control being at YOUR discretion. That's not even legal! You do realize that she was a teenage statistic? She's a firm believer in birth control." She scoffed, "Answer me honestly, are you doing this just mess with her?"

I eyed the blonde for a moment, before responding. Was this chick fucking serious?!

"She agreed to marry me sixteen years ago. I could easily take her to court and get custody of MY kid. My lawyers are THAT good, sans your evidence!" I snapped, staring her down, "I wanted a life with her! A family! Nothing has changed!"

"She's changed," She snapped right back, "Don't you get that? She gave up everything for this child! I was there! You may see it as her being selfish and hiding from you, but those of us who were here? Davis and I? Even her father! WE have seen it very differently!"

"She gave up her dreams and everyone she loved, so that YOU could thrive in your career and Declan could know that she wasn't a result of some stupid, teenage screw. That she was conceived by love! A love that Bree STILL carries so deeply for you, a love that tears her apart!" She took a ragged breath, before continuing.

"Bree has spent years telling DC how much you loved her when you were kids and how you would have loved your daughter just the same!" She was pleading now, "She now trusts so little and loves so deep. I have been her only true confidant for sixteen years now and I lied to her yesterday and it KILLS me! I told her that I couldn't win this and I think she knows, deep down, that I could, but she's doing this for Declan! Everything she does is FOR DECLAN. All that I'm asking is that you not do this to mess with her."

I was sick of hearing it. This blonde didn't get it. No one did! Not my brother, my bandmates, my lawyer, NO ONE!

"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!" I shouted in her face, standing from my seat as I ranted. I wasn't angry, I was hurt...

This pain ran deeper and deeper every fucking day and it was killing me, the more I heard what Bree had gone through.

"DON'T YOU GET THAT?!" I shouted.

"You missed out! Get over it!" She snapped!

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT MY FUCKING KID!" I howled. "BREE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN THERE ALONE! SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE THROUGH ANY OF IT ALONE! SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO WATCH ME FUCK THINGS UP! I FUCKED EVERYTHING UP AND I WANT TO FIX IT! OKAY?! I JUST..." I began to pace to try to rid myself of the pain ripping at my chest, "I don't know how."

Her eyes glossed and tears fell onto her cheeks, but I looked away. I swallowed hard, I couldn't do this now... Not here and not now...

"You still love her..." It wasn't a question.

"I never fucking stopped."