“Months, Greg, hell, close to a year and a half, that woman has needed you, and you couldn’t even fucking see it. You have no idea what the hell she’s been going through, and I’ll tell you right now, if you want to know that’s up to you, but you won’t hear it from me. What I will clue you the fuck in on is that these games you think I’ve been feeding into? These games kept the woman I love alive. They helped her heal, and more importantly, these games you think I’m playing give me more claim on her than you ever had. Do not ever question my relationship with Dee when you have no clue what the hell you’re talking about.”
He keeps staring at me, his jaw hard, and his eyes spitting fire. Right when I think he’s decided to pout in the corner instead of responding, he opens his mouth. “You’re really going to stand there and act like you haven’t been so pussy whipped for two stupid fucking years? Hell, you have it so bad you can’t even see it.”
“Don’t keep running your mouth because you’re pissed I laid your ass out.”
He climbs to his feet and moves forward so that we’re toe-to-toe. I keep flexing my fist, trying to purge the violence from my body.
“Not running my mouth, Beck. Can’t handle a little truth? We’ve all seen her running around, dating, laughing, and having fun. You can’t sit here and act like she’s been living two lives! I would have noticed if she needed me.”
My jaw drops after that load of shit, and then I laugh. I laugh so hard that I have to step away from him and hold my sides.
It takes me a few minutes because the anger is still very much present. Holding my hand up to tell him to wait, gives me a few seconds to compose myself. I just stand here hunched over, trying to get my breathing under control. Now that the hilarity of just how blind he is to someone he claims to know and love like a sister has passed, and I sober quickly.
“You know, I don’t know who I feel more sorry for right now. Dee for hiding behind all that false happiness because she didn’t think you could be bothered to be there, or you! You’re the one who claims to love her like family, but you’re so fucking stupid that you couldn’t see it.” I throw my hands up and walk away from him before I knock his ass back on the ground. “I can even overlook the time that you met Melissa, and the shit storm that followed. You had your own heavy issues, and believe me, Brother, I get they were as heavy as it gets, but before that, there was almost a year that you couldn’t see shit. Hell, maybe you did and just didn’t care, because hey, she was still smiling, right?” I throw his words back at him and turn to Axel. He’s just standing there, but now, he’s looking at me with all the questions I knew he would have if I opened this can of worms.
“Fuck you, Beck. What gives you the right to sit here and act like you’re better than any one of us?” Greg growls at me, but makes the mistake of grabbing my shoulder to get my attention back on him.
I turn quicker than he expected and grab him by the front of his tee, pushing him back into the wall hard enough that I swear I hear the wall crack. “I gained that right the first time I had to stop her from swallowing a bottle of pills.” I shove off, pissed at myself for giving into him when he clearly wanted to bait me. “I’ve got a lot of anger built up about this Greg, and it really would be wise if you shut the fuck up. Now.” I pace the length of the room, my hands on my hips, and my breathing still coming rapidly.
“I think it’s time you cleared the air, Brother,” Coop says from the table. I look over and meet his eyes; he gives me a small nod, and the tension in my shoulders drops.
“Fuck!” I kick over one of the chairs before turning back and walking over to my seat. Greg, still clearly pissed, rights his chair, and sits. Axel keeps his gaze on me for a few seconds before taking his seat next to Greg. I laugh at the irony of those two on one side and me, alone, on the other. Coop clears his throat from his seat at the head of the table, and I take that as my signal to talk.
“This isn’t my place to tell you, and I feel like I’m betraying Dee by even opening my mouth.” The fight, all that anger, leaves in seconds, and I just feel . . . alone.
“It sure would make it a lot easier if we understood what the fuck that shit was all about,” Axel says in frustration.
“I don’t like my loyalties being questioned, Beck. And I damn sure don’t like being punched in the face. Melissa’s going to kick your ass, pregnant or not.”
“Honestly, you deserved that and more, Greg. I’ve kept my mouth shut out of respect for Dee, but mainly because I had it covered. I was there when she needed me, and I will continue to be there for her.” I turn my attention to Axel, taking a deep breath before addressing him. “First, I mean no disrespect, Ax, for what I’m about to say, so understand that and keep your temper in check.” He gives me a tight nod. Looking back over at Greg I continue. “Right before that shit went down in Izzy and Dee’s old townhouse, Dee and I started dating. It was new, so new that we didn’t even get to announce shit to anyone before that all went down. Then with Greg in the hospital, almost dying and shit, there wasn’t a good time. Izzy needed Axel, and Greg was healing. So, Dee was alone.”