Halfway to Love

Chapter 20

Daniel was right when he said that his system was unorganised. It's been three days and I'm still sifting through drawers of paper trying to organise it. Right now, I'm sorting it into type, then by year and then by month. Then I can actually look through what's here and what's needed and shred the rest. Heaven forbid a flame ever touches this office because it would go up in flames like a match in sawdust.

But the world stops when a certificate falls out of a file and into my lap. It's a marriage certificate signed by Daniel and Slater. In the same file is power of attorney and the house deeds. Surely they would have said something. I try and think back to see if I remember seeing them with wedding rings on, but I don't. Then it hits me, they both wear silver hoops in their left ears, no matter what other jewellery they have on, and I've never seen them take them out. The confusion turns to anger as tears start dripping down my face.

I slam the office door open, making Slater jump as he's making lunch for everyone,

"Elliot what's..."

"Don't. Find the others. Family meeting in the living room. Now."

I sit down on the coffee table and wait for the others. My knee bouncing more and more as my agitation grows. Daniel is the last to join us and he sits right in front of me. He puts his hand on my knee, and I smack it off with the file almost instantly.

"Don't."

He nods and sits back in his chair.

"What's the matter Elliot."

I look between him and Slater, and there they hang. Small silver rings in each left ear. Looking closely at them now I see an S in Daniels and a D in Slaters.

"Don't you think you should have mentioned that your married."

The room goes silent. Slater looks away and Daniel leans his elbows onto his knees and buries his face in his hands. Lewis looks between them almost maniacally,

"You're married? But you both told me it wasn't something you wanted. When I asked years ago if the four of us could have an unofficial ceremony, you said you hated the idea of being tied down. Since when Elliot?"

"Since 6 months after Slater arrived."

Lewis stands up and storms out the front door. One of the glass panels cracking under the force of the door. The loud bang setting off River.

"Bubba I want you to go to your room and curl up with a stuffy. I will be there in a minute. I just need to talk to Daniel and Slater and make sure Lewis is dealing. Okay?"

River nods and runs up the stairs. When I hear their door close upstairs I throw the folder onto the sofa next to Daniel.

"Power of attorney, house deeds, marriage licence. Using earrings instead of wedding bands is a smooth choice. It doesn't take rocket science to know that honesty and balance is how shit like this works. You two being married changes that balance. But it wouldn't have if you had told the fucking truth."

Daniel sighs,

"I know."

"THE FUCK YOU MEAN!"

Slater flinches at my shouting and it causes me to take a deep breath to try and simmer my anger.

"I'm pissed that you didn't tell me. But you lied to them. You preach honesty and openness Daniel. But you hid something so fucking massive. You made Lewis's dream of having a proper family seem like idea of a nightmare for you. When in fact you were rolling around in marital bliss."

I pull my phone out and dial Lewis's number. He answers on the first ring, and I can hear his ragged breath through the receiver,

"Are you safe within yourself Lew?"

"Yes Owner."

"Where are you?"

"In the woods. I know my way around so I'm safe."

"When you feel in control enough come home. My room will be empty, you can take any comfort item you want. If coming home today is too hard then book a local hotel. Do you have money?"

"Yes Owner. I will be home before its dark. But I don't want to talk to... them."

The way he said 'then' is so full of venom that it makes me flinch.

"I'll make sure they stay in Daniels room for the rest of the day so you can come in whenever you want. I will be in with River. If you start to crisis then you can come in, but I know you are far better with dealing with your emotions then they are."

"I'm just hurt and confused. I need to think."

"I know. You aren't the only one. I'll speak to you later okay?"

He hums and then ends the call. I look back to Daniel who has tears streaming down his face. His calm dominant nature cracked open in front of me and all that's left if a broken man full of regret.

"I... I don't know if I want to hug you or beat the shit out of you Daniel, so I'm not going to do either. You and Slater are going to get food and drink for the day, and you are going to go to your room. You will stay there. I'm going to try and fix what this information fucked up. You should have told them. I don't care that you didn't mention this to me. But this affects us all. If you got hurt, the only person who could see you is Slater. The only person who could make decisions is Slater. Either one of you dies and the other has full control of the house and finances. If you both die, the rest of us are fucked."

Slater looks at me for the first time since I showed the paperwork.

"I...I didn't think of those things."

"Figures. I knew there would be some legality things regarding the house and was going to suggest a meeting with a lawyer to get something written up regarding the house and insurance but now I need to make sure there's a family left to sign the paperwork. I'm sure as husbands you can keep each other out of crisis."

I know that sentence was a low blow but I'm too annoyed to think much of it. I walk up the stairs and into River's room. They are curled up in their stuffy corner crying their eyes out so hard that their face is going blue, and their throat is so closed that they aren't making any noise as they shake and shiver.

"Shit."