You Again

chapter 8

~Margot~

"That's enough, Mary. I thought I told you to leave."

I didn't even realize my eyes were squeezed shut until I opened them. There Theo stood, Claire sleeping in in his arms, her mouth slightly covered in chocolate ice cream, and he was sending a deadly glare at the box-dye-blonde bimbo who had just slapped me.

The bitch was fucking trespassing and she had the audacity to act like that.

She knew she had lost this battle and shoved past me with a scoff. My eyes trailed her as she stalked down the hall wearing heels a size too big. As soon as the elevator doors closed I turned my angered gaze at Theo.

"Don't even start." He grumbles, walking past me, "She's a stray I picked up last minute in the lobby. Seemed nice enough at the time."

I let out a hot breath of air, I couldn't afford to be angry with him right now. Not when he'd made an honest mistake. He had told me this on the phone earlier. Besides, we had more pressing matters to deal with, like his brother's wedding in a few months. I followed behind him to Claire's bedroom, my steps heavy with simmering anger. He gently tucked her in, a quiet air of understanding passing through us. This would be one of the awful nights I stayed over, for her. Claire had never had a sitter before, we'd always made it work, and if my small encounter with Mary was enough to go by, I'm sure she was traumatized and well deserving of that chocolate ice cream Theo was now wiping from her mouth. When he stood with a sigh, pressing a small kiss to her forehead, I broke the silence.

"We need to talk."

He nodded his head and followed me to the kitchen where he proceeded to pile two paper plates with leftovers from the fridge and heat them in the microwave. He sucked some teriyaki sauce off his thumb after handing me my plate, then leaned against the counter opposite from me and began to eat, waiting for me to speak.

"I'm sure you've heard about the wedding." I said, pushing my food around with my fork. He remained silent and I dared to look him in the eye. "How do you suppose we avoid causing a scene? How do we ensure that we aren't going to start fighting and Claire isn't going to start screaming and creating mischief?"

"There is a very simple, easy solution to this whole situation," he said, analizing me with a cool glare, "but you won't like it."

"Naturally." I rolled my eyes and waited for him to continue.

"Move in with me."

"No." Not this again.

"Think about it-"

"I have thought about it-"

"Let me finish." His voice instantly getting low and aggressive. He blew out a breath, dragging his hand through his hair and waited for me to prove that I would listen. "The whole reason we're in this mess in the first place is because we live in separate houses."

"I don't want Claire growing up in a house where there is only arguing." I countered, interrupting again.

"I know that." He sighed, "Margot, as much as I hate to admit it, you're one of the best PA's I've had-and, no, it's not because we've slept together so don't go there-we work well together. That's got to be proof for something, we can put our differences aside for Claire."

"Can we?" I asked him quietly, he did make a good
point.

"I'm willing to try. Actually, I have been trying, for the last four years, but it's hard when you don't seem to be putting in the same effort. You're dead set on hating me and I don't understand why. I was under the impression that you had forgiven me for my mistakes in college and five years ago."

He was right. I had forgiven him. So why was I always so angry with him? He was a great dad, he was great with kids in general. I'd seen it with Lilly and Claire. He always warned me about things that could go wrong, or changes in his schedule.

"What can I do, Margot? What can I do to make you stay?" He sounded desperate, his green eyes filled with that familiar, undeciferable emotion I'd come to love.

What more did I want from him?