Fight or Flirt (Part Two)
There are many things Scott has given you in a short period of time: migraines, high blood pressure, and a son you would do anything for. A son he doesnât know exists. Cutting him off was hard enough â welcoming him home might be worse.
âž PAIRING: Ex-FWB!Scott Miller x F!Reader âž WARNINGS: NSFW 18+, former situationship to baby daddy to lovers (all at the same time tbh), fingering, slight degradation and dumbification, oral (f!receiving), pussy pronouns, bickering is their foreplay, breeding kink, mean in bed!scott, grumpy scott in general, hurt/comfort, emotionally avoidant!reader, miscommunication (my favorite, of course) âžÂ WORD COUNT: 14.1K âž A/N: wowowow this is the second and final part of this story!!!! thank you so much for all the love in the first one <3 i'm glad we're all hyperfixated on this man who has no screen time together. i wrote this over a month ago but i've been rereading it aggressively to make sure it's good to free into the world. one of my fave things i've written and i fucking love scott my angsty husband <33 i hope you enjoy. if you do, please comment and reblog, i'd love to hear your thoughts!!!!
†main masterlist | part one
âI extended my trip.â
Itâs the first thing you hear when Scott shoulders past you in the evening. Youâre still standing, shell-shocked by the door, trying to comprehend how this man is in your apartment hours past his supposed flight time. He comes in bearing paper bags with your local fancy grocery store stamped onto the front.
Scott has never grocery shopped a day in his life.
âWhy?â You question slowly. Your eyes briefly fly to Ben whoâs scribbling on the coffee table, he looks up curiously when he sees the familiar face.
âUncle Scott,â he beams in greeting.
Scott matches that expression, the sweetest heâs ever looked, as he comes over and ruffles his hair. âHey, big man, whatâre you working on?â
âMe, mom, and dog.â
âDog, huh?â he chuckles, âIâm sure we can arrange that.â
Ben brightens, hopeful eyes turning to you. Youâre going to strangle this man. âLetâs talk about it after dinner, bud.â Your narrowed eyes switch over to Scott. âA word?â
He confidently strolls back over to you, disregarding your glare as he begins to pull out all sorts of things. Mushrooms, vegetables, packs and packs of meat. USDA Prime. Jesus Christâ âWhat are you doing?â
âUnpacking groceries.â
You pinch his side. Heâs built like a brick wall, he doesnât even flinch. âScott.â
He says your name in response. A teasing lilt hanging to each letter.
âWhy are you here? What is all this?â
âGroceries.â
âDonât be an ass. Why did you extend your trip?â
âTo spend time with you.â He begins to organize your fridge. Worst part? He knows exactly how you like your fridge arranged so heâs putting all the things in all the right places.
âIâm serious,â you hiss.
âWhat makes you think Iâm not?â
You swallow, gaze flying to Ben again whoâs back to drawing out his dream dog. It looks more like a deformed puppy but you get the gist of it. âWe canâtââ you take a deep breath, âListen, Ben is young. Heâs going to latch onto you if you keep coming around.â
âWould that be so bad?â
The question infuriates you. You scowl, âAre you fucking kidding me? That would be a nightmare. What happens when you leave? Heâs going to be asking around for Uncle Scott who will never come around again. Thereâs a reason why I donât bring around just anyone to meet him.â
Scottâs eyes tighten almost imperceptibly, but you know him better than that. âYou bring others around to meet him?â
âIâ no, thatâs not what I meant. Jennaâs really the only person who comes over other than my mom. The staff at the hospital know because he pops by time to time. I donâtâ Iâm careful about who I expose him to. I donât want to have to answer questions about where someone went or pick up the pieces of a boy who shouldnât have his heart broken because people disappear on him.â
He seems to mull over this for a moment. His next question sends a shock through your system.
âWho says Iâm leaving again?â
Your heart slams against your ribs. Traitorous little thing is getting excited for nothing. âWhatâre you talking about?â
âStorm Par is set up and running. We have a good team down in Oklahoma always collecting data. Iâve been managing mostly strategy and investor relations.â He looks a little too pleased when he says, âI need to be closer to potential funders anyway, a lot of them are in the northeast.â
âYouâre notââ Your breath hitches in your throat, âyouâre not considering moving back, are you?â
A proud look settles on his face. âJust signed for a sublet for the next couple of months while I look for a more permanent apartment. Howâs this neighborhood? I donât remember it being particularly nice, but it seems good. How do you feel about moving?â
âScott,â you snap. âThatâs insane. You canât justâ thatâs crazy. You were literally supposed to leave today. Suddenly, youâre deciding to stay here? On a whim? Whatâs wrong with you?â
âNot a whim, Iâve been thinking about it. Iâve⊠just decided itâs the right move.â
âIn one night?â
âI donât need more time than that.â
You give him a look. âThatâs stupid.â
âItâs efficient decision-making.â
âScott.â
âWhatâs for dinner? Does he have any allergies?â
âScott.â
He takes a deep breath, sapphire eyes dulled out as he looks up at the ceiling, praying for some lord almighty to save him. âWe can spend all night arguing about this but itâs a done deal. I like Boston, Iâve decided to come back. Is that so hard to believe?â Before you can say yes, absolutely, Scott continues, âIâve thought about this for a while. Trust me when I say I am not doing this impulsively and Iâm not just going to change my mind.â
The two of you are locked in a stare-down, neither budging. Two stupidly stubborn fools.
Scottâs eyes are jagged when they first land on yours, sharp in a way that could cut. But the longer he looks at you, the more they thaw, like ice melting in the changing of seasons. Itâs a soft transition that warms your frozen heart.
However, then his gaze trails to your mouth, the way theyâre parted, teeth peeking out in aggravation, tongue pressing against your teeth as your jaw is clenched. His eyes go molten, scorching as they sear into your skin, tracing your bare shoulders, the length of your neck, exposed collarbones.
âShould put more on you,â he mutters.
âWhat?â You jerk back, confused.
âNothing. Dinner? I donât know how to cook.â
âThen get your own damn dinner, Iâm not cooking for you.â
He challenges you with a raise of his eyebrow. âBut I bought groceries.â
âThat I didnât ask for.â
âI fuckinâ forgot how bull-headed you are sometimes. Arguing for the sake of arguing.â He huffs a laugh through his nose, hip leaning against your counter, eyes sparkling. âIf you wanted to fuck, just say so.â
His voice is low, low enough that you know Ben doesnât catch it over the sound of the television, but it still puts you on high alert. âCan you not say insane things when my son is around?â
âAlways picked a fight when you wanted a fuck,â he smirks.
Your lips part, ready to tell him off, but he turns to the sink instead, beginning to wash his hands.
âNow, what do you need help with?â
Scottâs reappearance has thrown your life for a loop, adding this new, uncontrolled variable that youâre not sure how to handle. He drops you off and picks you up from work. The moment he heard that youâve been taking the train an hour each way to work, he made that call with no room for argument. He refuses to even drop you off a block away from the hospital so you end up with your coworkersâ curious eyes on you when youâre pulling up every morning in Scottâs stupidly shiny car.
âHave a good day at work, honey,â he would call out obnoxiously through the open window.
The furious glare you throw his way does nothing to deter this behavior. Now, youâre bombarded with questions about him every time you have a moment to yourself, which means you no longer have a shred of peace at work.
He comes by nearly every evening; you say nearly because you had to cut him off, tell him that he cannot show up every single day.
âWhy not?â
âScott. You canât just come here everyday, heâs going to get confused. You are not family.â
âYet.â
âWhat?â
âFine. Every other day, but full weekends.â
Itâs a compromise that you tried to negotiate down, but he refuses to budge on.
The worst part is that Scott is terrific with Ben.
Heâs smart and answers all of Benâs questions with tact. The moment your son learns that Scott works with tornadoes, chasing after them and being smack dab in the middle of the action, heâs absolutely enthralled. You have to emphasize to Scott that you will murder him if Ben ever tells him that he wants to be a tornado chaser.
âIâll protect him, donât worry,â is all he says.
You still worry.
Beyond that, Ben seems to enjoy his company, has started asking when Uncle Scott would be coming around again so he could show him the progress heâs made on the massive Superman LEGO set that Scott had gotten him.
âYou canât spoil him too much,â you frown when he pops by on his assigned day, a gift box in hand. Itâs the fourth in two weeks.
âHeâs a kid. He likes toys.â
âYou canât spoil him,â you mutter.
Your worry is partially rooted in the fact that you canât just give Ben whatever he wants, whenever he wants, but it also stems from your guilt for not being able to provide all this. Itâs not as if youâre not making money; you save enough from your salary, but Boston is an expensive city.
