“I beg your pardon,” Brian said, grabbing Bill’s arm. “I said fucking let go.” Bill tried to shrug him off, but Brian pried his hand away just as heavy, determined footsteps bore down on us from behind.
“What the fuck?” I heard David ask. As soon as the question was out of his mouth, he’d shoved Bill out of the way before positioning himself between us. “Don’t fucking touch her.”
“You,” Bill snarled at him. “Don’t tell me that I can’t touchmywife.”
“She’s not yours anymore,” David said.
“Oh, yeah?” Bill strode up to him. “And what happens when you get tired of her? Then she’ll just be a washed-up divorcée nobody wants.”
“Bill, please—I know you don’t mean that,” I said, trying to get between them, worried someone would go too far.
“Get back,” David said softly and ushered me behind him with obvious restraint.
“You’re just a phase,” Bill said to David, “and that phase is over. Move. I’m taking her home.”
“Just try me,” David said evenly.
“You think you’re a real big shot, don’t you?” Bill asked. “You bought her ahouseso you could get in her pants? Do you think she’s some sort of whore?”
David lunged forward and grabbed Bill by the shirt. “Watch your mouth, motherfucker. All I need is an excuse to level you,” he said.
It wouldn’t be a fair match, and I’d never known Bill to get in a physical fight. I didn’t want to find out how that would go. “David, let go of him,” I said, and David pushed Bill off.
“Come home with me, Liv,” Bill said, unruffled. “Let’s fix this. He can’t make you happy.” His tone softened. “You know he can’t.”
David’s body tensed, and I refrained from touching his back to show comfort. “I’m sorry, Bill,” I said. “But leave David out of this. It’s not his fault.”
“Not hisfault?” Bill’s breathing deepened, and his lips curled back as he looked at David with disgust. “Does he have you brainwashed?”
My eyes jumped between them as they stared each other down. I tried a few tentative steps forward, but David’s arm shot out to catch my shoulder. I walked as far forward as he’d let me. “We can talk next week once everyone has had a chance to cool down,” I said to Bill. “I’ll explain everything about the house.”
“Come home now, Olivia.” Bill’s eyes pleaded with me. “I’m not messing around.”
I bit the inside of my cheek as David’s hand tightened on my shoulder. It tugged at my heart to say the words, but I knew David needed to hear them just as much as Bill. “I’m sorry, but that’s not my home anymore.”
Bill’s eyes locked on David behind me. “You son of a bitch,” Bill said, his voice cracking. “You stole my wife. Youstolemy wife!” He lunged past me to throw his palms into David’s rigid body. I jumped back, tripped over my dress, and grasped at air as I fell.
David whirled to catch me as Bill raised his fist.
“Watch out,” I screamed as Bill landed a punch in David’s side.
David threw up his arm to block Bill’s next blow, then threw a right hook into Bill’s nose. With great effort, Bill pummeled him to the ground, where David flipped him over and gained the upper hand within moments.
David jumped up and pulled Bill’s torso off the ground by his shirt. “Stay away from her,” he said with a hard shake. “This is your only warning.”
“Yeah, you can have her, the trashy slut,” Bill responded, grimacing when he sniffed. Blood streamed from his nose as he looked over to where I still lay on the ground, too shocked to move. “On your back where you belong.”
“Get up,” David said, his face darkening.
“David, don’t.” He looked beyond control, and I was terrified of what he might do. “He doesn’t mean it.”
David ignored me as he hauled Bill to his feet. “I should fucking destroy you for that comment.”
Bill flinched as David drew back his fist and went to hit him but stopped short. “Ever speak to her like that again, and I will. And if youevertouch her like that again, you’re good as dead, motherfucker.” David released him with a forceful push. Bill launched himself toward us, but Brian and Greg pushed between both of them. Greg held Bill back a few feet, restraining him while he cursed at us.
Gretchen squatted and extended her hand to me, but not before David swooped down to help me onto my feet.
Bill wiped blood from his nose. “I’m done with this shit, Olivia,” he said. I felt the need to run and comfort him, but David’s powerful hands grasped my shoulders. “Divorce is on, and you aren’t getting shit, do you hear me? Screw you.Allof you.”
