Pregnant with my Brother's Best Friend's Baby

14||

Ryder's Pov

The past couple weeks Mayla has been acting different, she tries to avoid everyone around her whether it's in person or over the phone. She claims everything is okay, but I know Mayla. I have even tried getting Jai involved, but apparently, she's been dodging his calls as well. She started back work at the hospital on Monday and I had today off to get things done around the house. Greyson and Xena we're at school like usual and the house was peaceful, until there was a knock at the door. I walked over swinging it open to see Ashton, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see my daughter."

I shook my head, "She's not your daughter, Ashton! Plus, she's not even here."

"Oh, so since you've took care of her for the past ten years, she automatically your daughter." He took a step towards me, but I didn't move an inch.

I crossed my arms across my chest, "Yeah! I'm more off a father to her then you'll ever be! Now, you have two seconds to get off my property before I call the police. Your breaking your restraining order by showing up here."

"where's Mayla?!"

"Not here!"

He got his face inches from mine, "Bull...Shit!"

I pushed on his chest to get him out of my face, "She isn't here Ashton!! When will you get it through your thick skull, she doesn't want you around her or Xena." I could see the rage boiling up in his eyes, but I didn't care at this point. "So, leave Ashton! You're not welcome here!"

That was when he launched towards me causing me to fall back on the floor. He straddled me as he tried swinging towards my face, but I dodged besides when he got a clean shot of my cheek bone. I was done trying to fight clean, I twisted myself causing me to escape from being under him and his face hit the floor. I then gave him a couple punches once I took a step back he finally found the energy to get up from being bent over. Ashton looked at me as blood dripped from his mouth, "Ashton, we need to stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

Once I said that he launched towards me again, this time I moved out of the way as he ran into the wall. Before he was about to leap again, Mayla yelled out, "STOP!!!!"

We both brought our glance towards her, she then said, "Ashton. Leave, before I press call on 911. GO!" Ashton wanted to say something but she yelled out again, "LEAVE! NOWW!" Then just like that he was gone. Mayla looked at me, "What the hell just happened?"

I rubbed the back of my neck letting out a huge sigh, "He came in here demanding to see Xena. Then this happened."

"Let's get some ice on your cheek before it bruises and swells up." I followed her to the kitchen as she reached in the freezer to grab one of the kid's ice packs to place on my face, "Here."

I eased it onto my cheek letting out a sigh, "May-"

She stopped me, "I know. I've been distant with everyone lately, I didn't mean to shut you all out and make a big thing out of nothing. I just wasn't as excited about baby number three like you were. Since I had all this family problems running around me with Greyson and Ashton being well Ashton. I didn't feel ready for a third baby."

I took the ice pack of my cheek, "You should have just told me, but Mayla, you're not alone. You have me to help you, along with Londyn and Jai. So, don't think that your alone in anything because you're not. I rather you tell me then shut me out." I walked to her pulling her close, "I love you, and only you, Mayla."

I watched her eyes get watery as she wrapped her arms around me tight, "I love you too."

---

Earlier the next day, I was going through the mail and something caught my eye, a letter from the court house. I opened it up and read through it, my eyes grew larger with every passage. "Mayla!!!"

"Why are you yelling? The kids are still sleeping." I turned around to her rubbing her eyes, "What's that?" She went over towards me pulling it out of my hands, then her jaw dropped, "That little bastard! How could he do this?! WHY!?"

"Let's calm down."

"Calm down? Ryder, this abusive dick hole wants shared custody of Xena. No way in hell is that happening!"

I took in a large sigh, "Let's call the number on the letter and schedule a court date."

"A court date?!"

"Mayla, you will win! You have so much on Ashton that he won't be able to look at Xena. Your brother took pictures of the incident and you have doctor reports of the lower half. He won't get Xena. I promise."

I know she didn't want to, but she agreed to it. I called the number to set up a date for us and that was that. I don't know why Ashton is trying so hard when he doesn't even know Xena.