Discovering Us 2: Redemption

TYLER

I stand stoically still. Boyfriend?

Boyfriend.

That bastard. What is his game?

Callum and boyfriend don’t even belong together in the same sentence.

BOYFRIEND.

What the hell?

It takes me a moment to not fall over myself with hatred toward Zach.

His mother walks around the table, greeting Callum as she did me, with a kiss and a cuddle. Something she only does for us.

Welcoming him into our apparently big and happy fucking family makes my nerves fray with the lack of alcohol I’ve had the last few days.

My hands shake slightly, so I put them in my pockets when Jerry looks at me.

He can’t know, can he?

Shit, the paranoia’s back.

I’ve tried to keep myself from completely falling off the wagon, but it’s only too easy.

Sitting in Catherine’s apartment all alone while she goes about her business, while my so-called husband is apparently at the hospital, making the useless Callum Faren our…our boyfriend.

Was it him or Violet?

Did Violet realize she liked him? Is that why Zach’s so accepting of him? Fuck, I need a drink. A whole bottle wouldn’t even suffice.

Jerry clears his throat when Callum clearly becomes uncomfortable with Carla’s closeness.

Zach almost growls in response to his father. They still hate each other, of course. And Zach hates it when his father tells his mother what to do.

In fact, now I’m thinking about it, I’m confused. What the fuck happened to Jerry?

He normally has so much to say, and the fact he hasn’t even murmured a word about us having a boyfriend is, quite frankly, disturbing.

“Are you going to take me to see Violet now?” Carla asks Zach hopefully.

Oh Lord, as if Violet needed the whirlwind of my mother-in-law right now.

“I’ll go see if she’s up for visitors,” I say as I walk out of the room. Callum’s hot on my heels, unfortunately.

“What the fuck type of game is he playing?” he asks me as if we’re close friends.

“The fuck if I know, boyfriend.” I smile at the smarmy prick. I love that he cringes at that word.

Oh, he has his claws so deep, doesn’t he?

Bet he was just waiting for me to fall out of line so he could pounce. I balk at my own thoughts.

Jesus, no. Callum is nothing like that. Nothing.

I widen my eyes at how rapidly the alcohol is consuming me this time around.

I think I really need to just go cold turkey, rather than having anything.

Yes, I just need to stop.

I’m not addicted this time. It’s easy. No more alcohol.

I knock twice on Violet’s door, only letting myself and Callum in when she calls out, “Who is it?”

My eyes land on a red-faced Violet. She’s been crying.

Of course she has. The shrink. That’s why Zach wasn’t in here.

“Hi,” I breathe unsurely. I know she’s told me I’m forgiven, but I just can’t be too sure.

She’s been through so much, and I couldn’t blame her if she wanted to chuck me away as Zach has. Replace me, even. I look over at Callum beside me. Is that it?

Have I been replaced by someone more faithful?

He’s handsome. His dirty blond hair is long enough to pull, and he keeps it styled to the side.

His unusual green and brown eyes are like deep pools of the earth with specks of green around the edges.

He’s well-built. Not as muscular as Zach, but then, rarely anyone ever is. But built all the same.

Zach is huge and bulky, as he always has been.

I sigh. Yeah, I can see why they both want him. I can only imagine what’s beneath his clothes. My mouth parches at the thought of stripping him, of licking my way down his body to his waiting cock.

What the fuck is up with me?

Am I still hungover? Or drunk?

How much did I drink last night? I stop myself from rubbing my hand down my face in agitation. I feel…jittery.

“You’re here.” Violet smiles genuinely at me. I nod, walking over to embrace myself in her.

She opens her arms willingly, taking me in like she’s been waiting four whole days to do it.

Because she probably has waited four whole days, since I’ve failed to just show up like I’m supposed to. Except when she’s asleep.

“Here I am,” I tell her. She smiles at me genuinely as I perch beside her on the bed.

Callum stands by the door, not entirely coming in the room but not entirely staying out.

Ah yes, I’m supposed to be asking her if she’s up for visitors. I’m not here to escape that shit show back there, though I wish I were.

“Zach’s mother and father are here. They’d like to meet you,” I tell her quietly. I stroke her long hair behind her ears, uncovering her beautiful face.

She still has a greenish-blue bruise on her forehead, which they glued shut, so it’s a bit crusty with the glue and blood. But she’s beautiful even with the horrid marks he left behind.

She immediately moves her hair to cover her face again, and I watch the war wage through her eyes when she argues with herself about whether she wants to or not.

But in the end curiosity flickers through her eyes, and she nods at me.