Scott seems to understand this. He dials it back, but you know that heâs itching every time Ben mentions something new heâs curious about. He just picks and prioritizes what he gets him.
Otherwise, heâs good. Too good even. That seems to be a pattern when it comes to him.
You tell yourself itâs because he doesnât know heâs the father. Itâs less commitment, less pressure. He plays the role of a cool uncle who showers Ben with gifts and attention.
Scott has pressed again, of course â whoâs the father, when did this happen, do I need to have a conversation, you could fight for child support â to which you answer no repeatedly. An easy denial to give him none of the answers heâs looking for. It never stops him from asking again; he thinks heâll wear you down eventually.
Truth be told, you think that Scott will bore himself soon. He canât possibly be serious about permanently moving back to Boston. Youâre convinced that in the next couple of weeks, heâll realize that this pretend domesticity isnât the life he wants, and heâll pack up his bags again and leave. When that day comes, you wonât be disappointed.
As long as he never finds out Ben is his son, youâll be fine.
(Maybe if you repeat it enough times, youâll actually believe your own words.)
However, you seem to have a knack for putting your foot in your mouth and speaking too soon, because your worst nightmare comes to fruition one day when you let your guard down. Usually, you do a pretty good job of keeping track of their conversations, making sure they stay on safe territory that gives away nothing. Ben has zero clue about his father anyway, so thereâs nothing really to give away.
Or so you think.
Youâre caught up trying to balance sending work emails and batting away your motherâs efforts to inquire more about Scott. Sheâs been badgering you nonstop to learn more about your history, prodding Scott whenever sheâs here to share more, even going as far as to drop the most obvious hints.
âYou know, she is very single. Incredibly single.â
âMother!â
âIâm aware,â Scott smirks. âRefuses to let me change that.â
You donât appreciate the way heâs looking at you now, how your body is tingling all over from the memories. The press of his fingers on your hip, how his mouth feels mapping out the curve of your breasts, the burn between your legs when he pushes himself in with a hungry groan.
Heat unfurls across your face and youâre quick to turn away, missing how your mother and Scott share knowing looks.
But now that sheâs not here, sheâs still torturing you with incessant, inane questions about him. The only thing you manage to catch in the midst of your stress is Scott saying, âYour birthdayâs in Decemââ
You donât think much of it. Not for a moment. Until it hits you.
By the time you look up, Scottâs already directing his eyes towards you. Your blood runs cold.
Itâs not a question. He knows. Heâs not a fool.
Born the December in the year that you graduated college, itâs not difficult to do the math on when Ben was conceived. If you retrace your steps, itâs not difficult to know who had done the conceiving.
The two of you donât address it, not out loud. Not yet. Your brain is short-circuiting, trying to configure an excuse or a lie that would work in this instance. Youâre running on empty, especially when your heart is beating straight out of your chest. Everything feels hot, your body canât seem to handle this stress very well.
You have maybe an hour left before Benâs due for bed and youâre half tempted to keep him awake because that means keeping Scottâs anger at bay. You can feel it roll off him in waves, crackling energy that zaps you even from this distance.
The minutes tick down much too quickly and, before you know it, Ben is yawning on cue and youâre getting him ready for bed. You spend a little longer than necessary tucking him in, reading him his story, all the while Scott is standing in the doorway watching the two of you.
Heâs being considerate of Ben, maintaining his distance before he probably rips you a new one. You appreciate it, but you press an extra kiss or two onto your sonâs face before you exit the room â for good luck.
When the two of you are back in the living room, Ben completely out cold to the world, Scott doesnât ask. He simply states the irrefutable truth.
âHeâs mine.â
You clear your throat. âTechnically, heâs mine.â
âDonât fucking act cute with me right now,â he snarls, jabbing his finger in the direction of the hallway both of you just left. âThatâs my kid in there. Are you fucking kidding me?â
Wincing, you take a step away from him. âCan we not do this?â
âLike hell Iâm letting this slide. Youâve got to be shittinâ me. Thatâs my kid. Ben is mine.â
The pulsing in your head only worsens the harder he glares, the more he seethes. âYouâre the father. Doesnât make him yours.â
You hear the sharp intake of breath. The confirmation landing firm in his chest. âWhy the fuck wouldnât you tell me?â
âWhy does it matter?â You snap, throwing his irritated look right back at him.
âYouâve got to be on another fucking level of insane to think it doesnât matter.â
âI was going to,â you begin, âtell you, I mean, but the timing never felt right.â
Scott looks at you, completely aghast. âTiming never felt right? You knew. You knew before I left, before we graduated. All those times you didnât want to drink, didnât want to eat sushi, this was why. You had all the fucking time in the world to tell me.â
âWould it have changed anything?â
âIt wouldâve changed everything!â
Your lungs feel devoid of oxygen as you look at Scott, his frustration palpable. Fury is carved into the lines of his face, eyes blazing with the sort of anger youâve never seen on him. However, in between the twist of his lips and the fire in his gaze, you see a flicker of something warmer. Softer.
Hurt.
The kind of hurt that comes with a betrayal that you cannot take back.
Scott breathes out. âI wouldâve been here for you.â
âI never asked you to.â
âYou never asked,â he spits out, âyou never let me make that decision for myself. Instead, you let me believe that I had fucked up something between us. You cut me off and I didnât even know why.â
âIt wouldâve been selfish,â you argue.
âIt wouldâve been fair,â he insists. âYou shouldâve trusted me to make my own judgment call.â
Your fingers wring together in front of you. Is this it then? The point of no return. You canât seem to find the words to say to remedy the situation.
âI didnât want you to have to choose,â you murmur. âBetween me and your dream.â The unsaid words being I didnât want to watch you choose your dream over me.
Scott has always been larger than life. He is meant for greater things, to innovate and create. He has gone so far since you first met him. Heâs become an even bigger person than you couldâve imagined.
What right did you have to hold him back from all that?
âAgain, thatâs not for you to decide,â he sighs, âHave you ever considered theyâre one and the same?â Your gaze flies up to meet his weary one. âYouâre an idiot,â Scott mutters. âSo fuckinâ stupid.â
You press your lips together into a thin line. âThanks a lot, asshole.â
âDoes he know?â
With a shake of your head, you lean back. âNo, heâs been⊠pretty good at not asking too many questions about who his dad is. Itâs only a matter of time before that curiosity grows though, especially once he starts school and the other kids will undoubtedly ask him.â
âI can help you with all that, you know. I am his father after all.â
Wincing, you swallow thickly. âYou donât have to, Scott. It was my decision to go through with the pregnancy. You donât have to feel like you have to participate.â
âWhy do you keep saying it like that?â He lets out an exasperated sound. You frown in question. âLike I donât want to be here. For him. For you.â
âIâ I just donât want you to feel pressured toââ
âSweetheart,â he begins and your heart feels like itâs been dipped in syrup, âI donât do anything I donât want to do. Iâve been present, havenât I? And that was before I even knew he was mine. What makes you think Iâm going to change my mind?â
âItâs different! Being here to support me as a friend and being here asâ as his dad! As a parent.â
Scott looks up to the ceiling again, inhaling deep through his nostrils. âTell me how itâs different.â
âA fun uncle is not a co-parent.â
âSo I want to co-parent.â
âYou donât know what that means.â
âIt means being here for you, for him. It means having equal responsibility and stakes in raising him. It means youâre not doing this alone.â
A lump grows in your throat as you look at him. His determination is evident.
âSo Iâm going to need you to get it through that thick skull of yours that Iâm not going anywhere. Iâm going to piss you off, youâre going to piss me off, but weâll make it work.â
You laugh, tears pricking the corner of your eye. âMaybe if we donât kill each other first.â
His lips curve into a smirk. âYou canât kill me. Iâm your baby daddy after all. Fucked you so hard that your birth control didnât work.â
You almost choke on your own spit. âYouâre such a piece of shit.â
He laughs. âDonât forget the father of your child.â
Your fingers are itching to make contact with his cheek. He really can be such an asshole sometimes. He knows exactly which buttons to push. Repeating the fact that heâs Benâs father, reminding you again that he knows your big secret now. The worst part is you know that heâs doing it intentionally; the more irritated he gets you, the better the sex. He likes it when you fight back, when you push him.
He likes it when he can put you in your place.
âSome friend you are,â you grunt.
Scottâs rising to his feet, moving towards you. With every step he takes forward, he backs you up until your lower spine lands against the kitchen counter.
