Across the Hall (G.N.D. Sequel)

23

Lexi's POV:

I'm frozen where I stand when my eyes fall on Scott's face. What is he doing here?

"Lexi!" One of the little ones scream, running to me and hugging me.

My hand instinctively falls to her head, "hey, kiddo!" I mutter, my words nearly getting hung in my throat.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Scott hisses, clearly angry.

I watch Evan's face freeze up with fear and she stutters over her words as well. Evan is a very hard person to leave speechless, but right now she is.

"I- she-" she stops and her hand shoves through her hair. This is not good.

"Are you fucking-" Scott's loud and angry voice makes me jump, but Evan isn't phased. She changes her face from one of worry to one of pure anger immediately and shoves Scott backward.

"Shh!" She hisses, pulling the door shut behind them and leaving me inside with all three kids.

"You're staying with mom too?!" Grace asks me, totally ignoring the fact that her father is screaming on the other side of the door. I have a feeling they're used to seeing him rage and carry on like this, unfortunately.

"I was last night. She helped me do something last night and we didn't get home until late, so I spent the night!" I say, trying to keep my composure in front of the kids despite the internal panic. "Why don't we go play out back?" I suggest, wanting to keep them as far away from the argument that is ensuing between their parents as I possibly can.

They all three nod and I lead them outside and climb into the net of the trampoline with them. We bounce and play for about fifteen or twenty minutes, but my mind is hardly able to stay focused on them.

I can't just leave them out here and go jump in the middle of Evan and Scott's argument. It's not my place, nor is it the responsible choice, but I want to know what the hell is going on. I want to make sure Evan is okay.

I know for a fact that it isn't Evan's weekend to have the kids, and she wasn't expecting them to be here. He had to of just shown up without warning. Evan wouldn't risk me being here otherwise. She isn't that dumb.

After the most agonizing half hour of my life, I see the back door open and Evan steps out. I glance over and she nods, letting me know we can come back inside now.

I gather the kids and head that way, Evan's back is to us.

"Mommy! You're still in your pajamas?" Mason giggles.

At this point Evan turns around and I see a very red nose and damp, swollen eyes. "Yeah, I am. I was tired." She says, sounded congested as hell.

I bite my cheek at the sight of her and ruffle Mason's hair. "I think you guys should go pick out a movie. All three of you! I'll come watch with you." I say, trying to coax them out of the room.

They do so without hesitation and I motion for Evan to walk down the hall and to the bedroom.

She does, her tears starting to fall again instantly. I close the bedroom door behind us and pull her into my arms, holding her. "Ev, what the hell happened?"

She lays her head against my chest and I feel her tears beginning to soak through my shirt, and her sobs get louder. It honestly breaks my heart to see such a strong, stubborn, and all-around badass woman breaking down this way.

I let her stand there for as long as she needs to in order to compose herself, and she finally speaks. "I- my fucking phone was dead and he called me like fifteen times trying to get me to meet him to pick the kids up. He has some fucking bullshit trip to go on, so he just drove them over here and decided to dump them off. I didn't know he was coming, Lexi." Evan explains. She sits down on the bed and I kneel between her legs and wipe her cheeks with my thumb. "He saw you and obviously put the pieces together... says that there is no way he'll let me have the kids now because I'm sleeping with you."