It Begins With Us

13.

I lean against the wall and watch the kids scramble for good hiding spots. Rylee runs past me and gives me a toothy grin.

'I'd rather be the one catching.' I think watching her join the other kids.

"Ryle." Lily's voice floats down the hall and I stick my head out of the door.

"Yeah?"

"I think we should talk." She's wringing her hands and my eyes stick to Atlas who walks up behind her.

"About what?" I ask stepping out, closing the room door and crossing my arms.

"Let's go somewhere else." She says and I nod, I follow her and Atlas down the steps and into a room downstairs.

"What is it?" I ask as Atlas closes the door.

"It's about Alba." Lily presses her lips together and I sigh. A loud, exhausted, why-are-you-bothering-me, sigh. She turns red.

"What about her?" I ask and wonder if she's started looking for the kids yet.

"I don't understand what you're doing?" She rubs her palms together. "It wouldn't be good for you to have a-" I cut her off.

"A girlfriend?" I raise a brow and a smirk pulls at my lips. "It really has nothing to do with you."

"But it does!" She says stepping towards me and Atlas's bows furrow. "You know why it would be wrong to make her stick around for you." Lily closes her eyes for a moment then opens them again. She looks terrified.

"I do." I say automatically. I look away. "And still, my personal troubles and relations have nothing to do with you-" I start but she raises her voice.

"I told you it does! Emmy comes over to your house every weekend. I don't want her to see anything like that." Lily stops and my heart feels like she just squeezed all my life out of it. Yet I can still hear it, pounding wildly and erratically to its broken beat.

"You're afraid I'll beat her in front of Emmy." I let out a bark of disbelief. "Lily, I'm going to say this for a third time, crystal clear. F***. Off." Lily frowns and goes a deep fire engine red and Atlas looks like he's about to pummel my head in.

I push past them and out into the hall. I get into the nearest washroom and press my head to the door.

'She's right. What about Emmy? What about Alba? Alba won't be able to stop me. She's not f***ing Belle, and I'm no f***ing beast.'

"I'm just a plain old f***ing monster." I mumble but it seems to echo of every surface and slam back into me.

'I'm not leaving.'

'So don't even try.'

'I swear.'

Her words echo inside me. As much as I agree with Alyssa and Lily, her words alone keep reminding me how much she doesn't want me to.

"I'm here. Open the door." A voice whispers suspiciously from the other side of the washroom door and I blink.

"Marshall?" I open the door a smidge and he, somehow, shoves his huge self through the crack and into me.

"I've been waiting all day!" He throws his arms over my shoulder and giggles.

"Get off man." I shiver in disgust and shove him off, but I can't help the grin climbing to my face. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I came to report to you, sir!" He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"A double agent, are you?" I ask and he sighs.

"Why can't you just play along? Anyway!" He crosses his arms getting down to business. "Don't listen to them. Alba's good for you, she's really good for you."

"Marshall, why did you bring her here?" I ask my blood starting to boil. "If you hadn't bought her she wouldn't be caught up in all this mess. In fact! There wouldn't even be a damn mess!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Marshall puts a hand up and I frown. "You're being childish and needlessly idiotic right now. Are you telling me that I'm supposed to turn down a beautiful, strong, sane girl that wants to be with my best friend even though she's seen him black out? In fact, she doesn't just want to be with you, she wants to marry you, and have kids with you. Above all f***ing else, she wants to help you move past your damn problems!" I stare at him, stunned as his eyes brim, but the tears don't dare fall.

I've never seen Marshall like this, except for when they found out Alyssa was finally pregnant with Rylee.

"How the f*** was I-!" He stops and motions to himself, his voice cracking, "-supposed to say no to all of that?" He thrusts his arm out to gesture to Alba who's playing Cops and Robbers somewhere in the house with my baby girl.

The first tear slips from his eyes and he snaps right back to his old self.

"Oh. My. Gawd! Oh. My. GAWD! Ohmygawd, ohmygawd. My mascara!" He squawks, fanning his eyes. A laugh bursts out of me, and he starts snorting along.

'If only I could bring myself to express to him how much he means to me.'

"You're crazy, I don't know how you can stand yourself." I shake my head, instinctively reaching out to pat him on the back as he slaps water over his face.

"It's because I'm so handsome that nothing else matters." He checks himself out in the mirror taking on various muscle poses. I unlock the door and open it.

"Whatever floats your boat." I scoff and he steps out of the washroom right behind me.

"Woah!" I hear Alba and she stands only a few feet away down the hall.

Watching us, leave the washroom, together. I freeze and turn to Marshall and Marshall, like the weirdo he is, averts his eyes guiltily.

"Alba, I'm so sorry. It just happened." He says with a girly voice and I gag.

"Shut up." I snap and shove him down the hall away from Alba.

"Aw, you using me then leaving me? Huh Doctor?" He whines and gives an unsettling growl.

"Gonna go find my tigress, I'll be sure to book our next appointment, Doctor." I grimace and he laughs walking off.

I walk back to Alba and she leans against the wall with a frown.

"He's joking." I call out as I start towards her and she watches me warily.

"Oh ya? You sure about that?" She pushes off just as I reach her.

I wrap my arms around her and we fall back unto the wall, holding her against my front.

"As sure as can be." I state pointedly and she laughs.

"Not gonna lie, I'm jealous." She pouts and presses her lips to my chest.

My heart's pounding like crazy, and so I hope she can't feel it against the beautiful, wide lips.