“Oh, come on… Sage, you know me better than that. He’s lying! He’s done nothing but treat me like shit. Tell her, Haiden! Tell your mother the truth about what you’ve been putting me through! Including today! I didn’t lose you. You purposely planned all this. Starting with last night when you told me that Sage told Aspyn…” I growled, being extremely frustrated.
How much more can this kid put me through? What more can I do to make him like me? Accept me?
I wasn’t trying to be his dad.
All I wanted was to be his friend.
“I bet you knew where I was all along. Were you watching me from afar? Huh? Did you enjoy the show? Did you?”
“Ashton!” Sage abruptly stood. “That’s enough.” Placing her kids behind her, she roared, “I can’t believe you’d lie this much to cover your own ass! What kind of man are you?”
“Tell me, Sage … have I ever lied to you? Do I ever say things I don’t mean? I hate liars! You know that! I told you in St. Thomas!”
“How do I know you weren’t lying there too?”
I pointed to myself. “I’m the liar? You’re the one who didn’t even tell me you’re a mother!”
“You know why I didn’t tell you! Don’t you dare throw that in my face?!”
“I’m just stating facts, sweetheart. The only one who is lying to you right now is your demon spawn!”
I regretted the words as soon as they flew out of my mouth, but there was nothing I could do now. I'd said them, and there was no taking it back.
She loudly gasped. “You know what?!”
“No, what, blind mama?”
“I was right! You’re not fit to be a parent! I never should have continued things with you!”
I jerked back—it felt like she’d kneed my balls. Haiden was beaming, getting exactly what he wanted.
Haven still hadn’t lifted her face, and I resisted the urge to hug and comfort her. It was obvious Haiden had made her do this.
Maybe a little part of her did like me? Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking, and I’m as blind as their mother when it came to them…
“That’s a low blow, pissed off mama. I have been nothing but understanding with you since the first time we met! And I’m talking about eight years ago!”
Haiden peered up at her. “You knew him eight years ago?”
“Yeah, I saved her from your fat—” I caught myself. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Haiden, I’m begging you. Please… Please tell your mom the truth. The pranks. Today. I didn’t lose you. You set me up.”
“Ashton, enough! Leave my boy out of this and your irresponsibility. I can’t believe you’re shameless enough to drag him into this.”
“He’s only doing this to break us up. How can you not see that?”
“My son is not a liar! He’s never lied to me before! How could you do this to me? I trusted you.”
“Yeah,” Haiden agreed. “I trusted you too, Ashton.”
This was the last straw, and I snapped. Focusing my eyes strictly on their mother, I spewed, “I’ve been putting up with everything he’s done to me because I fucking love you!”
Sage stumbled back from the impact of my words, blown away by what I'd revealed. It was the first time I’d shared it with her, and I’d been wanting to since I didn’t know how long. I thought a huge part of me had fallen in love with her when I was sixteen and she was all pretty and awkward.
If I was going to lose her anyway, I might as well go down in a blaze of glory.
“Yeah, I love you, Sage. I’m so in love with you that I can’t see straight. And despite the fact that your kid gives Dennis the Menace a run for his money, I’m willing to overlook it, if it means I get to stay in your life. And in theirs. No relationship is perfect. We’ll work on it. I’ll do whatever I can, whatever you want, need… Jesus, do you hear me? I’ll do anything to keep you.”
Tears were streaming down her face, and Haven’s. Haiden’s wall was so thick, so big, there was no way of ever jumping over it.
“How am I supposed to trust you? I can’t…”
It all came to a head.
Our battle.
His war.
I lost.
Surrendered.
Breaking my heart when she uttered the four words I had been dreading since day one, “I can’t do this.”
Ending our relationship with the first woman I ever loved.
Chapter 26
—Ashton—
“Bro,” Leo stated, sitting next to me at the bar. “I’m sorry. Women fucking suck. You can’t live with them, and you can’t live without their pussy.”
I breathed out a chuckle. “Says the man who’s whipped on his fiancé.”
Leo and Mila got engaged three months ago. I was actually there, barging into their bedroom after he'd proposed to her to tell him about Sage and the twins. I’d flown back to Tennessee the night before from St. Thomas, and he was the only one of the boys who didn’t know I was dating someone.