Callum turns to go and tell them, and once he’s left the room, I decide to give her a prep talk about Jerry.

“Zach’s father can be a little bit of…an asshole. He doesn’t know when to keep his damn mouth shut. So don’t take in anything he says, okay?”

She scoots over, patting the bed beside her. I smile that she wants me to sit with her. I’ve missed her.

“How are you?” she asks me tenderly, cupping my face.

So I lift my gaze to her own for a moment. It’s as if she looks straight through me. Fuck, it’s as if she knows what a shell of a man I am.

As if she knows that I go home and get so drunk that I just sit there imagining over and over again how that man raped her. It’s in my head on repeat.

I want to teach him a lesson. I crave it. I’ve never craved this before.

“I’m okay,” I sigh when I’ve been quiet for too long.

“You’re not,” she tells me, traipsing her hand down my chest. I follow her hand’s descent down my body, my breath hitching as she feels my semi underneath my slacks.

Her mouth lands on mine forcefully, and I find myself kissing her back with fervor.

If only we were at home right now. I could just take her to bed and lose myself inside her. Everything would disappear, and I could finally breathe.

When the door opens, I pull away breathlessly to find Carla looking between the two of us with a Cheshire smile.

“Oh, darling girl, it’s so lovely to meet you. I’m Carla Henderson, Zachary’s mom.” She holds out her hand for Violet to take. Surprisingly, Violet pulls her into a cuddle with that hand.

“I’m so glad to finally meet the person who birthed Zach.”

Violet speaks so… proper. I’ve long since become used to her lovely accent, but she’s trying to talk properly.

She wants Carla to like her. If only she realized that Carla couldn’t hate anybody. She has no problem there. No, it’s Zach’s damn father that she should be looking out for.

Carla pulls back, a little teary-eyed, cupping Violet’s face as she brushes her hair out of the way, uncovering the large bruise on her head.

“Oh, sweet girl, look how you’ve suffered. No worries. My boys will look after you. After all, they are both smitten in love with you,” she rambles.

Jerry comes up behind her a little tentatively. I’ve never seen him like this. It’s not his usual behavior, and I’m sure Carla has something to do with it.

“Stop smothering the girl, dear. Hello, my name is Jerry.” He holds out his hand to Violet as Carla pulls back.

Violet takes his hand timidly. Her whole posture changes because she doesn’t like him touching her, and if I’m honest, Zach doesn’t look too pleased either.

Violet’s whole body stiffens in mine. Fuck, she’s remembering that fucker touching her. With that knowledge, I almost snatch her arm away from my father-in-law, but I don’t have to.

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Jerry.”

Violet pulls her hand quite rapidly from Jerry’s, so much so that it leaves a sour look on his face. He steps back, taking the hint that Violet’s given him.

She looks at Jerry distantly, not seeming to see him. Zach and Callum both gravitate toward us, and I’m quite sure both of them are thinking Jerry did something underhanded.

I shake my head slightly at Zach to let him know he did nothing wrong.

She’s having a flashback. All the telltale signs are there. She’s stiff, vacant, unresponsive, and her breathing is changing.

I rub my hand up and down her arms. The shrink said she needs something to ground her to the present. I know that that something is Zach, but I can wish I was that special, right? I can try to help.

A small feeble “No” slips past her lips, and Zach’s right there, holding her, pulling her to his body as he places her hands on his neck and under his T-shirt on his abs.

I watch as her eyes look like she’s watching a movie. Her face finally falls on his neck. Her breathing becomes labored, and that’s about all I can take. Fuck that man. He has a lot to answer for.

I stand, ready to bail, but then I watch in amazement at how quickly she recovers. A few minutes of touching him, breathing him in, and she’s back.

She’s in the present, and that vile man isn’t at the forefront of her mind anymore.

Just like that.

Everyone breathes with her in relief.

“It’s okay, baby. No one is going to hurt you.” He rubs his hand up and down her arms as I had. Except she welcomes his touch.

Jealousy rips through me, because I wish I was that for her. Instead I made it worse. I selfishly made her suffer.

Violet looks up at us shyly while we’re all staring. Carla especially. Her mouth is slack, and tears are running down her face. Jerry takes a step backward, looking guiltily at her.

What the fuck is up with him?

“You want them to go?” Zach whispers to her, but we can all hear him. The room is so small, and his voice, even in a whisper, is heard by everyone.

She shakes her head once. It’s nearly imperceptible, but Zach acknowledges it by sitting back with her on the bed.

“I’ll be in the waiting room. I have work to do,” Jerry dismisses himself.

He always was a coward.

Fuck, what is wrong with me?