Tyed

chapter thirty one

The next morning, Lachlen agrees to meet Tyler later in the week, but mysteriously disappears again halfway through Tyler messaging him. Not that Tyler minds a whole awful lot, because he's prone to doing that too, and there are plenty of reasons. He dated Lachlen and knows he can get anxious.

Tyler understands his pain when he gets a message notification from Scarlett Marie Jackson and doesn't want to open it.

He stares at the message notification over breakfast. He doesn't know where Nancy is, and Shouto's at work, but last Tyler checked Tee was standing in the kitchen, until he hears a voice over his shoulder. "Who's that?"

Tyler jumps. "Uh- who's who?"

Tee points at his screen. "You're been staring at the message notification for way too long. I don't recognise the name. You're not doing anything with anyone else, are you?"

"What? No." Tyler hates accusations of that sort, because if they're wrong, then it usually requires the truth to correct them, and Tyler doesn't always want to tell the truth. So he tells a half truth. "She said she wanted to talk to me, and I don't know what exactly to expect."

The piece of the message that can be read from the notification says, I'm sorry I was so abrupt when we spoke in person. I hope you don't mind me aski...

"You don't want to give her the read notification and take forever to respond. Noble," Tee nods. "Although how strongly do you care what she thinks? I've never heard of this chick, you're taken now- unless you're not doing that whole monogamy thing anymore?"

"Stop insinuating I'm gonna cheat on Colby," Tyler snaps, even to his own surprise. He winces, now aware that that's a sore spot he has. "I just- uh- sorry. It's, um."

Tee whistles lowly. "Alright, damn. So who is she, then?"

Tyler feels bad for snapping. "Uh. His ex-wife."  He then feels a twinge of annoyance again, wondering if he's just been manipulated.

Tee leans down then, looking over Tyler's shoulder, close and excited. "Well then, read her message! It could be juicy!"

Tyler squints at him. "It could also be private."

Tee stares at him, raising an eyebrow. He's very close, and he doesn't back off.

Tyler rolls his eyes, holding his phone down and under the table. Tee moves then, sitting across from him at the table and waiting for Tyler to read the message on his own.

I'm sorry I was so abrupt when we spoke in person. I hope you don't mind me asking you a few questions as well? There's no easy or simple way to express my concerns, so I'm just going to do the best I can.

I'm not sure how you met Colby, or what you know about him. So I have to ask you first how you met him, before I explain that part of it?

What it would be worth telling you no matter what, however, is that everything he does wrong will be your fault, and you'll be to blame. That is what he'll say. If he makes a mistake, either it's a mistake and should be forgiven or it's your fault, but if you make a mistake you did it on purpose. That is how he acts. Even though he can't take blame, what you'll find much worse is that he won't accept that your mistakes are mistakes, or that some things are out of your control.

And I hope you know about our son.

Tyler reads through the message, scoffs, and shows it to Tee, figuring he can know. His initial confidence that it's just the ramblings of a jealous ex is shaken slightly when he remembers how short of a time he's known Colby for. He can think of times Colby apologised, or times Colby respected that Tyler's made mistakes or that things are out of his control, so it does indeed seem untrue. But some people don't show their true selves straight away, do they?