“Ayla, wait...” he called out. It was his quiet but panicked beg as he came following me into the bedroom, moments after I had walked off—no, I had stalked off and left a trail of smoke behind myself after purposely shoving my elbow into the side of his abdomen.
I was already reaching for my bag and some clothes to pack. I could not stay here.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
What does it look like, you big friggin baboon! I rolled my eyes instead of speaking.
“Why are you packing? Stop it.” His breathing was starting to pick up. “Ayla, talk to me. Damn it!”
The moment I felt that touch I craved, I lost my shit with him. Spinning around with tears racing down my cheeks, I shook my fist in the air, threatening to hit him. “Get the hell away from me before I… I am so close to punching the lights out your head, Griffin.” I was seething with rage. “How could you? I am your fucking girlfriend. No, I thought I was! But obviously, I’m not.”
“You are.” He stepped closer, taking my wrist in his hand. He was trying to calm me, but it was not working. I was too hurt, too mad at him for this. “I didn’t know what to say to them. You see what my parents look like. They’re snobs, and you’d be eaten alive by my mother.”
“Well, I guess we will never know, will we?” I shot back sarcastically, shaking my hand to free it from his hold. “You’re embarrassed of me.”
His eyes narrowed, and he attempted to cup my cheeks, but I stepped back away from him. “I’m not.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Oh, he won’t get to twist this around and make it sound like it’s my fault. “You are, otherwise you’d have said I was your girlfriend a year ago. I don’t need to put anything in your mouth when your actions are speaking louder than your words. You’re embarrassed by me.”
“Ayla, please…” He walked to my bag and began to unpack it.
Turning back around, I wiped the hot tears away with my sleeves. “You’re thirty-seven years old. Grow up and act like it!” I tried to push him away from my belongings. “Don’t touch my stuff!”
“You’re fucking leaving, Ayla. I mean it,” he said through gritted teeth, his tone firm and raised. “I won’t let you walk out of this house with your bags packed.”
I raised a brow. Like, really? You’re going to threaten me? “I don’t need my bags to walk out on you.”
“I won’t let you leave this house, Ayla.”
“I’ll go into Bryan’s room them. I’m sure he’d love his girlfriend to wake him up with a good morning blowjob.”
That hit a nerve, and he shot me a glare to kill. His jaw tightened, and his arms folded over his chest. “Finished yet?” He spat.
“No. Maybe…” A big, wide smile grew on my face as an idea popped into my head. “Maybe Bryan could finish me off. Maybe—”
“I’ll do anything to make this right,” he pleaded.
Damn right you will.
“You get out there and tell them the truth, or I’m gone, Griffin. I mean it. I don’t deserve to be hidden if you really love me.”
He looked like he was ready to tear his hair out, roughly dragging his fingers through his locks once more. “I’m not fucking hiding you.”
A wave of sickness came over again. I took in a steady breath, wobbling on my feet as I clutched my stomach and took in a deep breath. I really wanted to curl up and sleep this food poisoning away. “You don’t want me to leave? Then you tell your parents about me and that this is my home, too.” I swallowed hard, letting out a slow breath. “I’m going to be sick. You need to move.”
Pushing him out of my way, I ran into the bathroom. Griffin followed behind me and closed the door behind him as I was on my knees, throwing up once again.
I heard the shower turning on and was slowly helped into an upright position. “Don’t touch me.” I looked away, more of my tears coming alive.
A pained expression was across his face as he dropped both his hands. “I want to take care of you.”
“You should have thought about that before hiding me and making me feel embarrassed about myself.”
“I’ll tell them.”
“Don’t bother.”
“I’ll tell them,” he repeated more firmly. “You’re right. I panicked and hurt you. I’ll tell them now. Once you’re out of the shower and dressed, I’ll introduce you to my parents.”
My gaze dropped to the floor. “Your mum thinks I’m a whore. I see the way they both looked at me… like I’m just a young, naïve girl who likes you for your cock and money.”
