“Hey man, come on.” Suddenly Jacob Helvey, the guy that had been the best man at the wedding to the woman he was now married to. The man that was one of the first to know Tawson was proposing. Tawson felt nothing but loathing for both of them. “Don’t talk to her like that. Just hear us out.”
“I said no,” Tawson said. He would stand his ground. He’d spoken to Megan again, going into more detail about their past and the dynamics of his relationships past and present. He had to restart his life from next to nothing. Over a year later, he had his dream job. He lived in a great place, had friends and family, had a partner. “Please leave or I’ll call security.”
Meredith shifted her weight from one foot to another. He knew her well enough to know she was about to say something that he didn’t want to hear. “We wanted to try and mend things,” she said again. “For the sake of our daughter.”
Tawson choked on air. Literally, bent over coughing, trying to breathe.
Daughter.
Our?
What?
“Not your kid, Taw. Ours.” Jacob said. His voice was full of something. Tawson couldn’t quite place the emotion. But the relief that flooded through his body that it wasn’t his kid. That he could pinpoint easily. “We wanted you to meet her.”
“Why?” Tawson started gathering his things. He was done with this conversation, but the longer they stood there. The longer they spoke and he had to see them, the closer he was getting to another panic attack. Seeing them reminded himof everything he’s been working to get passed. “It’s not mine. I don’t care what either of you do. You’re not part of my life anymore.”
“Come on, Taw.” Meredith lifted a hand, like she was going to reach for Tawson.
“You don’t have the right to call me that anymore,” Tawson said. “You lost it when you left me in that hospital room alone. Now, as I said, get out.”
He couldn’t look at them. That rock feeling in his stomach was growing. It was painful. He had all his things ready to go, but they hadn’t moved from the door. And it was the only way in and out of his office. He finally faced them. Jacob grabbed their little girl from what looked like the stroller behind them. She couldn’t have been more than a couple months old yet. Dressed in a pink dress with a bow on her head.
“Move.”
“Tawson, come on. We just want to talk.”
“Why?” Tawson slammed his bag to the ground. It hit the side of the filing cabinet, making a loud echo. They weren’t going to let him leave so he wasn’t going to hold back. “So you can rub it in my face that you gained everything I lost that night? I was assaulted, Meredith! I was drugged and taken to a place without my knowledge. I had to get tested for months after, worried that I might have gotten something. Do you know how terrifying that is? To have to do that alone, knowing that your wife, the woman you thought you loved, just didn’t care? That your so-called friends all turned their backs.” Tawson was shouting. He could feel the tears running down his cheeks too. “That man took a lot from me that night and you continued to take. You got the house. You got my fucking retirement, Meredith. What else could you possiblywant from me?”
Meredith opened her mouth several times to say something, but never did. The baby in Jacob’s arms started to fuss. Probably from Tawson’s raised voice.
“Get out.” The words came from the hallway. Tawson couldn’t see who it was but the voice sounded familiar. Strong. “You are not welcome here. Security and cops have been called and I suggest you be gone before they get here.”
Yvonne pushed her way into Tawson’s office. He let his shoulders slump with relief that someone else was there with him. She might look sweet with her doe eyes and hair slicked back into a low bun, but Tawson knew she defended fiercely and could get loud if needed.
Tawson wanted to get home. To get to his partner. His love. Seeing Meredith highlighted in Tawson’s brain all the ways Vic showed his care and love. They respected boundaries. They stopped when Tawson asked, no follow up questions needed.
“This doesn’t concern you,” Meredith said. The baby was crying and she didn’t seem to be paying a bit of attention to it. Some mother she was. Putting her own feelings and agenda above her child’s. Tawson would be damned if he ever treated his own kid that way.
“You come in here and interrupt his work, refuse to leave, and are just downright being nasty. And you think this isn’t my business?” Tawson stepped forward and reached a hand out to Yvonne. He could see her hand twitching, like she was gearing up to hit something. She was a spirited soul for sure, but he wouldn’t risk her losing her job for him.
“What is going on here?” That was yet another voice. Tawson could feel his panic and frustration turn to embarrassment. Too many people were here. Too manyinvolved.
“These two are refusing to leave,” Yvonne said.
Tawson cut in before she could continue. “I’m a professor here, Sir.” He could just barely see the security officer standing in the hallway. “I’m currently working office hours for students and these two refuse to leave. They are not students nor do they have any family that attend this school.”
“You two need to come with me,” the security officer said. “Now.”
Tawson sat back down at this desk and woke his computer up. He was going to send out an email to cancel the rest of office hours for the day. He’d make it up if anyone had been planning on stopping by. He paid no mind to Meredith or Jacob as they left.
“Are you okay?” Yvonne asked after they left. She shut the door behind her.
“No. I never thought I would see her again. I just want to get home.”
“Tawson-” Yvonne started. He considered her a friend but they still weren’t that close. He wasn’t sure if she caught what he yelled. Most likely. But she wasn’t who he wanted to be with right now.
“I’m not going home alone,” Tawson said. He finished posting the message to the online chat for his classes and went through the motions to shut the computer down. “I appreciate you stepping in, but I just need to go.”
