Here And Now

27. The Other Woman

Despite me warning him, Jackson wouldn't let me go to Weston's house alone. It would only be a shit show if I arrive at my old home with a crying Kayla and Jackson in towe.

So we discreetly decided that he would follow us back to the house in his car while me and my daughter took my car.

I glance in the front view mirror and catch Kayla sniffing softly. I had tried to work up the courage to try and talk to her but try as I might guilt had me in a chokehold.

I park my car in the driveway and take note of the other car idling there.

Who is it?

Not that it's any of my business. Me and that bastard are done.

Unfortunately, my children still love him.

Kayla has already jumped out of her car seat and is running over to the house before I have even set a foot outside.

"Baby, slow down please." My heart drops to my gut when I hear her sobs start up again.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Her little fists bang on the door as she wails loudly.

I run towards her, I don't know if Jackson has arrived, if Weston is home, who he's home with. All I care about right now is my baby.

My little girl.

She doesn't deserve to be in the middle of the pain that she's experiencing right now.

The door flies open just as I reach the threshold.

Weston stands there, a mixture of panic and bewilderment on his face. When he sees that Kayla is now crying and clutching onto his legs he scoops her up into his arms.

"Shh, shh, daddy's here. Stop crying, baby." He smooths a hand over her face and back into her hair.

"What happened?" He asks me as her cries start to slow down into tiny hiccups.

I open my mouth to day something, anything but I am saved by the ringing of my cellphone.

I take it out to see a missed call and text from Mattie.

Mattie: We convinced Jackson to stay  back. Somehow. It would just have gotten uglier if he came with you. But he's only going to give you an hour. He's worried, so he'll come over after that. There's nothing more I can do to stop him.

A big part of me is relieved while another significant part is disappointed. What am I thinking? I shouldn't be dependent on Jackson. I have known him only a month for crying out loud.

"April?" Weston asks me again.

I look up and it's taking me insurmountable self control to not just lash out at him and tell him why I am here.

Because there's hope on his eyes. This son of a bitch really thinks I am here because I am coming back to him.

"Where's Dexter?" He asks. He walks toward me and takes my hand in his.

"He's with Mattie and Oliver." I reply coldly as I remove my hand from his.

He falters a bit.

"Shall we go and get him then? You don't know how happy I am that you're here April. I-"

I cut him off.

"I am only here because Kayla was asking for you, and we need to tell her." I tell him. I turn away from to walk into the house.

"April wait!" Weston shouts loudly just as I cross the threshold and stop dead in my tracks.

Because Claire is sitting right there on my living room couch. Idling as if she has no care in the world.