He snorted. “I doubt that’s what went through her mind.”
“I can’t believe you would lie about me to your family,” I said, dead serious.
“Ayla, I love you. I love you so much, and you’re right. You deserve to be shown off to the fucking world.”
Finally! Let’s throw a party to celebrate this sudden and long overdue realisation.
Looking back up at him, I smiled sadly. “You really hurt me, and if you hurt me like that again, I will leave, Griffin. I’d do anything for you, and sometimes, I need to feel like you’d do anything for me.”
“Anything. I’ll do anything for you.”
Except propose and have a baby with me.
“Ayla…” He crouched down to the floor beside me, taking my cheek in his palm as he reached for the washcloth to wipe my mouth clean. “Let me fix this. Let me fix us.”
“We aren’t broken… yet.”
“There never will be a yet.” He promised, and I believed him. I fucking believed him again.
After my shower and telling Griffin once more that I would not leave him, I dressed in a pair of black leggings, a long white shirt, and a zip up jacket. I honestly could not care about my appearance right now. I felt like shit.
His parents were sitting at the dining table when we walked out, and I have no doubt that they heard our spat. If they did, they were not showing it. I soon realised they were not listening. They were too busy looking at the family album of the boys that I had been making. Well, they were more of a scrapbook.
“Mum, Dad…” Griffin said, rubbing his hand against my lower back where his mother’s eyes darted straight to. “This is Ayla.”
“Yes, you introduced us already… She’s Bryan or Braun’s girlfriend.” She sounded exhausted even talking to him about it, and with a flick of her hand, she dismissed him.
“It’s Bryan and no, she’s not seeing him. I should have just told you the truth.”
“Oh…” His father suddenly straightened up and reached into his back pocket. “How much do you owe her?”
Holy fuck! Was I just referred to as a hooker? I would prefer the term escort. I have more class than banging just anyone for a quick buck. I’m definitely worth more.
“Twenty.” I shrugged. May as well give it back to them.
He began pulling out a twenty dollar note, and I shook my head. “Thousand.”
“Oh, just pay the girl for heaven’s sake, Paul.” His mother snapped, flicking another page in the book and not once lifting her eyes.
“Christ.” His father’s cheeks reddened as he went for the check book. He could not be serious, right?.
“Dad, please stop,” Griffin chuckled. He got my twisted sense of humour, but his parents sure did not. “This is Ayla, my girlfriend. She lives here.”
It was quiet for a moment. Their confusion was clear.
“The prostitute?” his mother spoke, her jaw dropped.
“Mum! No. Now stop it. Ayla, meet my mother, Theresa, and my dad, Paul.” Griffin’s hand gave me a gentle squeeze as I stayed glued to the spot. It was not how I wanted to meet his parents, but it was better than nothing, I guess.
“Nice to meet you,” I said quietly, feeling shyer than usual.
“I’m confused.” Paul stood up and walked around the table where we were standing. “You’re not a…” A grin swept over his face. “Ahh, smart girl! I would have handed it over without a thought.” He laughed, and I was wondering just how much money they have. “Ayla, pleasure to meet you. Sorry for the confusion. You just never know these days. How long have you been shacking up with my son?”
“Umm…” Should I tell them the whole time? Or just...
“She moved in after a year of dating. Been here roughly around—”
“I’ve been here almost six months. We’re together for—”
“Six months off two years. I’ll have to get you—”
“Flowers for our anniversary.”
We were finishing each other’s sentences, and I could see it was not sitting well with his mother. She looked repulsed.
“How old are you?” she asked
Ugh. That was not what I wanted to talk about.
“Twenty-two.”
“Thirty-Two?”
Shaking my head, I said it clearer. “I’m twenty-two.”
“That’s quite the age gap. Fifteen years is a big difference. What do your parents think about this?” she asked, now giving me her full attention. “You’re just so young.”
