Little Bit Yours 💜

Fourteen

When Andy brings Braeden back after dinner, she answers the door with a big smile on her face. He notices Simon smirk at him from the couch before Braeden launches at him. They had both changed from that morning, now wearing pajamas or sweats. Audrey looks almost guilty when he turns her attention back to her and he can tell the energy between her and Simon is different than it was that morning. "Can we talk?"

Simon rolls his eyes but stands up with Braeden in his arms. "I'll just go give him a bath and put him to bed." He pauses as he passes Audrey, kissing her on the cheek as he glares at Andy before disappearing down the hall.

Audrey's face is now bright red as she looks at the ground. "What is it? Did you have a good day?"

Andy sighs, nodding at he grabs her chin, tilting it up toward him. "He is a great kid, and we had a great day. How was your day?"

She shrugs lightly, swallowing hard as she pushes his hand away from her. "It was fine."

"Right," he scoffs. "Are we going to talk about who you have around my son?"

"You mean Simon?" She laughs, rolling her eyes. "The man that's been there since he was born? What about him?"

He crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't like him. And I don't want him keeping my son from me, or making my son think he's the father."

"First of all, Braeden has always known that Simon wasn't his father, so you don't have to worry about that. And second of all, no one is going to keep your son from you, Andy." She crosses her arms, countering his own stance. "You want to vet him? What is it? You think I will get a say in who you date or bring around Braeden?"

"Date?" His arms drop to his sides as his heart plummets to the floor. "You guys are dating?"

She shrugs again, blushing. "I don't really know. We aren't labeling it right now."

"So, you're just sleeping together then..."

She scoffs. "Are you going to stand here in front of me and tell me that you haven't slept with anyone since I left? Because I haven't, Andy! It was just you! For four years while I took care of our son, I was with no one else. No one! Until today. So, don't you come in here judging me as if you have any say in my life!"

He swallows the lump in his throat, trying to calm the rage he feels burning through him at the thought of someone else touching what he believed to be his. "But you're here now. I thought..."

"You thought?" She laughs. "You thought what, Andy? Because you've made it clear you didn't want to be with me. Not to mention you only just broke up with your almost fiancée a week ago. Don't come in here and start spouting about what you thought and about who I do or don't sleep with. The only thing that concerns you in this house is your son, nothing and no one else. Now get out."

"Fine!" He turns to leave before turning back to her from the open front door. "Can I have Braeden overnight Friday?"

"You can have him from Friday until Sunday, if he wants," she agrees, lowering her voice as he nods.

"Thanks." He slams the door hard behind him before slamming the car door after that as he punches the steering wheel. He wasn't able to be honest with her before and he lost her and missed on the chance to see his son being born. Now he was losing her to another man that always seemed to be around to clean up his messes.

***

"What did Andy want?"

She groans, entering the bedroom to find Simon already under the blanket, waiting for her. She crawls into bed beside him, laying on her side to look up at him. "He was fishing for information about our relationship. Under the guise of being concerned about Braeden."

"Our relationship?" He smirks, sinking down into the bed to mirror her, running his hand along her arm.

"Whether we were sleeping together. I don't understand, he said himself that he wasn't ready to see if we could salvage anything between us. That he wanted to focus on Braeden. But as soon as it looks like I'm moving on, he's pissed."

"Come on," Simon sighs. "You waited for him for almost 5 years. I think you're allowed to move on, he did. And you know that I love you, Audrey. And Braeden."

"Simon," she groans. "I don't want to do this now. I'm okay with you staying here. And I'm okay with you being here for Braeden and even for me, but I think I've been quite clear on the fact that I'm not ready for what you are."

He chuckles, a teasing grin on his face. "And what is it exactly you think I'm ready for, love?"

"Marriage. White picket fence. A dog. More kids."

He grins, nodding. "I am ready for all of that."

"I'm not and I still have feelings for Andy. Even after all this time." She turns to lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. "It's still so hard to see him. And even though he broke me first, I can see how much I've broken him by keeping Braeden from him all this time. You should be nicer to him, Simon. You got to do everything he should have gotten to do if I hadn't taken his son to the other side of the country."

Simon sighs, knowing she was right, but she was all he ever wanted. He rolls onto his back beside her, linking his fingers through hers at their sides. "I know. I'm sorry if I can't get over hearing you sob through the walls. Watching you break down when you missed him, or when something reminded you of him. I was there for all of that, too."

Audrey sighs, knowing she loses either way. If she chooses Simon, Andy will never get over the fact that someone else is raising his son. If she chooses Andy, Simon will never get over the fact that she went back to Andy after everything. She rolls away from Simon, tears stinging her eyes as she feels him move to wrap his arms around her, pulling her back flush against his chest.

"I love you no matter what. And I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me to."

His words are sweet, and they make her smile. And she almost believes him. But they are all words she had heard before...