What Twisted Webs We Weave

Hard Times Come

(Pete's Pov)

I couldn't stop thinking back to the disappointed expression on Patrick's face when I chose leaving with Tyler over staying and talking. Though I didn't particularly enjoy the idea of leaving Patrick with Elisa, it was for the best. The conversation they needed to have didn't include me. So we took our leave as they headed to his office. Patrick didn't verbally object to our exit. But his face begged for me to join them. A plea which I purposely ignored.

Because even though Patrick's eyes willed me to stay, Elisa's forced me to leave. Her hate towards me was completely justified. If the roles were reversed I wouldn't be her number one fan either.

"There's a thin line between not being perfect and being a horrible human being." Tyler whispered to me.

My eyes traveled from the pattern on my jeans to him. Sitting across the table. I knew he'd want to discuss the new information. I just hoped it would be later. When we were alone in our hotel room. Still I was impressed that he'd managed to sit so quietly in the five minutes since we'd entered the diner.

I knew it was hard for him to do. The constant tapping of his shoe against the floor was telling. His impatient fingers taking turns knocking against the table made it more obvious.

The quiet was over now. He'd had enough of sitting in silence. Clearly he was ready to confront me with an issue that didn't concern him at all. And I was fully prepared to tell him to mind his damn business.

"What was that?" I lifted an eyebrow. Daring him to repeat what he'd said. A dare that I knew Tyler would accept.

He sighed but his shoulders remained tense. "Patrick is a. . . He's a bad person, Pete."

"Is he?" I twirled my straw. The ice in my cup clinked against the glass.

"He's having a baby."

"She's having a baby." I corrected.

"She impregnated herself?"

"No. But she did trick Patrick into getting her pregnant-"

"How does a wife trick her husband into getting pregnant?"

"She's not his wife-"

"But she was when she got pregnant, wasn't she?"

My left shoulder lifted dismissively.

"Look, Patrick thought she was on birth control. They'd both decided to hold off on getting pregnant before they were even married. But Elisa decided to not honor that plan. So she stopped taking birth control and, for lack of a better word, trapped him."

"That's ridiculous."

"It's true!" My harsh tone rose from an instinctive need to defend the man I was in love with.

"He's the father. He should be more involved."

"He explained to her that he wasn't ready for kids." I repeated the explanation Patrick gave me. "She lied about taking her birth control. It's not fair to expect him to want to be involved."

"It's not about wanting to be involved. It's about him being involved because it's the right thing to do."

"And was it right for her to lie and trick him?"

"No. But she did. And now there's going to be a child involved. One who doesn't deserved to be completely neglected by it's father."

"She decided on her own to get pregnant with that child. She should have taken the child's feelings and Patrick's into consideration before making an irrational, permanent life decision."

"Patrick helped!" He was gripping the edge of the table hard enough to whiten his knuckles.

"She's the culprit."

"This isn't a trial-"

"Then stop behaving like a judge." I was just as upset as Tyler. Just better at hiding it. "You've been looking for every reason to bang your gavel and jail him since you met him."

Tyler looked utterly bewildered by my continuation of the courtroom metaphor. His restless leg stood still. Yet his grip tightened even more on the table.

"How can you honestly look me in my eyes and say a thing like that? It's him who doesn't like me!"

"And you don't like him either!" I was so sick of him playing the victim. The innocent persona he wore was starting to wear thin on my nerves.

He parted his lips yet no more cutting remarks were made. His lost for words was proof of his lack of an argumentative response.

"You are an idiot!" He finally managed to sputter out.

His grip loosened on the table only to shove away from it. The legs of the chairs scrapped against the floor. Turning the heads of the other customers who'd tried so hard to avoid looking in our direction as our words got louder.

I watched in absolute disdain as Tyler stormed to the glass doors. Fucking drama queen. I'd never seen that side of him and I hoped to never see it again. This was our first time fighting like this. Though I didn't like admitting it, it made me worry. Not about why he was so upset. But about where he would go from here. I was driving so he didn't have a ride. And he didn't know the city well enough to walk.

What if he called a cab and got lifted back to the hotel? What if he was angry enough to jump on a plane and go back home without me? What if he never wanted to see me again? Never wanted to help me again? I wasn't one hundred percent well. I needed him.

My brain urged me to go after him. But my heart and devoted loyalty to Patrick glued me to my seat. The indecisiveness was sending me to the brinks of a panic attack. The air was coming too quickly in and out of my nose. I hoped no one around noticed my physical and mental discomfort.

Without thinking it through, I took out my cellphone. Pressing the contact of the most reliable person in my life right now. Ryan answered on the second ring. Unknowingly proving his dependability.

"What's up?" He tried to come off as casual but the concern was there. He knew me well enough to be concerned without even knowing the situation.

"I-are you busy?"

"No, I'm just at work."

"I need you to come here. I'm so fucking mad. And I'm worried. And I'm panicking. And I'm tired. I need you to come here before I lose it."

"Sounds like you already lost it"

"Are you coming or not?"

"Of course I am." I knew he would say that. "I'm getting in my car now. Just tell me where to drive."