"Tyler hates me." I chuckled to myself, finishing off the scraps of salt and pepper chicken strips that the restaurant boxed up for us.
"He doesn't hate you, he's just - wary of you." River reached into the box and grabbed the last one before I could.
"He hates me."
Earlier when we collected Everly from Tyler's apartment he was less than accommodating towards River. In fact, they got into an argument.
"Haven't got an electrician in to fix the kitchen light yet then?" I commented.
"I told you Mil, it's the circuit and I'm not paying some electrician to rewire my whole house."
"I could take a look for you." River spoke, sounding hopeful for some kind of reconciliation. "It's not flickering so there's no power running through the circuit, it's probably just blown a fuse."
"we don't any help from you. Thank you." Tyler stood up and walked towards the door, setting a strong gaze onto River. "My lights worked just fine for the past four years without the need of any electrician. They certainly don't need one showing up out of the blue now."
Sensing we were no longer talking about the lights I defended River. "Ty, he didn't know."
Everly's little feet came pottering over and she stood between the two men in her life, batting her head back and forth between them both. Caught somewhat in the middle. She wasn't stupid, she could sense the hostility in the room.
"So if you're now my dad does that mean I can't have Tyler anymore?"
River crouched down beside her, "no Everly, I'm sure there's room for everyone in your life. Me being here doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to anyone, I would never stop you from seeing someone you love. Tyler helped raise you, I don't stand a chance against that but I would like the opportunity to get to know you better, if that's okay with you?"
Everly nodded but Tyler scoffed rudely.
"Oh really?" He snarled. "And how are you going to do that when you're some rich mother chucker CEO who owns several businesses on the other side of the country huh? Because she's not moving and you're not getting custody, I don't care how much money you have to throw at lawyers. Over my dead body."
"Tyler!" I scolded and gestured with my eyes towards Everly who just seemed even more confused.
River stood up.
"Admittedly the details need straightening out but-"
"No!" Tyler continued. "They're already straight. She stays here, with us. You know, the people who have been around since day one? There's nothing to straighten out. You go back home to your billion dollar company where you probably eat caviar for breakfast and bathe in milk and compressed flower petals and I'll continue to sit beside your daughters bedside making sure she has taken her daily medication."
River clenched his jaw, just like he always does whenever he's angry but Tyler wouldn't let up.
"Tell me, Mr CEO. Would you drop everything? Your company, your money, your whole life, uproot and move here?"
"Tyler, that's unfair." I butted in. "Stop this now, how about we keep the adult conversations limited to just the adults."
"He'll come round, he's just scared of losing her." I gave a wary side-eye at River. "I am too."
If his feet had wheels they would've screeched with how fast he stopped. "What?"
"I've seen first hand the money and power you have River. How you sway things your way no matter who you have to step over in order to do so. I've seen you tap into illegal means and you have friends in dark places. It's alarming and honestly quite scary. I don't want to fall victim to that. I don't want you to suddenly decide one day it's time for Everly to go live with you and all of a sudden I'm pushed out of the picture."
