Risking Fate (20 page)

A hand stopped me from walking all the way down the hall. “Hey.”

My brother stood there in the dark hallway. He was in a t-shirt and jeans and it was the middle of the night. “Did you just get in?”

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Booty call.”

I smacked him on the arm. “Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not. I didn’t drink or do anything else if that’s what you’re wondering.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

I leaned on the opposite wall and looked at my brother. He seemed really happy for some reason. “You weren’t with Brina, that much I can tell.”

“Nope.”

“So you’re not goin’ to spill are you?”

He shook his head and laughed. “It was a
one
-
time
thing, Randa. Nothin’ to worry your pretty little self over.”

“How do you even know people from around here?”

“I meet people when I go into town. This particular female works in town. I
met her when I first got here.” He was being really secretive about this girl. It was making me more curious.

“Do I know this person? You didn’t meet her at AA did you?”

He creased his brow and shook his head. “Seriously? That’s kinda frowned upon. She ain’t from no meetin’.” He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “Did you and Shit Brick work things out?”

“Yeah, Shit Brick and I are better. I’m goin’ to bed.”

“Goodnight, Randa.”

My brother watched me as I walked down the hall. I was going to have to start being more nosey around him if I wanted to find out who this mystery girl was.

Ty and Bella were cuddled up into each
other’s
arms. It was so cute that I grabbed his phone to take a picture and make
it
his screensaver. When I picked up the phone, he had a text message.

If you need a place to stay tonight you know where to find me. – H

I looked over at my sleeping husband and considered waking him up and screaming at him some more for allowing this stupid bitch to have his number again. Instead, I thought back to how I used to be. An evil grin came across my face as I began typing.

I’m in bed with my wife. Where I want to be every night. Lose my number whore!

After the message sent, I quickly erased it and put his phone back down. I immediately felt like I should have told him first, but to be fair he had kept the secret from me and hurt my feelings. When I climbed in bed, I felt like I really showed her who had Ty’s love. Yes, it was immature, but it felt so damn good.

The next day I worried that Ty would get a call from Heather and he would be mad at me, but he never said a word. In fact for the
next
two weeks, we never heard anything from her or her brother. When we
got the paperwork in the mail from the attorney, Ty started to get worried.

“Baby, it’s been two weeks. I need to call and find out what’s going on. I can’t just sit around waiting. Besides, I gave the guy a grand. He at least owes me a call back.”

I hated the idea of him having to call that bitch, but I knew that Bella’s future depended on it. “Just make the call.”

“Are you sure? You can sit right next to me. I will put it on speaker.”

Ty looked through his phone and found the number. He had never programmed it in, so it was just a random number in his phone.
The ringing was loud as he turned on the speaker.

She seemed irritated.
What do you want Ty?

I haven’t heard from you. I need to find out if your brother got the papers for me.

Since you called me a whore I decided we aren’t helping you.

What the fuck are you talking about Heather?

You texted me the other night. It said you were laying in bed with your wife and that I was a whore.

My eyes got really big as Ty looked up at me. I mouthed the words ‘sorry’, but he was already rubbing his face with frustration.

Look, Miranda sent you that text. She knows you were lying at the shop and took it upon herself to use my phone. Listen Heather, this is really important. It isn’t about who I’m married to, or what happened in our past. This is for my child.

She isn’t even yours Ty.

She is. Don’t ever say she isn’t.
He stood up and started pacing.

I’m sorry, but we can’t help you. Have a nice life Ty.

Ty looked at his phone and threw it across the room. It shattered into pieces. He crouched down and put his hands over his head. I kneeled down be
side him, but he pushed me away
when I reached out. “Don’t!”

“Ty, I’m sorry, I….”

He stood up and walked toward his phone. “You pissed her off and she won’t give me the papers. Do you have any idea what that one
text message has done? God, how could you be so careless? Don’t you care about what is at stake here?”

I followed behind him, picking up more phone pieces. “Of course I do. Ty please..”

“Now my fucking phone is broke. I don’t even know her number. I had to call around for it before.
God
Dammit
! How could you fucking do that?”

I stood there and watched him having a fit in front of me. He was pacing around and shaking his head. Conner and Bella walked in the door and Ty went wa
lking out. Conner saw the look i
n my eyes and motioned with his head for me to go after him.

I followed after him, meeting him at the edge of the barn. He punched his fist right through it, then held his injured hand and fell to the ground.

I sat down beside him, never looking directly at him. When he refused to speak to me, I reached out to check his hand. “Don’t Miranda.”

Oh God, what have I done?

“Shut up and let me see it.” I looked at his hand carefully. He could still bend it around, so it wasn’t broken, but it was pretty banged up. While I had a good hold of something that was causing him pain, I knew I could get a full sentence in. “I’m sorry, Ty. Tell me what to do to make it right.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what you can do. She’s fucking pissed and I have run out of things to say to her. I don’t blame you for calling her a whore. She is a whore, but you could have waited until we had the papers and then called her every nasty name in the book. Now, I don’t know what to do. We need those papers.”

I don’t know why I said it. “What if you went to her house. What if you apologized?”

“She won’t care. She only cares about herself.”

“You have to try. Do you want me to go?” It was a stupid idea.