âLetâs get one thing clear,â Scott says low, coming up to press you against the solid surface. With both hands planted on either side of you, he leans towards you. Your breath catches. âWeâre not friends. We havenât been for a while.â
âThatâs⊠mean,â you whimper.
âThe things I want to do with you â to you â theyâre not things friends do.â
Thereâs a promise in his gaze that has your heart fluttering, your stomach curling with desire as heat builds between your legs.
Itâs hard to breathe when heâs this close. Hard to even think. Your palm flattens against his firm, broad chest, applying pressure in a feeble attempt to put some distance. Except now you canât help but feel the way his pecs feel underneath your fingers and you can picture yourself on top of him, sinking down on his cock while your hands are planted on his skin.
Heaven have mercy.
âThings are different now,â you gulp.
âYou think I still canât make you cum three times in a night?â
Your lips part. âThatâs notââ Heat climbs up your throat. âWhat the fuck is wrong with you?â
Scott chuckles. âI hope you know that this only makes me want you even more. Youâre stupid if you think Iâm ever letting you out of my sight again.â
âJust because you want to be here and be a father does not mean that it changes anything between us.â
His joy quickly morphs into irritation again. âWhy not?â
âBecause Ben will always come first and we canât⊠just keep fucking.â
âAgain, why not?â
Because Iâm in love with you. Because Iâm going to get my heart broken again.
âI want to maintain some boundaries. Itâll be better for us that way.â
Scott is quiet, thoughtful as he regards you, before he straightens. âOkay then. You do that. You maintain your boundaries.â
âThank you.â
âDoesnât mean Iâll be helpinâ you do that,â he laughs, bitter as he smiles at you. A threat laced into his expression. âBetter prepare yourself, sweetheart. Iâm not here to protect your walls. Iâm here to break them down.â
âWe should go out.â
Your gaze lifts from your laptop, eyes instinctively wandering down the hall to Benâs room where heâs safe and sound asleep, then back to Scott whoâs on his own laptop on the dining table. âLike to get groceries?â
âNo, for dinner.â
You look over your shoulder, to the take-out menus stuck to the fridge with a mismatched set of magnets. âThereâs a pizza place Ben likes down the street. We could go tomorrow.â
âFinally letting me in two days in a row?â Scott cocks an eyebrow.
A glare is all he gets in return.
âI meant us. Just the two of us.â
Your fingers stop, hovering over the keyboard. âWhy?â
âSo I can take you out.â
âWhy?â
âTo spend some time together. You know, outside of parenting.â
Parenting still sounds foreign on his tongue, at least to you. Scott seems to have settled in comfortably with the title, taking on the mantle even without the official acknowledgment. The two of you agreed to ease Ben into it; he seems to have taken a liking towards Scott so at least telling him may be easier than you initially anticipated.
However, considering the situation at hand, you can only ask, âWhy?â
âHow old are you?â Scott snaps.
âI donât think we need to do anything together outside of parenting.â
âWhy not?â
Itâs your turn to give him a look. âWe are two people who happen to be raising a child together. Somewhat.â
âBut weâre friends first.â
âI think co-parenting supersedes the friend label now, which means I canât be doing that with you. Not alone.âÂ
He knows youâre being obstinate for the sake of it, pissing him off just because you can. However, he doesnât take the bait.Â
âYou know what, youâre right, sweetheart. Let me rethink this.â
Scott was never one to give up easily. On the contrary, when presented with a challenge, he rises to the occasion. He goes above and beyond.
It starts off innocuous enough, subtle that you nearly think that all of it is accidental. When heâs trying to help around the kitchen and he reaches across you, arm brushing your breasts. Your nipples perk up on instinct, seeking the familiar warmth of his touch like youâve been trained. He doesnât say a thing so you brush it off as inconsequential. His hand on your hip when heâs excusing himself behind you. His eyes on you when he licks his thumb clean off the brownie batter youâre making.
It doesnât matter. It shouldnât matter. These tiny touches, interactions that shouldnât mean anything. You shouldnât be reacting this way. You tell yourself itâs because itâs been a while since you got laid last â unfortunately, by none other than the source of your frustrations.
But then the touches become firmer, intentional in a way that you canât miss. Heâs slipping an arm around your waist when he picks you up at the hospital, head ducking to press a kiss to the side of your head, all the while youâre mid-conversation with a coworker who then scurries away under Scottâs glare. In the car, heâs sliding a possessive hand over your thigh, squeezing when he asks you about your day. He has a hand pressed against your lower back at all times, practically manhandling you when you move around different spaces.
And god do you fucking love it. Maybe itâs because youâve been deprived of physical touch for so long, you havenât had anyone in your corner reminding you that theyâre there. But you also know yourself better than that and the only reason all of this works is because itâs Scott and you were in love with Scott.
You tell yourself itâs all in the past. This is the remnants of your feelings long forgotten from your more youthful self.
But then it all disappears. The touches. The fleeting glances. The flirty smiles. The difference is jarring and you canât help but notice the extra space he puts between the two of you when youâre walking with Ben, keeping him in between you two. Or how he moves away from the kitchen when you enter it, and again when you move into the living room. Or how his question actually sounds polite when he asks you how work went.
How he doesnât even blink twice when you tell him a colleague â that same one that he had scared away â had asked you out to dinner.
The frustration builds inside of you, like heâs crafting a wall with the distance brick by brick. You find yourself leaning towards him only for him to shift in his seat and away from you. The inches between you on the couch feel like they stretch for miles, his arm extended on the other side instead of behind your back.
You feel like an addict seeking a fix, constantly chasing after him â subtly, not enough for it to be obvious, but certainly enough for him to notice.
So, by the time he suggests it again, heâs Pavlovâd you to seek his attention. Fucker.
âDo you want to spend the day together?â
You grit your teeth. Somehow, Scott has conspired with your mother that she whisked Ben away early this morning for a trip to the zoo and you end up with this asshole at your front door with a smirk on his face, shoulders squared, chin tilted up like heâs done something good.
âYou did this on purpose.â
âWhat did I do?â
He knows exactly what he did. âAll of it.â
âCome on. Get dressed.â
âYou havenât even told me where weâre going,â you snap.
âNowhere you need anything fancy,â he says before steering you by the elbow out the door.
You allow yourself to be pushed into the car, he even straps your seatbelt in for you, before heâs driving. Destination still unknown. You try to ask and Scott tells you to just relax, tells you that youâre wrung up too tight.
Then he stops and you look quizzically out the window.
âI got you a massage appointment.â
You nearly break your neck at the speed you whip around to look at him. âWhat? Why?â
âThought it would be a nice thing to do. You used to gather knots like you were starting a collection and I had to press all of that out for you. Figured, with all the years of build up and I highly doubt youâve been smoothing those out, a professional could do a better job.â
At a loss, you find yourself only staring at him. He looks cocky, so damn proud that heâs done something right â that he knew exactly what you needed.
âNow get going, theyâre not gonna find another timeslot for you.â
With your mind in a blur, you exit the vehicle. The spa is nice, a mix of lavender and eucalyptus in the air that has you relaxing almost instantly. The experience is⊠divine to say the least. For once, you have not a single thought in your mind and you find yourself melting into the table during your two-hour long session.
By the time you step back outside, after the people inside tell you that itâs been paid for, Scott is waiting out front. In a daze, you slip back into the car.
âGood?â is all he asks.
You nod slowly.
âGood,â he smiles, ânow, letâs get you ready for dinner.â
Scott tells you that heâs taking you somewhere casual, but nice. Nice enough that you end up spending a bit of time washing your hair, doing your makeup, even fixing your hair a little bit. When you spritz on perfume, you tell yourself that itâs for your sake.
But you canât deny that when you see Scott drink you in â how his blue eyes go ten shades darker, how his lips part when he gets a whiff of the florals clinging onto your skin â that it mightâve been for him too.
You would think a man like Scott would take you somewhere nice, somewhere youâre going to be gawking at the prices all night, wondering if you should even be in a place like that. But when he pulls up to a quiet corner in Cambridge, an Italian restaurant that seems all too familiar, you find yourself caught off guard.
âWhat? You wouldâve preferred steak and fries at Del Friscoâs?â Heâs chuckling quietly to himself, knowing full well what your answer would be.
Before you can reach for your door, Scottâs rounding the car and pulling it open, even going as far as to offer a hand.
