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thirty-nine

two months later

"Michael! Don't!" I yelled as he threw me straight back into the pool.

We were having a pool day, but I had just dried off and put on tanning lotion and he threw me right back in.

The guys laughed in unison as I swam up, pushing the hair out of my face.

"Where's your mom?" Calum asked as I climbed out again, glancing to the sliding glass door where she was on the phone.

I looked to Michael.

"Her new job is on her ass about everything, they don't even give her a break on the weekends" he spoke.

"Sounds like she's an intern."

Soon I dried off and went inside for water, but I could hear my mom.

"Darrell- I love Michael, Harper loves all of these guys way too much  for me to just pack up and leave." I heard her say.

I froze.

"I miss you too" I heard her quiet voice speak.

I know this wasn't happening.

God, tell me this isn't what is happening.

"Okay, I'll talk to Harper and see what she thinks, but I highly doubt that she will be okay with this"

As I went to turn to face where her voice was coming closer to, I dropped my glass, watching it shatter across the ground.

And that's right when my mom and I made eye contact.

"Darrell, let me call you back." He spoke slowly

"Love you too" she spoke before hanging up.

"Harper-" "michael just bought us this house" I mumbled.

"We sold our house, we just moved three states away and you're going to drop this all for a cheating and piece of shit man!" I tried not to yell, but she still shushed me.

"Harper, we have to talk about this when Michael isn't near-" "what can't Michael hear?" Ashton voice chimed in from the door.

Mom was silent.

I slowly started picking up the pieces of the glass.

"Ashton- what did you hear?" Mom asked him.

"Enough to know that there's something going on, and Michael certainly doesn't know, and Harper looks quite upset." He spoke.

She didn't speak

"Let me just get Michael-" "don't," my moms voice panicked.

"Then tell me what the fuck is going on" he almost raised his voice, which I had never seen from him- it was intimidating.

"My ex husband wants us to come back home." She spoke slowly.

"The ex husband that cheated on you and abandoned you-" "I wasn't thinking about actually going back!" My mom lied to him.

Ashton looked to me.

"I'm getting Michael."

And soon all the guys and Michael were in the house, my mom and Michael full blown screaming at each other.

"I've given you fucking everything! Everything. What have you asked for that I haven't given you?" His voice cracked as he yelled, breaking my heart into pieces.

"And you're going to drag Harper back to the man that broke her fucking heart, the man that walked out on her-" "but he came back!" My mom cried out to him.

Michael just stared.

"What does he have that I don't?" Michael asked her.

She couldn't answer.

"I want you out my house by tomorrow." He spoke after a moment, making my heart drop.

"There's no fucking way, we have to pack and fly home-" "Harper can stay as long as she needs, but not you. You sleep in the guest room tonight and you pack your shit and you go, I don't want to ever see you again." He spoke.

I felt the first tear fall down my cheek.

"You're insane if you think I'm leaving my daughter here while I'm gone-" "you know I'd never hurt a hair on her fucking head." Michael spoke swiftly.

"Don't get me and her dad mixed up- I've fucking loved that child like my own, even when she hated my fucking guts I loved her. Do not make it seem like I'm going to mistreat her." I jumped off the counter, moving past them.

"Look what you did- now she's upset-" "no, she's upset because you're moving her back in with a man who never fucking loved her!"

I slammed the front door shut.

I don't want to be near either of them.

I don't want to be near anyone

Life was so fucking good

I was so happy

But I guess happiness will always only be temporary