23

Lexi's POV:

I'm frozen where I stand when my eyes fall on Scott's face. What is he doing here?

"Lexi!" One of the little ones scream, running to me and hugging me.

My hand instinctively falls to her head, "hey, kiddo!" I mutter, my words nearly getting hung in my throat.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Scott hisses, clearly angry.

I watch Evan's face freeze up with fear and she stutters over her words as well. Evan is a very hard person to leave speechless, but right now she is.

"I- she-" she stops and her hand shoves through her hair. This is not good.

"Are you fucking-" Scott's loud and angry voice makes me jump, but Evan isn't phased. She changes her face from one of worry to one of pure anger immediately and shoves Scott backward.

"Shh!" She hisses, pulling the door shut behind them and leaving me inside with all three kids.

"You're staying with mom too?!" Grace asks me, totally ignoring the fact that her father is screaming on the other side of the door. I have a feeling they're used to seeing him rage and carry on like this, unfortunately.

"I was last night. She helped me do something last night and we didn't get home until late, so I spent the night!" I say, trying to keep my composure in front of the kids despite the internal panic. "Why don't we go play out back?" I suggest, wanting to keep them as far away from the argument that is ensuing between their parents as I possibly can.

They all three nod and I lead them outside and climb into the net of the trampoline with them. We bounce and play for about fifteen or twenty minutes, but my mind is hardly able to stay focused on them.

I can't just leave them out here and go jump in the middle of Evan and Scott's argument. It's not my place, nor is it the responsible choice, but I want to know what the hell is going on. I want to make sure Evan is okay.

I know for a fact that it isn't Evan's weekend to have the kids, and she wasn't expecting them to be here. He had to of just shown up without warning. Evan wouldn't risk me being here otherwise. She isn't that dumb.

After the most agonizing half hour of my life, I see the back door open and Evan steps out. I glance over and she nods, letting me know we can come back inside now.

I gather the kids and head that way, Evan's back is to us.

"Mommy! You're still in your pajamas?" Mason giggles.

At this point Evan turns around and I see a very red nose and damp, swollen eyes. "Yeah, I am. I was tired." She says, sounded congested as hell.

I bite my cheek at the sight of her and ruffle Mason's hair. "I think you guys should go pick out a movie. All three of you! I'll come watch with you." I say, trying to coax them out of the room.

They do so without hesitation and I motion for Evan to walk down the hall and to the bedroom.

She does, her tears starting to fall again instantly. I close the bedroom door behind us and pull her into my arms, holding her. "Ev, what the hell happened?"

She lays her head against my chest and I feel her tears beginning to soak through my shirt, and her sobs get louder. It honestly breaks my heart to see such a strong, stubborn, and all-around badass woman breaking down this way.

I let her stand there for as long as she needs to in order to compose herself, and she finally speaks. "I- my fucking phone was dead and he called me like fifteen times trying to get me to meet him to pick the kids up. He has some fucking bullshit trip to go on, so he just drove them over here and decided to dump them off. I didn't know he was coming, Lexi." Evan explains. She sits down on the bed and I kneel between her legs and wipe her cheeks with my thumb. "He saw you and obviously put the pieces together... says that there is no way he'll let me have the kids now because I'm sleeping with you."

The last words to leave her lips make her cry harder. I know the mere thought of her not having her kids rips her heart to shreds.

"Hey... don't do that. Evan, Scott doesn't know anything. He is making assumptions. I was just here because I needed a place to stay last night for all he knows, okay?" I remind her, knowing she isn't as dumb as I am- meaning she wouldn't have openly admitted to her guilt.

She shakes her head and takes her hand to her face, wiping her tears. "I'm never getting them back."

I shake my head quickly, "yes you are, Evan."

She laughs pathetically, "how can you say that and be so sure of it, Lexi?"

I look over her broken face and touch her chin, "I just know, okay?"

Evan pulls away from my touch and stands up, pacing the length of the bed. "You see what I mean? You don't want me, Lexi. You do not want this life. It's pure fucking chaos all the time- and Scott is relentless. He'll make your life-"

I stop her before she gets too far gone, "Scott does not scare me."

"You weren't married to the fucker." Evan scoffs.

"Evan, if I didn't want all of... this... I would have dipped a while ago. It would have been the end of it five years ago. I told you, I know what I'm getting into with you. I know things aren't always going to be easy and I know it'll get chaotic and overwhelming. I can do all of that and help you find a balance as long as you don't push me out... like you're doing right now." I tell Evan.

Her skin is glistening from the tears and somehow she still manages to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

She slowly nods and I approach, hugging her again. "I won't blame you if you run."

"I'm not running anywhere." I assure her.

She kisses me tenderly, but the knocks on the door interrupt.

"Lexi? We found a movie!" One of the girls announces from behind the door.

I wink at Evan, wiping her cheeks one more time. "Smile, please."