Heâs a perfect gentleman the entire night. When you hesitate on ordering because of the prices, Scott â the condescending prick that he is â orders for you, except he orders right. Youâve been eyeing that dish but you couldnât do the math fast enough to figure out your budget for the month. He orders a bottle of red, your favorite â itâs nothing fancy, but it had been a step up when you felt like splurging in college. The food is delicious, reminiscent of the old days when he would treat you to a meal to make you feel better, right after he fucked you seven ways to Sunday.
Youâre warm, body buzzing with your fill of food and wine. For the first time in a while, you feel a little lighter, like the world isnât weighing down on your shoulders. Scott drives you back home and he stops right in front of your apartment building.
You know whatâs coming. A proposition â as always. Youâre going to say yes â as always. Heâs always been a snake charmer, saying and doing all the right things to get one into bed with him. It worked on you for months. It used to work on all the ladies before he stopped using it on them.
It still works on you, considering youâre feeling that warmth between your legs. That anticipation humming in your veins. You can practically taste his mouth on you, the tartness from the wine mixed with the gelato you ordered for dessert. You take a breath in eager hopefulness.
However, when he walks you to the apartment entrance, he only kisses the back of your hand. âHave a good night, sweetheart.â Then heâs slowly making his way down the steps, leaving you completely gobsmacked.
You find yourself saying, âWait,â before you can even think twice.
Scott halts, turns, a knowing smile dancing on his lips.
You should have more self-restraint. But when heâs looking at you with those bright blue eyes and an expression that promises you a good time, youâre only human.
âWhat is it?â
You fidget with the handle of your purse. âWhere are you going?â
âHome,â he drawls, tilting his head like heâs waiting to see your next move.
âYouâre not gonna stay?â
Scottâs lips quirk up, shfiting into a look too cocky for your liking. âDo you want me to stay?â
âDonât be a dick.â
âDoesnât sound like you do,â he makes a face, raising his shoulders in a shrug as he pretends to slowly turn back around.
You should let him go. You hope he has fucking blue balls tonight. However, that also means youâll be left alone with your thoughts in an empty apartment and your vibrator on a Saturday night, and that sounds a heck of a lot less fun than getting your brains scrambled by the one man who knows exactly how to do that.
âDo you want to come up?â
Itâs comical how quickly he whirls around to say, âDonât mind if I do.â
The ride up the elevator is weighed down by tense silence. Your heartbeat echoes in your ears in time with the numbers that climb, a beep in rhythm to each floor. Scott stands next to you, hands planted on the railing casually, but you hear the impatient tapping of his shoe. When the elevator finally dings, he lets you leave first and you feel the burn of his gaze on your back, trailing the length of you down to the curve of your ass where the silk of your dress rests.
Your fingers are barely functional as you clumsily dig through your purse to open the door. Itâs one thing to have someone watching you, itâs another to have Scott staring at you. The hungry look in his eyes, the way you can practically feel the heat radiate off him.
You donât even get a chance to properly set aside your bag before Scott is pressing you up against the wall. He drinks in your surprised little gasp, your instinct to move away from him only has him backing you up against your kitchen counter. With you half-seated on it, Scottâs hands slide around your neck, cupping your cheeks so he can lick into your mouth. He takes the chance to slip his tongue in between your little gasps, tasting that sugar on your tongue.
âFuck, sweetheart, been waiting to do that all night,â he groans as his mouth travels towards your neck instead, sucking on the delicate skin until you feel the sting spark every nerve inside your body. He does it over again, like heâs zapping you with electricity every time he leaves a new mark on your body.
Youâre no better, your hands immediately crawling up his chest to find his buttons and fumble with them, slipping them out one at a time until you can shove his shirt off his shoulders. God, how is it possible that he seems even broader than before? Your palms explore his biceps, feeling the way they flex beneath your fingertips, muscles tensing into a firm surface for you to hold onto.
âYou got⊠bigger,â you note in a daze. Itâs ridiculous how drunk you feel right now and itâs certainly not from the wine. Itâs his scent â masculine and clean. Like rain on freshly mowed grass, earthy in a way that grounds you. You canât help but breathe him in, making a mental note that he still uses the same shampoo.
âA lot of time lugging around equipment out there,â he mutters. As if to prove a point, he lifts you up to the counter and wraps your legs around his waist. âAlways getting drenched in the storms.â
Fuck. Terrible visual. You imagine him in a white short-sleeve shirt, the fabric soaking up all that rain and clinging to every inch of his muscles and leaving nothing to the imagination. His dusky nipples poking through the fabric. Curly brunette hair with droplets, that one stray hair on his forehead whenever it gets too humid. You can practically see the light smattering of hair on his chest, a path leading down to his navel.
God forbid that the women in Oklahoma have seen him like that. Thatâs a visual youâd rather keep to yourself.
Scott distracts you again when he brings his face back to kiss you. He kisses like heâs inhaling you, stealing every hitched breath from your lungs. His mouth is ravenous as it moves against you, teeth grazing your bottom lip lightly in a tantalizing threat. He finally nips and you let out a little whine that he laughs lightly at as he kisses you harder. Firmer. Soft lips, only slightly chapped, as they relearn what it is exactly that makes you moan down his throat.
âLove kissing you,â he mutters, âmissed doing this. I want to do this everyday.â
Youâre about to tell him why that would be a bad idea but you sigh dreamily instead, tipping your head back when he begins trailing wet kisses along your jawline again.
His hands wander to your back, dragging the zipper down quietly until your dress pools on the floor. His thumb brushes over your nipples peaking through the lace. âMissed these pretty tits too. Couldnât get enough of them last time.â He ducks his head and tugs one free from your bra, lips closing in around your nipple in a wet heat. His groan reverberates straight through you, tongue laving around your pert nipple like heâs trying to coax it out.
As he does so, his other hand reaches for the clasp of your bra until you hear the little sound before it slides down your shoulders.
âHands on the counter.â
âBossy,â you murmur, but do so anyway.
Scott looks mildly surprised at your obedience and you canât even bring yourself to care. You lean back slightly and spread your legs wider to let him step in between them, his mouth warm and sweet on your tits. He mouths hungrily at your breasts, biting, squeezing, until youâre a moaning mess arching into his touch. One of his hand slides down to your lower spine to yank you closer to him, pressing your core against the thickness in his pants.
âIâve been hard all night lookinâ at you in that pretty dress,â Scott growls, âknew exactly what you looked like underneath it, couldnât wait to take it off you.â
You appear to have lost your entire vocabulary when he slips that hand from your back to the space between you, two fingers against the panties thatâs quickly gathering moisture. The whine that is pulled from your lips is instinctual. Pure primal need.
âImagining you stretched out on that massage bed, naked, slicked up in oil. Fuck, I had to drive around and keep myself busy for two hours so I didnât go back and do the job myself,â he huffs a laugh as he begins rubbing your clit over the material, arousal easing the slick of his fingers even with one layer between the two of you.
A gasp is wrenched from your throat as you stare at him, wide-eyed. âThatâsâ thatâs ridiculous.â
Scott hums, shaking his head, pressing harder, pulling out another needy sound. âStop beinâ so tense. Youâre undoing all of that womanâs hard work.â Your eyes light up briefly. âI wasnât going to let some other man touch you. Iâm not an idiot.â
âYouâre such a possessive asshole,â you let out a breathless laugh, âitâs just a massage.â
âDoesnât matter. Iâm going to be the only one that gets to touch these pretty tits. Not to mention, thisââ he slides his fingers under your panties, gathering up the arousal from you slick folds on his fingertips and listening to the lewd squelch as he dips his fingers in just a tad. âYouâre so goddamn wet.â
Instead of clamping your legs shut, embarrassed like you always have been, you canât help but let your thighs fall apart further, giving him room to give you the pleasure that you so badly needed.
âYouâre so much easier when youâre not stressed.â
That snaps you awake. âOh, fuck you.â
Scott pushes two fingers in, the slide is swift and wet. âJust like that,â he grins as he slowly drags his fingers out only to shove them back in. Heâs rough and heâs messy, you can hear how wet you are as he watches you come undone, thumb against your clit like he has something to prove. âShit, sweetheart, youâre dripping all over the counter. Youâre so messy, pretty girl.â
âS-Scott,â you moan, fingers wrapping around his wrist. âI c-canât, mmm, please.â
âI know, I know, still so tight, arenât you? I donât want to hurt you,â he says as he slowly sinks to his knees. You look down to find him with his starry eyes looking right up at you as he sticks his fingers in his mouth. You can see the moment his eyes flutter shut as he tastes you, tongue lecherously poking out to lick his fingers clean. âBetter than dessert.â
âYouâre so cornyââ your words split off into a choked gasp when Scott dives in between your legs. His tongue drags all the way up to your clit until youâre bucking against his mouth. He licks and devours, the roughness of his tongue sliding up your slick folds, lips closing in around your core, your clit, to suck until youâre shuddering against him. âFuck, Scott, wait, slow down.â
Scott leans away, giving you a brief moment of reprieve â except, when you look down at him, his bottom half is glistening in the moonlight that spills across your floors. His eyes return to your pussy, just beneath your stomach thatâs rising and falling with your labored breaths.