I took a seat only because I did not want to throw up again. “They don’t have a problem with it. They love him and the kids, so it’s no big deal.”
She clicked into gear at the mention of the kids. “You… You’re around the boys?”
Duh. “Yes. Would you like coffee?”
“Griffin? Why are we just finding out about this now?” I’ll that as a no. “I thought you and Karen we’re working on things.”
That was news to me.
“No, Mum. I’m with Ayla. I’m happy with her, and the boys love her.”
“But she’s—”
“Age means nothing. It’s just a number. Now, coffee?” he spoke with evident anger, but he did not lose his temper.
If he hated conflict so much, then why did he have no problem hurting me and not the others in his life who were hurting him purposely? I really needed to sit and think about things seriously. Was all this worth it?
I left them in the kitchen to catch up while I went back to the bedroom, bumping into Bryan on my way out who was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and his morning glory. He just smirked, winking as I looked away, rolling my eyes. There was no shame in that man. He was good looking as hell but had absolutely no shame when it comes to flirting.
There was no point in me trying to get any rest. That went out the window with the loud Jane Fonda cackle from Monster-in-Law that his mother kept making every few minutes over something Griffin was saying.
Tears sprung to my eyes as I thought about the earlier fight and how much that really hurt. Was Harvey right about him? Yes, I deserve better than to be treated this way, but I loved Griffin, and I could not picture a life without him. My heart literally ached thinking about him and me no longer together.
Sleep soon overtook me as I curled on my side and closed my eyes. I was never eating Charlie’s cooking again.
***
I felt a bounce on the bed and groaned, keeping my eyes closed. “You just love waking me up, don’t you?”
“Dad said to see if you’re okay. He’s saying goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma doesn’t like you, said you’re closer to my age than dads.”
I giggled, opening my eyes at Toby. I sighed. “You’re seven years younger than me. I never really thought about that before.”
“You could be Dad’s daughter, she said.” Toby scrunched his face and shook his head. “Yuck.”
That took the daddy I playfully called him to a whole new level. “Yeah, like if he was like fifteen when he had me, but yuck is the right word.” I sat up, taking the hood off my head, and waited for the wave of nausea to hit, but it did not. I felt normal. Well, better than I had been when I woke up this morning. “How about we get some food? I’m starving.”
“Dad said you’d say that.” Toby laughed, getting off the bed. “Oh, and Mum said to say hello.”
Yeah, like she really meant that. Bitch.
“So let’s go and get some food, big guy.” I yawned, putting my feet on the floor and fixing the bed back up.
Griffin was just closing the front door when I walked out with Toby, flashing me a somewhat relieved smile as he walked over and kissed the top of my head. “Feeling better, pretty?”
“A little.” I was fine, but I was going to milk this a little longer. I wanted him sucking up big time to make up for the hurt he put me through this morning. “I’m a bit hungry.”
His hands began to massage my shoulders, and I felt my eyes start to roll just from how good it felt. “That feels amazing.”
“Oh, he’s got amazing hands.” A voice broke all my thoughts, and I looked up to see Karen sitting in our living room with Mack. “He used to rub my shoulders all the time. When I was pregnant with the boys, he gave the most incredible massages.”
What the ever loving fuck is she doing in here? How did I even miss her sitting there in front of me? Fuck me. He could not be serious right now. How was this making up for anything? I was just going to be in a worse mood if he kept this up.
“Karen, you’re in our house?” I almost threw up at the sight of her.
My stomach was swirling, and my heart was beginning to beat faster. Jealousy was swarming through my veins as I thought about him touching her. Griffin’s touch suddenly irritated me, and I moved away from him to grab a drink from the kitchen.
I looked up just as she made her entrance into the kitchen.
She grabbed a bottle of coke and took three large mouthfuls before speaking. “Oh, yes. Mack and I are doing some reading for his school work. Seeing as though the kids are back with you two tonight, I thought I might as well come over and help with homework.” She then, and ever so ladylike, belched in two parts, giggling afterwards.
