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Amari

"Why are we going to your Mom's house again?" I ask looking over to Justin as he drove quietly.

"Well, she's only seen you a few times since the pregnancy and I figured she'd be happy to see you again." He says glancing over at me and smiling then looking back to the road. "Also, I just think we need to get away from our house. It's filled with bad energy right now."

"Like that's my fault..." I mumble.

"I think it's both of our faults, but okay." He says. "Let's not argue about it."

I look away from him and out the window taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes.

After Justin told me about his visit with Jessica, I was still a bit upset. I hated that he had went to see her without me, but when he explained why, it sort of made sense. He went alone so Jessica didn't have any reason to fabricate a story that would please me. Although, I must admit, I am still a bit on edge about the entire situation. For all I know, the story could still be fabricated or missing some important details.

I talked to Lana about asking Jessica what happened just to see if her story would change and I hoped it didn't. I was tired of constantly fighting and arguing. I wanted to be in love again. I wanted to be in love with Justin again. Maybe this trip to his Mom's house would do us some good.

Tyler

"Tyler, I'm getting out in two days." Danielle groans running a hand through her hair. "Can you please wait a couple more days to do this?"

"I cannot." I shake my head. "Danielle, I need you to sign those papers. I have a life I'd like to move on with that doesn't involve you."

"You're being unreasonable." She says.

"Yeah, and you're being annoying. Just sign the papers and I'll leave you alone." I say sliding the papers over to her again.

I was way pass ready to move on with my life. My hotel was nearly done and I was contemplating relocating to a different state to oversee a new project. I had other people I needed to talk to before making any final decision and Danielle was holding up my process.

"How did we end up here, Tyler?" Danielle sighs reaching out to grab onto my hand. "We used to be so in love."

"We were." I nod my head. "But then you went crazy and I don't like crazy."

"Don't you see that I'm here trying to fix myself for you?" She asks with a soft voice. "I want to do better. Be better. Tyler, give me another chance."

I stared at her for a moment. Studying her face and letting her voice echo throughout my head. She looked tired and sounded sincere, but how could I trust that? How many times in my life had I heard the same excuses and empty promises of change coming from my own father? He never changed. He never had intentions to. What made Danielle any different?

"Tyler..." She starts, but I shake my head pulling my hand away.

Danielle was a scary girl. She had a way with manipulation. When you thought you had forced her back against a wall, she always had a trick up her sleeve. It wasn't necessarily her words, but the way she said them. She played upon your trauma and made you question if people could actually be better. That's why I was so in love with her. She made you feel in control when really, she was pulling the strings. That made her a fantastic person to have by your side and on your team. Checking herself into this place was just another trick. I knew that. Why wouldn't my brain accept that and stop making me question myself? Maybe she did actually want to change.

"You don't actually mean that. That's the problem." I shake my head pointing at her. "Danielle, you're... Indescribable. I want to call you evil and vindictive, but you aren't those things."

She raises an eyebrow at me tilting her head slightly as she listens to my words.

"That night you called Amari to come get you from the club..." I shake my head. "What was that about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tyler." She laughs a little. "I genuinely needed help and you weren't answering your phone. Not everyone has a secret agenda."

"Yeah, but you do." I say. "I know you well enough to know that. When you showed up in my office with Amari's clothes on instead of going home?"

"I didn't have my house key." She says.

"Why didn't you go to your Mom's house?" I ask and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "See? That's the problem. You're not innocent. You think life is a big game and it isn't. You went too far and I can't forgive you this time and risk you doing it all over again. Danielle, I really do love you, but I can't do this anymore."

"Tyler, I'm serious this time." She says straightening in her seat. "I won't do it again. I swear!"

At Hunter's House

"Yeah. I found an address and a name." I said sitting the papers in front of Hunter who quickly looked over them.

"Conner?" He scoffs. "I already hate this guy."

"How come?"

"The '-er' trend within all of our names is just..." He shakes his head. "Are you going Today?"

"Yeah." I nod my head. "Mom is gonna keep Kyler for a few days and I'm driving out there Today. You want to come?"

"Can't. Angel and I have wedding things to tend to." He shakes his head sliding the papers back to me. "Let me know if you like him. I might send him an invite to the wedding."

"Sure." I roll my eyes. "Well, good luck with that."