His index and middle fingers rest on each of your lips as he slowly pries them apart, your pussy pulses and thereâs no doubt that he catches that movement. The slight tensing, squeezing, inside of you. âLook at this pussy spreading so wet and easy for me. Sheâs droolinâ, sweetheart.â
As if he can sense another argument on your lips, Scott leans forward again to press kisses onto your inner thigh, blooming warmth with every spot he touches. He kisses up and up until heâs back with his face between your legs, your thighs closing in around his head until heâs practically suffocating in your cunt.
Itâs the way he likes it though. His hands on your ass to drag you forward so he can tongue-fuck you faster, knowing full well youâre enjoying it when youâre grinding against his face with tears leaking from your eyes and his name said in prayer.
That pleasure coils humiliatingly fast in your stomach. You can feel your climax, long abandoned, surfacing quickly. God, it feels so good, his mouth â itâs only gotten better. You hate to think if he fucked anyone else while he was away, because â of course he did, he was a hot young bachelor in bumfuck Oklahoma. He was probably the hottest shit down there.
Scott scowls up at you, âYouâre tensing up again, what are you thinking about?â
âNothing,â you blurt out, pressing your lips together.
He rises to his feet, fingers catching your chin. âTell me.â
âThereâs nothing to tell,â you snap irritably. Great, now youâre thinking about some cute girl in a cowboy hat heâs probably fucked the same way he did you.
âYou just stiffened up again. Either you tell me, or I wonât fuck you.â
You roll your eyes, âHolding sex hostage? Real mature.â Well, two can play that game. âIf you wonât fuck me, Iâm sure Iâve got a few people on my dating apps that have been begging to.â
Scottâs eyes flash, your heart palpitates a little too aggressively. âYeah? You wanna try that again with me?â Your mouth dries. âSweetheart, youâre cute if you think Iâm letting anyone else near this pretty pussy of yours. You think anyone can get you off?â
Your teeth sink into your bottom lip.
âYouâre mine,â he breathes out, catching your lips again. You can taste yourself on him, his moan vibrating against your mouth.
But you canât deny his words. Instead, you let him pick you up and carry you all the way to the bedroom. He doesnât stop kissing you the entire way, stealing your breath every chance he gets. Your back lands on the mattress, Scott climbing over you and pressing your legs into your chest.
âLove fucking you just like this,â he murmurs, applying just a little more pressure. âMaybe I can put another baby in you.â
âScott!â You gasp.
âFuck, I wasnât even around when you were pregnant. Iâd do it right this time. Make sure youâre taken care of â however that may be. Heard the first trimesterâs roughest, probably needed a cock to fill you up, hm? Fill you up and get you so stupidly cockdrunk you wonât have the mouth to talk back to me.â
Another protest sits on your tongue but then Scottâs unzipping his pants and his cock, thick and throbbing, is in his hands, tip sitting at your entrance. You can feel your pussy dripping onto him, a trail of slick that slides down the length of him.
âI could fuck you, cum in you as much as I want â not like I didnât already,â he chuckles, âno more risk of getting you pregnant twice. God, I could do that to you, sweetheart. Want another kid with me?â
âYouâreâ fuck, youâre insane.â
Scott only grunts as he begins pushing into you. âSo fuckinâ tight. I need to teach your pussy how to take me again. You were so sweet and loose for me back then, we fucked so much, your cunt was shaped to my cock. Canât wait to do that again.â
The ache burns between your legs as Scott stretches you out, your pussy opening up painfully slowly for him. You hold your breath, tensing up as he whispers for you to relax, to just keep your legs open and let him take what he needs. Your eyes roll when he finally buries himself all the way, the head kissing the deepest parts of you.
âS-shit, fuck, that feels so good. You feel like heaven.â
âPlease, please just move,â you whine.
âI know, baby, but I canât fuck you too fast, gonna hurt you. My cock barely fits in this tight pussy of yours,â Scott coos, dragging back his hips and slowly coaxing you open with a push of his cock. âI gotta go easy on her. Sheâs not used to being filled up, is she?â
You call him an asshole in your head, because you donât trust your voice not to break in the haze of your pleasure.
âPretty girl hasnât had anyone taking care of her in a while.â
âI can take care of myself just fine,â you defend with a snap.
âYeah? What? Those vibrators I see you hiding? Doesnât feel the same, does it? You needed someone to fuck you properly.â Scott smirks, âMaybe I shouldâve given you a dildo shaped to my cock. That way you could fuck yourself on it whenever you missed me. Iâd make you call me when you do that, wanna hear you beg for my cock while you push it inside you. Better yet, I want to see you while you ride it and realize it ainât the same as the real thing.â
âYouâre so fucking gross,â you hiss and, sure enough, it melts into a moan when Scott drives into you again, and again, and again.
âWhat does it say about you when I can feel you chokinâ out my cock at the thought of it?â He laughs, taunting. âYouâre as fucked up as I am, sweetheart. How do you think we made a baby in the first place?â
Oh fuck, Scott feels you open up to him, mold around him. That pain dulls into a throb that only serves to weave desire between your legs. You clench around him, pussy pulsing with his every word, as he fucks deep inside of you. He pushes you back into this mating press, groaning when he feels himself reach deeper inside you.
âShit, baby, this pussy is fucking unbelievable. I canât believe I gave this up for years. Missed fucking this gorgeous cunt so bad,â he swallows. That vein on his neck goes taut as he tries to stop himself. âYou still on the pill?â
You nod weakly, fingers digging into his biceps as he pounds into you, his hips jerking faster and harder.
Then he laughs and it sounds mean and your stomach twists. âDidnât do us much good last time though, huh? Itâs alright, sweetheart. If you get knocked up again, Iâll be here. Iâll be here to fuck all that stress out of you, give you all the massages thatâll end with my head between your legs. Get you all your cravings so you can show your appreciation with your mouth on my cock.â
Itâs disgusting, The thought of returning favors when heâs the one who gets you pregnant, but something about it has you tightening, punched in the stomach with a level of arousal that you canât seem to contain.
âDonât need to use this pretty brain of yours, baby. Just gonna have you barefooted waddling around and you can let me take real good care of you,â he pants, sweat beading his forehead as he fucks into you faster, holding himself back harder. âMake sure you and our baby are good. Donât you worry.â
âF-fuck you,â you stutter as he drives back into you.
The bed creaks under the pressure of his thrusts, youâre getting fucked into the mattress that you can feel your body imprinting onto the bed. âThatâs right. Good girl. Gonna make you a mommy again, sweetheart. Gonna put another baby into you. Youâre already so cockdrunk, you wonât even know. Iâm not letting you out of here until it takes.â
That knocks all the oxygen from your chest. âShit, Scottâ hold on.â
âCanât do that,â he grunts, âpussy feels too good. Canât get enough of this hole. Iâm going to fill you up, baby. Youâre gonna be leakinâ my cum for days. Maybe Iâll send you to get another massage and theyâll see you dripping my cream.â
Scott pounds into you, each word filthier than the next. Heâs driving himself and you into a frenzy as his thrusts get sloppier, wetter, squelching bouncing off your four walls.
âIâm gonna print my cock in your pussy so nobody else can touch you.â
âBreed this pussy so good, keep you plugged up with my cum for days.â
âThis pussy was meant to be fucked, sweetheart. You donât need princess treatment, just need to be fucked like you need another baby in you.â
Itâs filthy. Itâs demeaning. Itâs a fucking turn-on.
ââM gonnaâ shit, Scott, hnnng, please, gonna cum.â
âYeah, you wanna cum, pretty girl? You wanna cum around my cock?â
You can only nod in your haze, desperate, eager.
âCum around me, sweetheart. I wanna feel that cream coating my cock. I wanna feel that stickiness, feel what itâs like to have my girl feel so good because of me.â
Scott pounds into you faster, deeper as he fucks you harder into the mattress. He presses you further in this position, tilting your hips up until youâre climbing and climbing and falling apart around him with a loud whine. Your body trembles with the force of your orgasm, legs quaking around him as he drags out your climax with every thrust until he himself is spilling warmth inside you. You can feel the mess in your insides, feel it slosh around, feel it leak from where you two are joined.
