Two Perfect Wrongs

Heart to Heart

Adam walked into the Tack House exhausted after going ten rounds with Victor. It never ceased to amaze him how much stamina the old man had. He entered the living room to see Sally asleep on the couch. She looked so peaceful and comfortable wearing a pair of leggings and one of his flannels. Adam almost hated to wake her, but he knew that she would pay for sleeping on the couch all night.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, it's time to wake up." Adam teased her, smirking when he saw her lips twitch.

"Don't want to." She moaned, still half asleep. Adam had to force himself to take a calming breath; that moan did things to him and she knew it.

"Okay, fine, stay there. But I'm not helping you get off this couch. Nor will I massage you when your back hurts from lying on it all night." He teased. 

"You're mean." She huffed. "Fine, I'll get up for a prize." They both knew what prize she was referring to. Adam leaned down to kiss her and her eyes fluttered open along with the beats her heart was skipping. "Hello there."

"Hi." Adam greeted her back, smiling for what he felt like the first time that day. "How are my girls doing?" He asked, putting his hand on her bump. His daughter kicked his hand as a greeting and answer. "Well I guess jelly bean is doing okay." The parents-to-be chuckled.

"She should be doing okay after all that ravioli we ate." Adam raised an eyebrow. "I try to eat healthy, but your little girl has other ideas. I swear this girl is going to give us a run for our money with all that stubbornness. Speaking of stubborn children, do you know what's going on with Connor? He's refused to come out of his room all night or speak to me."

Adam let out a heavy sigh. As much as he didn't want to get into this, he might as well rip the band-aid off now. "Yeah I know something. Connor got suspended from school." Sally gasped.

"Oh my God, suspended? What happened?" She was truly baffled.

"He got into a fight at school."

"Connor? A fight?"

"Yeah, apparently this group of older boys have been picking on him everyday since school started about Chelsea and Johnny saw it happening and went over to stop it. Things got more heated and Johnny threw a punch which led to more punches including ones by Connor being thrown and everyone got hauled into the principal's office. Myself and Billy included."

Sally exhaled, that was a lot to take in. Poor Connor. Her heart broke for him, kids could be so cruel. However, she was more curious about how this meeting with Adam and Billy went. Those two on a good day were a dangerous combination, but add in the emotions of their sons getting in trouble, that just spelled disaster. "How'd it go with Billy?"

Adam flinched, he had been so focused on Connor then fighting with Victor that he had pushed what Billy said out of his mind. It wasn't her fault, but Sally's question forced it back to the forefront. "It was fine for the most part."

"For the most part?"

"Everything went okay when we were with the principal, by the way I'm having a meeting with that sham of an administrator. Lets my kid be bullied everyday for over a month and never bothers to call me, we're having words." He was still steaming over that one and seriously thinking of pulling Connor out of that school.

"Adam, I understand why you're pissed but can we focus?" Sally asked to get him back on track. She could tell more than just a principal dropping the ball was bothering him.

"Right. So everything was fine until we got into the parking lot."

"Oh God, you didn't fight Billy in the parking lot like a bad 80s movie did you?" Sally interrupted him, eyes wide with nerves.

"Now who's not staying on track?" Adam teased. Sally blushed and mumbled an apology. He kissed her cheek to show he was kidding before continuing on with his story. "Billy heard Johnny tell Connor he'd tell him all about having sisters and Billy put two and two together."

Sally grimaced, Billy's reaction had to be bad. "What did he say? And don't say nothing because I can tell you're upset and that you're upset about more than just Connor."

Adam groaned, he was afraid of upsetting her but knew she wouldn't let up until he told her. "You know it's more fun being on the other side of these chats." He let out a bitter laugh before dropping the bomb. "He wasn't happy about it, said how I deserved none of the joy of having a daughter, then casually mentioned that she hopefully wouldn't end up dead on the side of the road." He heard Sally gasp again.

"How dare he say that?" Sally was fuming. She understood that Billy would always be hurting over Delia, but it was unnecessary to wish death upon an innocent child.

"I can't blame him." Adam said in a hushed tone. "I've had that same thought. I think about Delia everyday. How could I not? That sweet little girl is dead because of me. I have no right to tell Billy not to mention her in my presence. He hates me for it and he should. I'd hate the person who killed my daughter."

"I sympathize with Billy, I really do, but what he said was cruel. You do deserve to have a daughter and all the wonderful and not so wonderful things that go along with it." The little girl in question kicked hard against her father's hand again. "Jelly bean agrees with me. She hasn't even been born yet and she's already a Daddy's girl. Something I'm trying not to let bother me."

"Oh?" Adam questioned picking up on her distraction tactic.

"Yes." Sally huffed in fake annoyance. "I mean I'm the one sharing my body with her, carrying her and she repays me by being overly attached to you. Where is the justice in that?"

"Where indeed?" Adam joked, kissing her. "Thank you. Thank you for telling me things I desperately needed to hear." She smiled and he decided at that moment that he would tell her about Connor contacting Chelsea the next morning. He was exhausted and just wanted to snuggle with his girls.

The Next Morning

True to his word, Adam told Sally about all Connor's chat with Chelsea. She was outraged and terrified at the same time. Chelsea suddenly seemed like a real threat. She could pop up anywhere at any time. For once, the redhead didn't find her bodyguards stifling. Still, she glanced over her shoulder before walking into Crimson Lights where she walked right into Billy Abbott, an exhausted looking Billy Abbott.

Billy didn't sleep the previous night. His parting shot at Adam playing on a loop in his mind. He regretted them deeply. As much as he disliked Adam, he shouldn't have essentially wished death upon his daughter. The look he saw in Sally's eyes clearly showed that she knew what he had said to Adam.

"Sally, I..." He didn't get to finish that statement. Sally slapped him hard across the face then stormed out of the coffeehouse. Billy didn't say anything, he knew he deserved it. Unfortunately for him, his day only got worse. By lunch, he had been arrested for the murder of Ashland Locke. The last thing he heard before the Jabot elevators shut was Jack shouting that he was going to call a lawyer. Great.