The motherfucker grinned.
“Are you mad?”
“Yeah, I’m mad. I’m furious. How dare you question how much I love Hudson.”
“Are you mad enough to fight for him yet?”
Without much thought, I answered, “Hell yeah.”
“Good. I’ll drive you to Lauren’s.”
“Does this minivan go any faster?” I bitched from the passenger seat. I’d always assumed Cal would have one eventually, but I hadn’t been prepared for it so soon. Then again, the thing had all the bells and whistles, and I’m pretty sure it could drive itself.
“Faster? Since when do you like traveling at traffic speed?”
“Since my whole fucking life depends on it. Now get the lead out, Cally. I’m ready to kick her ass.” I turned my head and grimaced.
“What?” he screeched.
“Okay, I’m not gonna kick anyone’s ass, but I’m ready to give her a piece of my mind.”
“Fine. That’s better. I’m not becoming an accomplice to anything.”
I laughed and the thought that Hudson would love all of this ran across my mind. Cal fighting for his best friend, albeit using me as the weapon. But I had to hand it to him; he wasn’t dumb. Pissing me off was a good way to see how far Lauren was willing to take this.
I only prayed it worked.
I didn’t feel much like a weapon as I marched up her sidewalk and banged on her door, glancing back at my brother who was giving me a thumbs-up from the cushy front seat of his new grocery-getter. It wasn’t that late, and her car was the only one in the drive since Homewrecking Granddaddy Mark was in Portland already.
She looked out the side light glass and pulled a face when she saw that it was me. She opened the door, and to my surprise, Jack was right behind her. I couldn’t blow up in front of him.
“Um, hi,” Lauren said like a happiness-sucking ho-bag.
I really needed to get a grip because it wouldn’t take much for me to escalate this way past what it needed to be.
I smiled down at Hudson’s little mini. “Hey, Jackie Boy. Me and your mom need to talk in private out here. Okay?”
Lauren studied me with a baffled gaze and smoothed her hand over her son’s blond head. “Go back in and finish the show. Then it’s bedtime.”
“Ugh. Fine. Bye, Lex. I hope I get to see you again someday.” He was still being dramatic about it, but I couldn’t blame the little fella because I was about to throw the biggest fit of us all. As he stomped off, my heart pinched and my passion for letting my man’s baby mama have it surged.
Lauren closed the door and then looked around me and exchanged a wave with Cal, my pussy-ass brother.
“Hey. You and I need to have a conversation.”
She straightened at my tone. “I gather that. What’s up, Lex?”
“Who do you think you are, ruining this whole family?”
Defensively, she crossed her arms over her fancy silk robe. “What?”
“I just said it. Who do you, Lauren Rafferty, think you are, ripping out the heart of this family?” Meanwhile, my actual heart was racing, but Cal was right. Even if I just told her off, there was nothing more she could do to any of us. And I’d rather go down fighting than wondering for the rest of my life what if.
“I think I’m trying to find some happiness of my own.”
“At whose expense? Hudson’s? Your parents’? My parents’? Cal’s? Mine? Jack’s? Why should we all have to suffer for you and some guy we barely know?”
“Well, Lex, I guess because it’s my life and I can choose to do whatever I want with it. And don’t throw my kid in my face.”
“Okay. I get that.” I threw my hands up. It was a fair point—a selfish-as-fuck point, but fair nonetheless. “It just sucks so much for the rest of us and it’s like you don’t even care.”
“I care, Lex, but other than Hudson changing our custody agreement, and now you, everyone has been supportive.”
I wanted to scream.
So I did.
“Are you really that blind? Can’t you see? That’s all we’ve ever done: support you. When you guys got pregnant, who threw you a baby shower? Me and our moms. When Jack was born, who took turns watching him while you fast-tracked the last year of your degree and Hudson was busting his ass? We did. Who’s been cheering you on to chase your dreams while you’ve missed countless holidays, birthdays, vacations, and even weddings, Lauren?!”
I glanced back at my brother who was—I