âFuck,â he groans, âcumming so much, sweetheart. Fillinâ her right up.â
Your heart slams against your chest as you feel exactly that.
Scottâs hips are still jerking with his cum spurting right into you. He refuses to budge, staying there until heâs sure everythingâs out. Even then, he nudges his hips a little deeper, like heâs making sure his cum stays in there.
He eases out of you slowly, but he doesnât let go of the pressure on your legs, keeping your hips up as he watches his cum ooze out of you. His brows pucker in annoyance as he uses two fingers to push it back into you.
You wince, pussy sensitive from the friction earlier. âGross.â
âYou like it.â
You do. Itâs stupid but you do. Something about him staking his claim, leaving a part of him inside you, itâs just the kind of thing that has you squeezing around his fingers again.
Scott smirks. âDo you want me to clean you up?â
Your stupid, traitorous, dysfunctional brain says no. For some reason, you really like feeling his cum inside you. But you know that the correct answer isâ âYes.â Itâs the only reason Scott asks â because he knows.
His eyes scan you for a moment, as if heâs trying to decide whether youâre telling the truth. Then he sighs and lets your legs down gently as he disappears, coming back only when he has a damp cloth in hand. Itâs so strange for him to be so familiar with your place to know where things are.
At the same time â so right.
He wipes you clean, murmuring to himself about how pretty you look with his cum inside you. You try not to let your lips stretch too wide with the heat rolling across your face.
When heâs done, Scott slides himself in next to you, pulling you close.
Thatâs when you freeze because â what is this? What are you? The panic sinks in fast and you feel fear claw at your chest. You have a son. You canât be doing â whatever the fuck this is â with his dad, who he doesnât even know is his dad.
âScottââ
âSleep.â
âGo home.â
âNo.â
âAre you shitting me?â You hiss, âYou canât be here when Ben comes home tomorrow morning.â
Scott exhales long and hard, like heâs had enough of your shit. âWhy not? I get full weekends, donât I? That includes mornings. Now sleep.â
âSleep in your own home! You can come back tomorrow.â
Before you know it, youâre back on your back and Scottâs on top of you, pinning you down with a glare. âSweetheart, it seems like I didnât fuck you hard enough. If I did, then you wouldnât be thinkinâ whatever the fuck is going through that big head of yours right now. So, Iâm going to fuck you again, and Iâm going to keep fucking you until you stop treatinâ me like Iâm some shameful one-night stand. Iâm the father of your child â our child. So take your pick â do you want me to fuck you again until your headâs too full of cock to argue, or do you want to sleep?â
You open your mouth. Sleep is on the tip of your tongue, but then you feel him and his gaze warm on you and your legs press together on instinct.
He chuckles, dipping his head to press a chaste kiss onto your lips. âGood answer.â
Sure enough, he keeps his promise and you only find yourself falling asleep when he gives you your third orgasm of the night.
There is no monumental shift. Scott acts the same way he always has â at least around Ben.
He tries to maintain some level of distance but you can tell that heâs getting a little antsy about his own son not knowing who he is. Every time he asks you, you have to shoot it down, mainly for Benâs sake.
But you also know that you raised a good, smart kid, which means itâs not surprising when Ben asks, âWhoâs Uncle Scott really?â
âHe isââ you pause, ââa friend.â
âBoyfriend?â
Fuck.
âNo, heâs just a friend â like the kind youâll meet in school.â
Ben looks at the television where thereâs an interview of Scott playing, the one from a local station talking about his startup. âYou love him?â
Your heart slams against your ribs. Warmth creeps up on you and Ben must notice it because heâs smiling softly, patting your hand.
âI like him,â Ben gives his nod of approval before turning back to the LEGOs in front of him.
A four-year-old just reassured you that he likes his dad. His dad that he still doesnât know about. You know it isnât fair and you will tell him at some point, youâre just not sure how to have that conversation yet â not when Scottâs time here is uncertain, despite what he says.
Still, while Scott keeps things steady with Ben, he switches tactics with you. His hand is always touching you â your hip, your back, your shoulders. Subtle touches like a reminder that heâs here. Itâs oddly comforting and you find yourself seeking his touch more than before.
Around your son, he still maintains some distance, even when you can tell heâs itching to get closer. The two of you are at the grocery store, youâre driving the cart while Ben runs ahead, giggling and pointing at everything he wants â which is really anything with at least twenty grams of added sugar.
Scott has an amused smile on his lips as he watches him.
âThink he could be a runner someday. Has the makings of an athlete. Maybe football,â he says, almost proudly with his chest puffed up.
You roll your eyes, âIâd rather avoid my son getting his head knocked around.â
âOr entrepreneur, he has a way with making you do things, you know. Smart. Manipulative.â
âWhere do you think he got that from?â
Scott only smirks.
Youâre scanning through your list when you realize, âShit, I forgot to grab butter and itâs up the aisle.â
âIâll grab it,â he says, squeezing your hip, âjust get what you need here.â
Ben insists on getting chocolate milk, mainly because heâs convinced the chocolate cow on the box is real. You tell him that you could get the smaller version and that youâll take him to a farm one day and realize that there are no cows that produce chocolate milk.
âWith Uncle Scott? In Okaâ Oklaââ He struggles, frowning when he canât remember.
Oh. âOklahoma,â you add, âmaybe. Iâm sure there are closer farms.â
His mouth opens in a bright grin.
When you finally cave and put both the chocolate milk and the regular milk in the cart, you look back down the aisle to see Scott standing there.
Talking to a woman.
A woman who was very much his type before he met you.
Your chest pinches with an unfamiliar feeling. Itâs understandable that Scott has seen and is probably still seeing other women. The two of you donât have a label on things, nothing you can tape to his forehead that says off limits.
She looks young, sweet, dressed like she has a life. Sheâs smiling up at him, giggling at something heâs saying in a way where you know itâs not because heâs funny. She reaches up to touch his arm and he takes a step back, a polite smile in place, then heâs saying something and looking at you. And then sheâs looking at you too, face souring.
Alright then.
You turn away again, continuing to push the cart as Ben sets his mind on cereal next. Heâs been on a Lucky Charms kick and you desperately need to move him off it. Itâs all sugar and food coloring.
Scott appears next to you, a hand on your lower back as he puts the butter box in the cart. He peeks at your list. âCereal next?â
âUm, yeah,â you say, eyes going over your shoulder to catch another glimpse of that woman. âShe was cute.â
âYeah, she was.â
Your lips immediately curl and Scott catches it before you can school your expression. âDidnât get her number?â
âTold her Iâm with my wife and kid,â he smirks.
Wife and kidâ youâre not even sure how to respond to that, so you resort to clearing your throat with a deadpan look. âGlad to hear we can be used to avoid women you donât like.â
âWell, I was only half lying, wasnât I?â He huffs as the two of you turn the corner, finding Ben already with a box of Lucky Charms in hand. You sigh as Scott mutters under his breath, âNot too late to make it all completely true though.â
You try to convince Ben that cornflakes are much more fun, which is the least convincing argument you can make, until Scott steps in and says that cornflakes make him super strong like the rooster on the cover. So Ben swaps out his pick for a box of Froot Loops and declares that he wants to be strong like this bird instead.
It isnât until the two of you are unloading groceries into his car that it hits you, and the bag nearly slips from his fingers.
Make it all completely true. Wife and kid.
âTook you long enough,â Scott chuckles smugly. âGive it some thought. Maybe we can stop by the jewelers on the way back.â
Scott is relentless to say the least. He has increased the frequency of touching, has made it all the more obvious in front of everyone. Your coworkers all know him by name, chatting with him when you wrap up work late. Sometimes, heâs the one who picks Ben up from your momâs and brings him to meet you at the hospital.
Your mom, of course, is over the moon. She canât stop gushing over him, telling you how he helped her fix her leaky faucet, how heâs always on time to pick up Ben even when heâs still in the middle of work, and âDid you know he was featured in Forbes?â
He finally invites you and Ben over for dinner in his new apartment. Itâs much more spacious, a two-bedroom thatâs twice the size of yours â one of which he has set up for Ben. So Ben is also over the moon when he sees how massive his bedroom is. He asks if the two of you can stay and you only manage a tight-lipped smile before you redirect your glare towards Scott.
âYour place too,â Scott says casually, handing you an extra set of keys. âIn case you ever need some more space.â
Later, he also shows you that heâs left most of the closet empty in the master bedroom. âIn case you need to stay over.â
Itâs sweet. Itâs thoughtful.
Itâs too much.