Hunter holds his hand up and leaves the room. I grab my car keys heading out to my car and begin the drive. It was gonna be a long drive and the unsigned divorce papers sitting in the backseat of my car didn't make the ride any better.

Why did I always let Danielle find a way into my head? Why was I so weak when it came to her?

I always thought Amari had a way about herself that kept me drawn to her, but Danielle... Danielle had her beat. Amari was a nice girl putting on a tough girl's act while Danielle was genuinely who she presented herself to be while all at the same time being nothing like the facade. She wasn't a tough girl with nice girl tendencies and she wasn't a nice girl playing tough. You didn't know who she was. All you knew was that whatever role Danielle was playing, she had you glued to your seat.

I reach for the radio turning it up more to try and drown out my own intrusive thoughts but that only aided in giving me a migraine. A migraine I'd have to put up with until I had finally made it to my destination.

Justin

"That's so ugly." Amari laughs as I show her a video I had found on Facebook.

We had stopped at a gas station to fill the tank up for the rest of the drive to my Mom's house.

"You think so?" I laugh sitting my phone in the cup holder. "I could see you with silver hair."

"Justin stop." She laughed pushing my arm.

I grab onto her hand pulling her closer to me and kissing the top of her head. We had been driving for a hour and some minutes now and the tension between us had began to melt away. I knew that this feeling wouldn't be permanent, we'd still have to deal with it once we got home, but it felt good to be able to laugh with my girlfriend without having to worry about it being faked. I get out of the car to remove the gas pump before starting the drive again.

Occasionally, I would glance over to the passenger's seat at Amari who was eating a strawberry shortcake ice cream and original lays chips as she sang along to whatever song she had decided to play on the radio. As I look back to the road, a dark car with tinted windows speed pass me cutting me off causing me to swerve over into another lane.

"What the fuck?" I scoff straightening in my seat and speeding up a little.

"Justin, let it go." Amari sighs grabbing onto my arm.

"But that asshole..." I trail off glancing over to Amari who was staring back at me.

I take in a deep breath and shake my head letting it go. No point in starting an argument over something that wouldn't matter in 10 minutes.

"You're right." I nod my head. "It's irrelevant."

She smiles at me and goes back to her phone. When we make it to my Mom's house, I quickly take Amari up to my old bedroom and let her settle in before going downstairs to talk to my Mom.

"Where's Amari?" Mom asks as she peels potatoes at the counter.

Her back was towards me as I walk over to sit at the table with Jonah and Julia.

"It was a long ride here." I say reaching over to hit Julia. "I think she's gonna shower and take a nap."

"Stop it." Julia mumbled kicking my leg beneath the table.

"Stop it." Jonah mocks her.

"Mom!"

"Jonah, leave your sister alone." Mom sighs grabbing her cutting board and bowl filled halfway with water and moving it over to the table with us.

She continues to cut the potatoes and drop them into the bowl.

"You all act like children." She shakes her head.

"Not me, Mama." I say watching her.

"Especially you." Julia scoffs. "If anything, I'm the most mature."

"Sure. If you're not counting me." Jonah flashes us his smile and Julia rolls her eyes.

"Are you guys taking me back with you?" Julia asks looking over to me.

"Absolutely not." I scoff. "Amari and I are very busy people as of recently. We don't have time to look after you."

"I'm practically a grown up. I can look after myself." She says.

"Yet, you failed your driver's test." Jonah mumbles and I point at him agreeing.

"Do you have a license?" Julia asks Jonah.

"No, but that's not the conversation. We're talking about you." Jonah says.

Just as Julia goes to respond, we hear the front door open and heavy footsteps storming through the house.

"Mom!" The deep voice booms throughout the house.

"Oooh. Conner's home." Julia laughs nudging me. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing. He's not mad at me." I shake my head looking over to the kitchen entrance just as Conner, my older brother, walks into the kitchen.

His eyes land directly upon Mom before he looks at the rest of us.

"Yes baby?" Mom asks looking over to him.

"Who is..." He searches for his words before turning to look at someone just out of vision. "What was his name again?"

"Lewis Brooks." The familiar voice said and that's when he stepped into the kitchen.

Tyler and I locked eyes and a tired expression washes over his features before he shook his head.

"What a small world?" He chuckles.

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