Butchered Beasts 1: Darren & EJ

Chapter 24

EJ POV

Darren had been really quiet for the last week or so. It'd been two weeks since I overheard his phone call. I didn't dare to talk to him about it, though. I didn't want him to know I'd overheard his incredibly private conversation. And, we're just friends. So, it's not like I could really say anything. What right do I have, ya know? I'm not his lover or girlfriend. I'm a friend. Just a friend. Why do I hate the sound of that so much? Why do I hate that I'm literally just a friend?!

In court last week, when the judge granted us an unprecedentedly fast divorce, stating that the safety of the children was clearly the factor in needing to decide this quickly. It blew my mind because I'd never seen one granted so quickly. We've only been separate for three months. But...I guess...Patrick did attempt to kidnap the children.

On top of that, the ink has barely dried on those damn papers and I'm over here fantasying and worrying about a man?!

No. I shook my head, bringing myself back to, myself.

I was going to kill it being a single woman. Single mother. I am.

Killing it, that is.

I am going to kill it as a single mom.

I've got this.

Heavy on the single part if the lack of communication from Darren the last week or so (two weeks, but who's counting?) is anything to go by. But...we're just friends. Ugh! Has that word always sounded and tasted so dirty in my mouth? What the hell? I wanted to pull my hair out. I was in my 'virtual class' and I just wanted to pull my fucking hair out. I fully understood Britney 2007. And I really wanted to hit the one woman who'd been asking the same question about twenty different ways. The professor was still giving the lecture and had stopped three times to answer her. How hard was it to fucking understand?

It's basic chemistry.

Ugh.

I know I'm moody because things shifted in a way I was not expecting, and I think my period is close. At least I hope so. It had been wonky the last two times. I just want to get hell week over with. Hell week or shark week. It all means the same thing. It's the week that women bleed for five to seven days and don't die. My dad called it 'zombie week' growing up.

Walking into the house, I was here today to check on the painting that had been done. Including the whole inside and outside. I was so excited to see how the color palettes went together; I was hoping Mt. Sour Puss wasn't here to ruin it for me.

No such luck. He was there as soon as I pulled in. I walked around the outside of the house first since he was in the garage. I wanted to steer clear of him. I was not trying to get anywhere near that cranky man. I went and checked out the backyard and back half of the house and garage, completely ignoring him as he tried to smile at me.

Too late buddy. You gotta work to get back in my graces if you wanted it.

Darren POV

She was ignoring me. Though I expected that after I basically cold-shouldered her for the last two weeks. I wanted to make sure that I had the DNA results in hand before I talked to her about the situation. I didn't want her to get the wrong idea. But, now that I was in front of her as she made her way from the car to the side of the house, then the front out of view, I noticed, that she looked at me once. And that was when she pulled in and saw me. I tried to smile, but I was pretty she scowled at me.

She came back around the front and went through the gate in the fence. Again, ignoring me. Twenty minutes later when she'd come out, she looked around and found Sean. She called him over, as I was talking to a few of the other guys about the garage and getting it finished so she could move everything in that she needed. Thankfully, there wasn't much else that needed to be added to it. Just finishing the drywall and getting it painted. She wanted it a cream color of some shade. The painter was supposed to be here to do it tomorrow and we had the whole inside to finish.

By the time I was done talking to the guys, she and Sean had disappeared.

Fuck.

I looked around the backyard, not seeing her, I went inside. I could hear her upstairs, giggling with Sean laughing. As I made my up the stairs, what they were talking about got clearer.

"I think this looks awesome. I really appreciate you guys being able to do this. One wall is her chalkboard and the other is his. Thank you."

"It was Darren who did it. He stayed late each night to make sure it was done." I paused. He was giving me credit when he'd been helping too.

"He's been a bit of an ass lately, so, thank him for me."

"He's had some shit going on, but I think it's about to be cleared up."

"Yes. Well. I'm just a friend. And he quit texting me back so. Obviously, he wants to keep it professional."

"I don't think,"

"He told you what's going on, right?" I heard nothing, "He didn't tell me. He cut me off. So, please tell him thank you for all the extra efforts, but I've got it from here on out."

Sighing, and rubbing the back of my neck, I made myself known to the two of them, "You're welcome. But I'd like to talk to you. As friends and a woman who I like and want to get to know," I paused, "If you'll let me of course."

She just looked at me and walked past me back downstairs.

"If she was easy to get in good graces with after you dropped the ball, she wouldn't be worth it man," Sean said as he clapped my shoulder going back downstairs.

Fuck.

Me.

This was going to take some, correction, a lot of brainstorming, and maximum effort on my part. She already had trust issues and I went and added to them. Like a fucking dumbass. Walking back downstairs, I was trying to find her so I could see if there was anything specific, she wanted for the loft in the garage. I was walking through the living room, heading back to the Master bedroom, when I caught a bit of her conversation with someone she was on the phone with, "He's a fucking dumbass if he thinks he can just walk back up to me and I'll let him talk to me again, after giving me the silent treatment for two fucking weeks. I mean, seriously. I get that we were just building a friendship, but don't you think I deserved something? Like, 'Hey I've got some shit going on and I need to take care of it, but I'll let you know what it is when it's handled' or something like that. He's a fucking dumbass."

I knocked on the door jam and she jumped, whirling around to see me. Her eyes went wide.

"They call me, Darren the IceMan. Lord of the Dumbasses."