You donât even know where you stand with him. He takes you out again and then another time; you tell yourself that this is just friends hanging out, but you know itâs different when you end up in his bed at the end of the evening. The first time you slept with him at his and tried to leave after, you realize that your shoes are nowhere to be found.
âWhere are my shoes?â
âI knew you were going to pull some stupid shit like this. So I hid them.â
âWhat the fuck? Are you four?â
âNo, but our son is. Now get your ass back into bed.â You cross your arms over your chest, planting your foot down in protest. Scott regards you coolly. âYou either come here on your own accord or Iâm throwing you over my shoulder.â
He doesnât make threats lightly, so you stomp all the way back to his bedroom where Scott proceeds to fuck you over again and makes sure that you have no energy left to move.
Things are⊠good.
For the first time in years, you feel almost at peace. Benâs a good kid, raised right, adored by all around him. Heâll start school next year with a stronger support system, what with Scott vowing to attend every parent-teacher conference and other events that require his presence. The two of you agree to tell Ben in a month â a month to prepare for the conversation.
You canât even imagine what itâs like â living four years of your life never seeing your father and then suddenly dropping one in his lap. Well, you suppose it isnât very sudden considering Scottâs been around more often than not. Part of you hopes that Ben is hopeful about Scott, itâll make the conversation easier.
That being said, your work schedule has been atrocious which means you havenât had the chance to really sit down with him and have a conversation on how to broach the topic with your son. The one time you finally manage to get off work early, you decide to swing by Scottâs; he works from home and you figured all three of you could do dinner together at that pizza place.
The key rests between your fingers, pinched tight as you stare at it.
You should just ring the doorbell. Right? It isnât your home. But Scott gave you a key and what if heâs still in the middle of something? What if he has someone else in there? No, you shouldnât use the key. Then again, he shouldnât have given you a key if he would be doing anything he wouldnât want you to see.
The internal debate persists until you decide fuck it and push the key into the lock. You open the door slowly, quietly, nothing like your own creaky one. Scottâs nowhere to be found in his giant living room with his giant television. You look at that giant screen with envy, thinking about how wonderful movie nights would be with that setup. Scott has already insisted on doing movie nights at his instead, stocking up on popcorn and sugar, and youâre tempted to agree.
Muffled voices carry down the hall. Heâs probably in the bedroom so you silently make your way over in case heâs on a call.
âYeah, Iâll be back next week, alright,â Scott says, sounding agitated. You get a peek through the bedroom door and find him pacing.
An open suitcase in front of him.
Your heart drops. The scene is all too familiar. Itâs like youâre twenty-two again, left behind in this town while he goes off to chase his dreams â only this time, he had promised you he would stay. Only this time, it wonât only be your heart heâll break.
âI know itâs takinâ me a while,â he grunts, scrounging his hand through his hair, âno, I still need to pick up my shit.â
You canât hear the person on the other end of the line but itâs clear that he doesnât seem very pleased. A sigh heaves from his chest as he looks out the window, a mournful expression painted onto his face.
âI have to tie up some loose ends.â
Loose ends? You swallow thickly. Thatâsâ is he talking about you? About Ben? Heâs supposed to be back in Oklahoma next week. No doubt whoever is on the other side is someone at work. But he had promised you he would stay â right? He had said that he would be sticking around. Why else would he get an apartment? Why would he set the bedroom up for Ben otherwise?
But your mind has spiraled beyond the point of reason. Your survival instincts kick in again; you never want to be the person left behind. Not again. Not after that first time. So you should leave first. Itâll make it easier for the both of you.
Scott wonât have to break the news and you â you can let that hope quietly slip away.
All you can do now is⊠leave.
So you do. You take one step back then another and another until youâre in his kitchen. You open one of the drawers and tuck the extra set of keys he gave you inside; after all, you wonât be needing those anymore. Then youâre out the door.
Youâre functioning numb as you get home. Ben greets you with a big smile and so does your mom. You force yourself to smile too and ask if the two of them want pizza for dinner. Your mom looks at you with a silent question asking where Scott is. You only shake your head.
When Scott calls you as youâre getting ready to leave for the restaurant, you donât pick up.
Not feeling so hot.
His face appears on your screen as your phone vibrates with the incoming call. You curse yourself for texting so quickly.
âHey,â you try to rasp.
âWhat is it? A cold? A fever? I can grab medicine and dinner on the way there. Maybe that wonton noodle soup fromââ
âNo, donât,â you blurt out, âI, uh, donât want to get you sick.â
âI donât give a shit about that.â You can practically imagine his annoyed scowl. Heâs probably shrugging on his jacket, you can hear the jingle of his keys as he heads to the door. âWhat do you want to eat? You like that wonton soup right? Itâs on the way to yours.â
âScott, please.â
âSweetheart,â he sighs.
âIâll be fine,â you insist, âjust give me a few days to recover and Iâll text you, okay.â
Silence on the other end means that heâs giving it actual thought. Then you hear the long exhale. âFine. Call or text me if you need anything. Seriously.â He clears his throat, âYou know, your mom could also take Ben for a few days. Iâll come take care of you.â
You bite your tongue, blinking away the tears as you stare up at the ceiling. You canât get used to this, canât get used to someone checking in on you, putting you first. This isnât the kind of thing that lasts.
âNo, I promise Iâll be okay.â
You call in sick for work, which shocks your entire team because youâre the type to drag yourself out of your deathbed to make sure you donât miss a day. Youâre not sure you like this reputation.
Jenna calls your bullshit out immediately. âWhatâs going on?â
âNothing,â you mutter, picking on the lint on your pajama pants. Youâre waiting for Ben to wake up so the two of you can spend the day together. Heâs a little confused why youâre at home for a few days, but he certainly isnât complaining.
âDoes it have something to do with hottie Scottie?â
You wince, âThatâs a gross nickname. Never say that again.â
âSo it does, what did he do?â
Itâs not what he did. Itâs what heâs about to do. âItâs not a big deal. I just needed a break. Gonna spend some time with Ben.â
âWell, Ben loves her cool Aunt Jenna so Iâll swing by after with fried chicken?â
Your lips twitch. She always knows the right things to say. âSounds good.â
On the other hand, you spend the rest of the week dodging Scottâs every attempt to come visit. You tell him that your cold has only gotten worse (youâre fresher than a spring chicken), that your mom is taking Ben for a few days (heâs sitting at the dining table), and that you are doing fine otherwise (your heart is splintering in your chest).
He sounds frustrated over the phone and, when he does visit, you pretend that youâre too sick to see him, refusing to let him through the door.
âThis is fucking ridiculous. You have a cold. Iâll be fine,â he snaps through the front door. âWill you just let me in?â
Once again, you emphasize that thatâs not good practice and colds are highly contagious. You can hear Scottâs feet shuffling outside, his annoyed grunts.
âCan you just let me in?â He breathes out deeply, âPlease. I havenât seen you in days and I really want to. I just want to make sure youâre good.â
Your forehead presses against the cool door. You tell yourself to stay strong. Donât give in so easily. So again, you deny him entry and he finally leaves.
On Sunday, he calls and you at least pick that up. âI have to fly out to Oklahoma for a few days,â he mutters, âIâll be back. Call me, text me, fucking email me if you need to â if you need anything at all, alright.â
âIâll be fine,â you whisper.
Youâre tying up those loose ends for him.
Scott goes radio silent for the first half of the week. You think this is finally it. Heâs finally cutting you loose and maybe heâs simply going to fade into a distant memory. Youâre back at work when he leaves Boston, your coworkers peppering you with questions about your absence. Jenna keeps the wolves at bay, telling all of them to give you some space.
âYou need to talk to me at some point,â she gives you a look.
You lick your lips, mouth trembling as you finally say the words youâve been too afraid to say. Because itâs one thing to think it, itâs another to admit it aloud. âScottâs gone.â
âWhat?â She jerks back, âWhat do you mean heâs gone?â
Pushing around your peas, you sigh. âHeâs in Oklahoma.â
âTemporarily right?â
You shrug. âFeel like it might be for good.â
âDid he tell you that?â
No, but you heard his conversation and itâs all about the words that are said behind your back that matter, right?
âHon, listen to me. Iâve never seen a man more obsessed in my life. That guyâs in love with you.â
To that, you laugh, heart a little lighter for some odd reason. âHeâs just being a good friend. He probably felt guilty after â you know â finding out that he knocked me up.â
She gives you a look. âIf you seriously believe that, Iâm going to have to take you up to neuro to get your head checked.â
On Thursday, youâre finally settling with the possibility that this really is it. Youâll be okay; you survived once without him, you can do it again. Instead, you focus strictly on work, drowning in the mountains of paperwork and unfinished studies. While youâre doing all that, your phone lights up with Scottâs name.
