To Have It All(76)

“Matt,” Waverly cried as she moved around us.

My reason was lost as we wrestled, our bodies twisted as we tried to overpower the other. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind where common sense and logic existed, his anger was directed at Max, not me. Physically fighting him was wrong, but seeing him hurt Waverly . . . I couldn’t take it, no matter how justified his feelings about the situation were. Some protective and primal instinct took over, and I reacted.

I managed to roll Matt on his back, so I was sitting on top, pinning him to the floor. He had one hand grasping my throat as he thrashed trying to throw me off of him, but I was seated solidly. Pulling my fist back, I fully intended to hit him, until I was yanked off Matt and tossed back on my ass. Squabbling to get back to my feet, I prepared to attack whoever it was until I was pushed back again.

“That’s enough, Mr. Porter,” Braxton shouted at me before he turned his attention to Matt and pushed him back as he made a lunge for me. “Enough,” he roared at Matt. Standing sideways between us, he held his hands up, acting as a blockade. “Do I need to call the police?”

We were both panting, glaring at each other, neither of us bothering to speak. Then I noticed Waverly, her hands were pressed against her face as she wept. Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a long breath as the guilt and regret hit me.

“Shit,” I huffed. That shouldn’t have happened no matter how big of a dick Matt was being. Braxton turned to Matt when he realized we weren’t going to attack one another and suggested, “I think it’s time for you to go, sir.”

Matt cut his angry gaze to Waverly as his chest rose and fell with each breath. “Waverly?” he grumbled. I wasn’t sure if he wanted her to leave with him, or if he only wanted her to defend him. Lifting her eyes to his, she frowned.

“We have plans in the morning,” she sniffled, turning her head from him, “but we should be done by ten. You can come get Pim then.”

Matt glanced around the room, his scornful gaze fixing on me one last time, before he stomped out.

Braxton’s mouth was pressed into a hard line, as he flicked his stare at me. “Neighbors were complaining,” he explained. “Please make sure that doesn’t happen again, or I’ll have to report you.”

I nodded once as I held my throbbing jaw. “I’m sorry,” I murmured. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he held it out for Waverly.

“It’s clean, and you can keep it,” he told her, his voice soft.

Taking it, she dabbed at her face. “Thank you.”

We watched him exit, both of us rooted to the floor for several minutes, before I finally made it to the door and closed it. When I turned back, she was in the kitchen pulling out a bag of frozen peas. My stomach knotted when she faced me again, letting me see up close just how hurt she was feeling as she gently placed the bag against my face. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying and she couldn’t stop sniffling.

“He broke a kid’s jaw once when he was in high school,” she said, as she stared up at me. “You’re lucky.”

“Waverly, I’m sor—”

“Don’t,” she cut me off. “I hate that . . . that happened, but it was my fault. I should have called him back. I’m the one in the wrong.”

“I just got her down,” Helen murmured as she entered the kitchen. “Poor baby cried herself to sleep.”

I grimaced as I took the frozen vegetables from Waverly and backed away. The day had started out so perfectly but in a matter of minutes had turned to shit.

“I’m going to go peek in on her,” Waverly informed us which I took for she needed a moment to herself. She drifted out of the kitchen without another word.

“You think she’s okay?” Helen asked as she wiped at an invisible crumb on the counter.

Letting out a growl I tossed the peas in the sink. “I’ve fucked up everything for her,” I muttered. “I should have just signed the damned papers and she wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Helen put her hand on my shoulder. “This isn’t your fault Liam,” she tried to assure me. “This is all just—”

“Bullshit,” I interrupted.

“Unfortunate circumstances,” she finished.

We were both quiet for a moment, before Helen spoke again. “We need to be at the hospital by noon.” She cleared her throat before wiping at her face.

Swinging one arm out, I hugged her to me. “Tomorrow, okay? I can’t do our goodbyes tonight.” Saying goodbye to Helen, in the likely event Max and I switched back and I died, would be hard. Hell, hard doesn’t even come close to what it would be.

She nodded a few times in agreement, her face twisted in pain as she fought the tears. “I’m going to head out,” she managed. “David is meeting me at the hospital to say his goodbyes to you,” she choked out.

I frowned as I thought about my nephew. I wished I could talk to him, but this situation was so fucked it was too much to involve him in it. “Just keep telling him how much I loved him,” I asked of her. “And tell him how proud I was of him.”

She nodded again, her words lodged in her throat. With a quick peck on the cheek, she hurried into the living room and grabbed her purse before she left.

Letting out a loud exhale, attempting to reset myself, I opened the freezer and grabbed the bottle of whiskey Helen had brought over when she brought the groceries a few days before. Grabbing a small glass, I filled it halfway and chugged it down. Then I did it again.