“Hell no! She hates you. It’s best if I go alone.”

“Tell her we got into it and you walked out on me for what I did. Lie to her Ty. Make her think you
’
r
e
mad at me. She wants you to be mad at me. She wants you to want her.” I could feel the vomit rising in
my throat, but I knew it was the truth. Heather wanted Ty and if I wanted to make this right, this had to be the plan.

What am I saying?

“I can’t do that, Baby. I don’t want her.”

I don’t want you to want her!

I shook my head and started to cry. “I messed this up. I ruined our only chance. I need you to try Ty. Say whatever you have to.” I started to really cry, just imagining what I was about to say. “Kiss her if you have to.”

“I can’t.” He grabbed my hand with his good one and squeezed it. I felt his lips kissing me on my head. “I can’t do that.”

I cupped his face with my hands. “Do what you have to do Ty. Just don’t sleep with her. I can’t get past that, no matter what it’s for.
I can’t picture that in my head forever. It would kill me.
” I tur
ned over and started gagging
I was crying so
badly
. Ty rushed closer to me and pulled my hair back.

“Shh, calm down. I’m not going anywhere.”
Once I finished, I looked up and saw that he was crying. “I don’t want to touch her. I hate
her. How can you ask me to hurt you to save Izzy? How could you make me choose?”

I kissed his hands. “You have to.
” I took a couple deep breaths “
It’s for our family.”

He stood up and pulled me with him. I felt his hands on my belly. “Please don’t doubt my love for you. I live and breathe for you and our children. I’
m nothing without you. As much as I want this paternity test, I can’t risk you. I can’t do it, Miranda. Please don’t make me choose you or Iz.”

I wrapped my arms around him. “I’m choosing for you.” I was sobbing so hard that he was literally pulling me against him to calm my shaking. “I can’t be responsible for losing our only chance. You need to save our baby from that awful woman. Please.” He needed to go before I grabbed him and held on for dear life. I didn’t want him going anywhere near her, but I had ruined our one shot. This was going to go to court without that paper. Ty would resent me forever. It wasn’t about the money or even about Heather, this was about our family.

“I need you to get your brother. I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.” He kissed me and left his lips on my head. “I hat
e this. I hate all of this
.”

“I do too. I’m so sorry, Ty.”

I dried my eyes enough to walk in the house. Conner was sitting on the couch and I didn’t notice Bella anywhere. “Ty needs you.”

He stood up and walked toward the door. “You alright?”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, we aren’t fightin’. Just somethin’ that needs to be done.”

Conner shook his head and walked outside. I stood at the door watching them. The last thing I saw was Conner punching Ty straight in the face.

Chapter 14

Ty

I thought about explaining things to Conner, giving him a reason to beat the shit out of me. Maybe it was wrong for bringing Heather back into our lives, but it was my only way to save my baby from a horrible woman and a broken heart. I’d give my own life to protect her, even my own happiness.

Conner came walking out toward me. I was in the exact place where Colt and I had tried to fight for Van. It brought back memories of my father coming and breaking us up. Conner must have seen the remorseful look
in
my eyes, because he stopped
dead
in his tracks and cocked his head.

“What’s goin’ on Bro?”

Just say it!

“I need you to hit me.”

“Come again?” Conner’s one eyebrow raised as he
stood
there with his arms folded waiting for me to explain.

“I need you to hit me, preferably in the jaw so it leaves a mark.”

In all of the fucking times that this guy had wanted to kill me, he just stood there expecting me to explain why I wanted him to do
it
. Looking at his face, it would have been easier to run into a door myself.

“Why am I doin’ this?”

“Because
me and Miranda
need it to look like she kicked me out and you beat me up. We can’t get those papers unless that bitch Heather takes the bait.”

He pointed to me. “Let me get this straight. My sister is now in on this scheme? She actually wants you to go see this Heather person?”

I held my hands up in the air. “Look,
man, Miranda sent Heather
this text message
, basically causing the girl to
refuse to help us get those papers. I don’t blame her for it at all, but now we’re desperate. I just think she would be more forgiving if she really thought
me and Miranda
were on the outs. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask her yourself. This was her idea. I told her no, but she insisted.”

“So, what are ya plannin’ to do when you get there?” I could tell he was getting
defensive
and I needed him to be.

“Not that! I would never do what you’re thinking. Look, I know everyone thinks I am this big cheater, but Van and I were kids when we
got together. We
were
more friends than anything. Yeah, we had a physical relationship, but it was just go
ing through the motions of it all
.
I loved her dearly, but neither of us were in love.
She knew that as soon as she got with Colt. You can think whatever you want, but your sister is the only woman I have ever truly loved. I’d die for her, Dude. I’d do anything for her to be happy.”

“Nah, I believe you. Living with you two makes it easy to see how happy you are. I’ll admit, it was hard to accept, but they both love you and I know you return those feelin’s. Miranda’s a tough girl, but I know this has got to be killin’ her inside. If you’re doin’ this, then I want to help. Bella’s my niece and it’s important to me too.”

Conner drew back and hit me on the side of my jaw, before I could see it coming.  He was shaking his hand as I turned
around
to look at him. My hand was
already
on my bleeding mouth. “What the fuck?”