You donât pick up. The last thing you need while youâre stressed out of your mind is to hear him apologize, hear him tell you that heâs changed in his mind. You can have your heart ripped out of your chest later.
Blissful ignorance is better than blatant rejection, thatâs always been your motto.
Youâre ready for a night of full decompression, which means youâre going to cuddle up with your baby and maybe fall asleep on the couch after a filling dinner of grease. âIâm home,â you call out.
The sight before you has you freezing. Scottâs on the couch â your couch â with Ben on his lap. Theyâre reading one of Benâs favorite books and your son is giggling uncontrollably. Now, he is facing the front which means he canât see Scottâs expression.
And that is a look that has your entire body stiffening in the doorway. Youâre almost tempted to run again, but how could you abandon your son? So you try to ignore your buzzing nerves.
âMom!â
âHey, buddy,â you smile weakly, closing the door behind you. âWhereâs, uh, my mom?â
âShe left earlier, said I should spend some time with Ben and you,â he smiles. Itâs sweet. Itâs a sickeningly sweet smile, which means you know better than to trust it. âBen here was just telling me about all the fun you had last week. All week in fact. Said you werenât going to work so you two could spend all day together. Outside.â
Well.
âWe watched a baseball game and then got ice cream!â Ben announces cheerily. Then he begins to list down everything you did last week â everything â and he is completely unaware that heâs digging a deeper grave for his own mother.
âThat so?â Scott chuckles, patting his head. âYour momâs a real miracle worker, isnât she? Real healthy and spry to be doing all those things.â
The evening is tense, mostly for you. Your back is ramrod straight as Scott insists on cooking dinner and you have to keep a close eye to make sure he doesnât add anything to your food. There are smarter ways to take you out, none of them ideal for you. Ben seems to sense the thickness of the air, eyes darting between the two of you.
Of course, neither of you show a thing but the anger that rolls off Scott is nothing short of obvious. So Ben then proceeds to declare that he wants to sleep early.
He never sleeps early. Heâs just hit you with a second strike.
You busy yourself with getting him ready for bed, staying for as long as you can. Youâre glued at the hip while he brushes his teeth, while he picks out his pajamas at an alarmingly fast speed. He doesnât even want a bedtime story, telling you that heâs knackered from the long day.
And he goes straight to sleep. Traitor.
You were hoping Ben could buy you more time to come up with some sort of explanation for your behavior, or at least figure out a way to turn the conversation back to him because â whatâs he doing back here? Isnât he supposed to be in Oklahoma?
When you finally step out of Benâs room, Scott looks noticeably ticked off.
His jaw is squared tight, dimples that are usually so endearing appearing more menacing in this light. âYou wanna tell me why you lied about beinâ sick?â
You shift back on the heels of your feet. âI just needed some me time.â
âBullshit,â he spits out, âyou know I wouldâve given you that if thatâs what you wanted. Try again.â
While youâre usually better at thinking on your feet, the glare heâs pinned you with has your brain completely scrambled. Youâre coming up with nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nothing even remotely close to being sufficient for your lie.
âCanât think of anything, can you? Now that Iâve caught you.â
âScottâŠâ
âWhat was it?â He grunts, âWhat fucking spooked you?â
You press your lips together. âWhat are you talking about?â
âYouâve never been good at commitment, sweetheart. Been runninâ since the day I met you. So tell me, what fucking scared you?â
A protest sits on the tip of your tongue, ready to fall from your lips. Defensive. But Scottâs looking at you wearily, a five oâclock shadow thatâs rarely ever there dusted across his face.
âYou were going to leave,â you murmur.
He frowns at that. âWhen the hell did I say I was gonna do that?â
âYou didnât have to tell me,â you sigh, âI heard you on the phone.â
His eyebrows jump, surprise coloring his expression. If that isnât confirmation, you donât know what is. âWhatâre you talking about?â
Itâs your turn to look irritated. How is he going to play dumb when heâs been caught red-handed?
âI heard you â you were going to head back Oklahoma, that you needed to pack your stuff andââ the last part has your throat constricting, youâre blinking back tears as you look at him. ââthat you needed to tie up loose ends.â
Scott looks far from appeased from your explanation. âYeah, and?â
âAre you shitting me?â You hiss, âIf you were going to leave again, were you ever going to tell me? Were you just going to disappear? Leave me here alone again.â
âThatâs not fucking fair,â he snaps right back, âI reached out to you. Multiple times. I called and texted and you disappeared. So donât turn this shit around on me like I intentionally left you.â
âHow was I ever supposed to tell you, Scott? Iâm pregnant, can you stay here with me instead?â
âYes! Exactly like that,â he snarls, âitâs as simple as that. But instead, you stopped responding to me. You left me.â That shuts you up, your breath catching in your throat. âSo donât be a hypocrite.â
âIt wouldâve been selfish of me â to tell you,â you gulp, chest tight, âyou wouldâve stayed because thatâs who you are. That stupid sense of responsibility despite you being irresponsible enough to go out there and chase goddamn tornadoes. I couldnât do that to you.â
âI know, because thatâs who you are,â he mutters, âyou think you gotta do everything on your own. You think I donât hear things? Your mom and Jenna told me plenty about how tough things were for you. How do you think that makes me feel? Iâm the asshole that left you.â
âYou didnât know,â you breathe in shakily.
âDoesnât change the circumstances, does it?â He snips. His face softens then, melting slightly as he sees you curling into yourself. âBut I really need you to get your head checked. Something ainât right up there if you think for a second I could really ever leave you again.â
You look up at him and heâs already taken a step towards you. His hand slides up your neck to cup your cheek, his warm blue eyes on you.
âI was wrapping things up in Oklahoma so I can move here for good. I needed to deal with some paperwork and all the transition for the fieldwork. Weâre not short-handed but, you know how it is with leadership.â He pauses, searching your face for any reaction. âI couldnât just leave my team hanging out to dry so I had to finalize everything before I officially moved here.â
Well. Your voice is quiet when you ask, âSo you werenât going back to Oklahoma for good?â
The aggravation returns to his face. âYouâre shittinâ me right? Have I not been telling you for weeks that Iâm here to stay?â
âI just thought you meant temporarily,â you sputter, âwho picks up their entire life on a fucking whim?â
âItâs not a whim! I was planning to move back here, focus more on raising funds with investors. That was, if I managed to find you!â That has you jolting back in surprise. âI came here to look for you. Properly this time. Fuck, and I told myself that, if I found you, I wasnât gonna get you walk away from me again.â
âYouâ really?â
He rolls his eyes, lips tugging up. âYeah, really. Let go the love of my life once, ainât doinâ that again.â
âLove of your life?â You squeak.
Scott looks up at the ceiling, praying to some almighty up there to lend him some patience. âThought that was fuckinâ obvious,â he mutters, âfor someone so fuckinâ smart, you can be real stupid.â
âThatâs so rude,â you frown.
âApparently, I have to be if I need you to get your head out of your ass.â
You lick your lips, face flushing with heat. âSo, uh, love of your life? Can I get some clarity on that?â
âHow can I be any clearer?â He snaps, âIf youâre gonna ask me since when, you really think Iâd keep fucking you back then if I wasnât in love with you?â Your jaw practically drops. âYouâre the idiot that didnât want anything real.â
âYou were fucking everything that moved!â
âUntil I met you!â He shakes his head. âJesus, you reallyâ I donât know how you got me wrapped around your finger all this time.â
You huff, âAre you gonna keep insulting me all night?â
âAre you not gonna tell me you love me?â
A laugh bubbles up your throat. âWhat makes you think I love you?â
âI donât think, I know, sweetheart,â Scott grins, arm stretching to pull you towards him. He tucks you in close, your breasts against his chest as your palms land on his shoulders, fingers scratching the hair at the nape of his neck. He lets out a quiet little moan. âCome on, say it. I know youâve been dyinâ to for years now.â
With a roll of your eyes, you puff out, âI love you.â
He grunts, leaning down to tease you. âDonât think I heard you.â
âI love you, Scott Miller. Now will you shut up and kiss me?â
âNever could say no to you, sweetheart.âÂ
+ sam: thank you so much if you've made it this far!!! you've finally seen the inner workings of my mind when i'm truly hyperfixating. please know that i appreciate every single piece of engagement but i especially love to hear what you think of the story, your fave parts, etc.!!! <3
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