She forces a limp one and the two of us exit the bedroom, joining all three kids on the couch. We all sit comfortably and the girls cozy up beside me, and Mason climbs into her lap.

As the movie starts, I glance at Evan to make sure she's alright... or at least trying to be. I know her mind is still spinning, and it'll keep spinning until the judge grants her full custody.

I raise my brows at her, subtly of course.

She just looks at me for a moment. "I love you." She eventually mouths to me.

* * *

Evan's POV:

I've felt some pretty extreme fear over my thirty some years of life, but no fear can match that of "where is my kid?"

I woke up with Mason laying on top of me, knocked out cold. The girls gone. Lexi, gone. I checked the whole house and they're no where here, inside or outside.

I take a breath, trying to rationalize. I dial Lexi's number and her giggling, happy voice answering the phone eases my fears greatly.

"Sleeping beauty has awaken, how was your nap?" She teases.

"Do you have my kids?" I ask, not thinking of anything else.

"I do. We took a trip to get ice cream since you and Mas were K.O.'d on the couch." She says.

I take a sigh of relief and rub my forehead, my nerves calming down.

"Something tells me you were freaking out..." Lexi says, almost sounding nervous.

I shake my head to myself, "no. I mean- yes. It's fine though. Enjoy your ice cream date."

"We'll be back soon."

Sure enough, Lexi and my girls are back in less than an hour. The girls are hyped up on sugar, courtesy of Lexi, so they run into the house at full speed.

"Please be careful!" I yell as they zoom past me. I let out a small growl and enter the kitchen, where Lexi is standing.

She glances over her shoulder at me and shakes her head, "I swear, it's like being around two mini versions of you. Double the Evan-attitude. Hardly bearable."

I laugh a little and my eyes flutter, "I taught them well."

Lexi winks at me, "you feel better?"

I sigh softly and she approaches, caressing my arm with her hand. "Could use about six more hours of sleep, and an ex-husband who isn't a total psycho, but other than that I'm hanging in there."

She smiles softly and pecks my lips, "there isn't much I can do about the ex-husband part, but I'll let you get some sleep tonight. I'll stay at my place."

My lips (instantly and involuntarily) turn into a deep frown, and Lexi's brows furrow at the expression.

"Woah, that upsetting?"

I wipe the expression off and try to make up an excuse, but I have none. "I just-" Her eyes cut me and I smirk and shake my head. "Oh, fuck you." I sigh, playfully.

Lexi's face shifts again and she shows her palms, "woah, woah, woah. I didn't do anything!"

I roll my eyes, "this was supposed to move slow, or at a moderate pace at least. Now you have me wanting you to sleep in my bed with me every night. That's not slow... or even moderate, Lex." I groan.

"Sorry, should we stop sleeping together to slow things down?" Lexi asks, straight-faced.

My eyes widen, "I don't think that'd do either of us any good." I shrug.

"What wouldn't?" Ava asks, entering the kitchen.

I widen my eyes and turn away from Lexi, looking to my daughter. "Nothing, babe. Did you tell Lexi thank you for the ice cream?"

Ava nods quickly, "yeah! And she promised us more next weekend." The eleven year old informs.

"Oh, did she?" I ask, glancing over at Lexi.

Lexi nods, "not just promised... pinky promised." She winks.

I smirk. "What do I have to do to get in on that?"

"You can just owe me one." Lexi shrugs.

I cut my eyes at her, getting the reference. "Mm, I think I can deliver on that."

Ava furrows her brows, "I'm bores. Can I go outside?" She asks, losing interest pretty quickly.

I nod and she heads out the door, leaving me with Lexi again.

"I have to go meet Mia's friend, the one who wants to take our lease over. I'll call you once that's handled and we can negotiate my return." Lexi jokes.

I smirk and look her up and down quickly, "I drive a pretty hard bargain, you know?"

"We'll see how it goes." She says.

I smile and slide my hand around her neck and pull her into me, kissing her slowly. "Be careful driving, please."

She kisses me back and nods her head, "good luck with the sugar-monsters."

I watch her walk out of my house and I'm left alone with my thoughts.

Clearly I am very comfortable with Lexi. There are certain aspects of our relationship that make me a bit uncomfortable because they're new to me; for example, physical affection in front of people. I could make out with Scott or Elijah in the middle of a crowd without a care in the world, but I can't even brush hands with Lexi in front of my kids without feeling like I should be hiding it.

It scares me how fast I can feel myself falling for Lexi. I keep thinking about how last night, at the hospital, she said she wanted to come home... and I honestly don't think she cared where home was, as long as it was with me. That brought me an immeasurable amount of peace, comfort, and security. Same thing with this morning. When Scott went ape-shit, she not only sheltered my kids from it, but she made sure I was okay too.

I feel myself getting more and more dependent and attached to her very quickly, and it scares the hell out of me. I can't afford for this to go south, I already have too much of my heart invested, even if I choose to deny it sometimes.