She was a pig. There were no other words for her. She was a lazy, mooch of a pig.
My eyes were piercing through Griffin’s skull as he made eye contact with me for a moment. “Well, we haven’t discussed that yet. I don’t see why you have to do that when I’m here to help. We both have been doing so without your help, Karen.”
“I’ll be helping, Griffin. I’m their mother.”
“Okay.” I could not make a scene in front of the kids. I knew that was what she wanted. She wanted me to go all crazy in front of the kids so she would have more of a reason to gain full custody.
Right now, I wanted to drink. Going into the pantry, I grabbed out a sachet of caramel latte and made myself a hot drink. Watching the kettle boil was the only thing that calmed me down right now.
Griffin was hanging around like a fly, and I sighed, finally talking to him. “What do you want?” I felt like I was going to be in a permanent pissed-off mood.
“Uh…” He hesitated. “Look, I tried to get out of it… just so you know.”
“Spit it out.” I demanded, stirring my drink roughly. The delicious coffee spilling over the edges only irked me more. “Her in here. Not on.”
“Mum invited her over. She got here literally two minutes before you woke up. I swear, I’ve barely even spoken to her, Ayla.” He really felt the need to tell me this. He was feeling the heat of my silence. He was panicking because I was on the verge of walking out on him.
“Fuck me.” I turned and looked at him. “Take me to bed. I want you to make love to me right now.”
“The boys…” He hesitated, his eyes flickering over to them. “Later…”
“Bullshit,” I muttered. They never bothered him before. All those times we snuck off for a two-minute quickie, he never once turned me down unless the kids were not busy doing something, then we waited. “Forget it.”
“Ayla…” He sighed, finally taking hold of me and pulling me against his chest. My tears spilled out, and I lost it. I silently cried in his arms. The water must have gone through his shirt because he moved aside and tilted my chin up, meeting my sight, and a pained expression crossed his face. “Fuck, it rips my heart out seeing you like this.”
I knew he meant that, and it just made me cry harder.
The pad of his thumb brushed just underneath my eyes as he wiped my tears away. “Tell her to leave, Griffin. Please.” My voice was giving my hurt away as I buried my head back against his chest and silently sobbed.
I needed her gone today. I just needed her to leave me and this shitty day alone.
“My parents will be back in half an hour. They’re taking us out for lunch.”
I did not know if that was meant to make me feel better, but it did not. I said nothing, and he kept talking.
“I told them no, but the boys said yes, and she had already spoken with Karen. Seems like they speak regularly.”
“Wait… what?” Was he saying lunch with his parents and us or the all of us as in that thing in the living room also? “I’m not going.”
“I need you there with me.”
“Doubt it,” I muttered just as Mack walked into the kitchen wearing a huge smile.
“We’re all going out for family lunch! Mum said she’s coming too!” He was excited, and this is where I felt like a bitch. I had to put my issues aside and do this for the kids. “You’re coming too. Right, Ayla?” he asked, hopefully.
It was not about me and my problems anymore. It was about the kids wanting to have dinner with their Mum and Dad and grandparents—a family. But how did I fit into it all? I was not anything except the girlfriend. I needed to be more supportive. I needed to suck it up and do this for Griffin and his sons.
With a smile, I nodded and wrapped my arm around Griffin’s waist. “Of course, I am. Your dad’s going to buy me dessert! Couldn’t pass that up.”
Griffin looked down at me and whispered in a voice low enough for me to hear. “Thank you.”
“That’s called putting you first,” I whispered back, moving away to go and finish my drink in peace before spending an irritating few hours with his ex and parents.
You can do this. It’s just a family lunch. “You’re a big happy family,” I told myself as I rummaged our wardrobe for an outfit worthy of his mother’s approval.
A big happy fucking family we were not.