to her room. Leta had protested, but Monroe broke out her mom voice and that was that.
As soon as we heard the door shut, Monroe turned to Thomas. “Look, I don’t know what is going on in that mind of yours, but whatever it is, this crap needs to stop, Thomas,” she said. “Even if I were stupid enough to believe you’ve seen the error of your ways and want me back, you are seriously stupid if you think I’d ever trust you with my heart again.” I watched as she took a deep, shuttered breath. “Your Leta’s father. And more than anything, I’d like for us to be on the same page with her. I’m so over you, Thomas, but I have no problem getting along with you for Leta’s sake.”
“Anybody but him,” Thomas said, and fire started flickering in my gut.
Monroe smirked. “Your vanity is showing, Thomas.”
“Monr-”
“Is that what you’re going to say about the next guy? Or the guy after him? Or every guy, until I find the right one?” she asked, and each word was like a stake in my heart.
“No,” I jumped in. “He won’t be saying that since there’ll be no other guys after me. I fucked up, Monroe, but I’m not walking away from what we have.”
She finally looked at me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “That’s where you’re confused,” she said. “Until Leta turns eighteen, I have to put up with Thomas’ crap because we share a child.” She lifted a brow. “I don’t have to put up with your crap.”
Now I was getting pissed.
I was taking full responsibility for screwing up, but she was shutting me out without even hearing me out first and that was fucked-up.
I wasn’t Thomas.
“Well, that’s where you’re confused,” I said, throwing her words back in her face. “You’re going to be putting up with my crap for the rest of our lives.”
“You think so?” she challenged.
I stepped to her. “I know so.”
“Hey, step back,” Thomas said, and I saw red.
I turned to face him. “What in the fuck is wrong with you?” I practically shouted. “Do I seriously have to kick your ass for you to get the picture?” I could feel myself foaming at the mouth. “Monroe is mine. Mine. Do you get that? She’s mine because you no longer wanted her. Like a fucking idiot, you gave her up. And frankly, I don’t give a fuck if you really are in love with her still or just jealous, but she is mine. And I will fuck you up every day of the week until Leta is eighteen if you keep trying to come between us.”
And then Thomas reminded me of the one thing that would never change, even if I did end up killing him. “You think you’re special?” he taunted. “You might have her now, but I’m her first serious love. I’m the man she pledged to spend her life with. I’m the man who she shares a child with, who will bind us for-fucking-ever. If it hadn’t been for me walking away, Monroe would still be in love with me.” Every word he spewed was the truth and I wanted to punch him in the face for it. “She’ll never love you the way she was in love with me, because I was her first and only forever.”
I had Thomas shirt in my fists, hauling him up on his toes.
Monroe jumped in between us. “Stop it!” Monroe yelled. “Just stop it!” I let the bastard go, but I wanted to fuck him up something serious.
“He-”
“Shut up, Thomas!” she yelled at him. “Just shut the fuck up!” Looking at me, she said, “I need you to leave-”
“I’m not going any-fucking-where,” I roared.
“Sayer, I need to talk with Leta,” she snapped. “I need to talk to her about…all this crap, and I can’t do that with you and Thomas beating the crap out of each other.”
I sounded like a six-year-old when I asked, “But he gets to stay?”
She let out a deep breath. “It’s his week. He has to stay if I want to a chance to talk with her.”
Well, fuck.
Chapter 23
Monroe~
My life was officially an awful reality television show. At the very least, one episode of those horrible things.
I knew this mess was far from over. I knew Thomas and I were still going to have to talk at greater length about his mid-life crisis (because I think Leta was right about that one), our relationship, and