27

Evan's POV:

The dismissal bell rings, and for once I think I am more excited than the students to be leaving. I get to see my babies!

I leave my room quickly, going directly across the hall to Lexi's room.

I poke my head in and see her talking to the principal, so I take a step back and say nothing.

"Truly, Alexis. Your overall performance has been outstanding, and very impressive." He compliments her and it makes me smile to hear it.

She's grown a lot over the past few weeks as far as her teaching and confidence goes. Her first day she was a nervous wreck, but she could be a pro now. It's nice to see growth in someone you love and care for so deeply.

I wait by the door, tapping my foot anxiously. I can't interrupt my boss, but he needs to hurry. I have things to do and children to pick up.

Thankfully, the extent of their conversation goes no further. He exits the room, smiling at me when he does. "How are you, Evan?"

I nod and smile, "I'm good, thank you. I'm assuming you're doing well seeing as that the football team is crushing it, and our academic ratings are skyrocketing."

He nods and chuckles, "most definitely. I was just telling Alexis how glad I am to have her with us, its teachers like her who help the school grow."

"She's... something else. Bright for sure. I'm glad to have her across from me." I gush, further pushing Lexi onto his good side. We'll both benefit from that later on.

He goes about his business and I walk into Lexi's room. "Hustle up. Places to be." I tease as she puts her laptop into its case.

"Go slower?" She jokes, moving at sloth-speed.

"I will leave you here." I threaten.

She glances up at me, "I believe it. Wouldn't be the first time you've left me..." Lexi sighs.

My jaw drops. I don't even crack a smile. "Lex, that isn't funny."

She grins and grabs her stuff, walking towards me. "No? Then why am I laughing?"

"Because you're a sick, sick individual." I shake my head, walking out with her.

"It's funny now. It wasn't at the time, but if you can't laugh at your mistakes what is the point in making them?" Lexi shrugs.

I sigh, "pick a different mistake." Preferably one that wasn't such a massive fuck-up on my part.

She opens the door for me and says nothing further. We get into the car and I start to drive, headed to Lexi's apartment to drop her off.

"You sure you don't want to come over tonight?" I ask her, not at all minding the company.

She shakes her head, "as much as I love and adore you, I really think the smarter option would be to give you your space."

"I don't want space. I want you." I assure her.

Lexi makes a face, "Ev, I really don't think it's a good idea."

"If you don't want to fuck me you can just say it, Lexi." I joke with her.

"Mm, believe me, that is not the case." She laughs and grabs my thigh as I drive. She leans over the console and kisses my jaw a couple of times, "I think you and the kids should jsut relax and enjoy each other's company tonight, okay? I'll come over Sunday."

I nod, agreeing with reluctance. Her suggestion sparks another idea in my head though. "Another thing..." I pause and look at her, "how should we handle the kids? As far as disclosing the relationship, that is."

Lexi's eyes widen and she gasps, being overly dramatic-per usual. "Is Evan Johnson asking me about parenting advice?! Miss Independent herself?! The most stubborn woman I know?!"

My eyes roll hard and she laughs, smacking my arm. "I'm so glad you can laugh at your own stupidity."

She sighs and grabs my hand, "I don't think it should be a big deal. I know it's different for you, and it'll be uncomfortable at first- but they're kids, Ev. Kids adjust well to change, and I'm pretty sure they already like me... so we don't have to worry about that part of things."

Lexi's answer is damn-near perfect. It's better than what I came up with. She understands me. She understands the whole situation in a way that no one would expect her too. That is why I love her.

I pull over in front of Lexi's building as she finishes speaking, and I look over at her. "I asked you because if you and I are going to be together, you're going to be a parent to them too."

She gives a gentle smile and leans across to kiss me slowly. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll be whatever you... and the kids need me to be."

Her response makes my heart flutter and I hold her chin and kiss her lips again, "I love you a ridiculous amount, Alexis."

She winks at me and pops the door open, "If you really love me, you'll never call me that again. I love you. Text me once you pick them up and make it back okay, please."

I giggle softly and nod my head, watching her walk into the building and out of my view.

From Lexi's I drive to Scott's with a gnarly feeling in the pit of my stomach. The way Scott and I left it last weekend was not pretty, and Scott Copeland is not the type of man to just let something go, even if it is for the sake of his kids. He always has to have the last word. He needs to feel like he's won.

Turning into the driveway makes my stomach do flips, but the summersaults subside when I see Mason's smiling face.

I step out of the car and he runs over to me, dropping his toys immediately. "Mama!"

"Hi, babe. You out here by yourself?" I ask him, seeing no sigh of Scott anywhere.

He nods, seeing no problem with it. "I wanted to fly my drone! I'm really good at it now." He says, rushing back to the remote that controls it to show me his skills.

I laugh and watch the little device fly around and around, but he eventually crashes it into Scott's car.

"Let's see it again." I grin, hoping he'll crash once again and leave a massive scratch.

I hear a noise from inside the house that makes about a million red flags go off in my head.

"Fucking stop!" The scream is muffled, but sincere.

Concerned for my daughters, I rush into the house without hesitation. "Grace, Ava!?" I yell.

Both my girls pop their heads over the back of the couch and my heart calms down significantly. "Mom! Can we go?" Grace asks, clinging to my body.

I nod, slightly confused as to why her voice sounds so shaky. "Yeah, baby. What's-"

I hear a thud at the top of the stairs and out stumbles Lanie. Her hair is distraught and she is visibly upset. Tears dampen her cheeks and her breathing is off, even from the bottom of the staircase I can see it.

I quickly put the pieces together when I see Scott exit the bedroom and appear behind his new wife, panting. His shirt is untucked and his expression is one I am familiar with; rage. He clenches and unclenches his fists repeatedly, glaring down at me.

"Come on inside, Evan." He taunts, being sarcastic. "I could have your ass arrested for that. You just keep giving me reasons to keep these kids away from you."

I swallow hard and let my hand slide off my daughter's head, "Grace, Ava, take Mason out to the car." I instruct, never taking my eyes off of Scott.

Thankfully, my children listen and once I hear the door shut, I speak. "I came in because I heard screaming and I was concerned for the safety of my kids, Scott. Which is something you clearly don't have since you're upstairs beating your wife."

My words piss him off, as I knew they would. "The fuck did you just say?" He grits, coming down the stairs and standing toe-to-toe with me. "I'd tread lightly, Evan."

I look him in his cold, dead eyes and shake my head. "You were never brave enough to put a hand on me, which was a smart decision on your part, really." I mutter. "But if you think for one second that I will let my children reside with and be under the primary care of an abuser, you have me entirely fucked up, Scott."

From the corner of my eye I see his fist clench and he gives me an evil smirk, "are you implying that I am scared of you?"

"You'd be dumb not to be." I hiss, not backing down.

He raises his hand to me and I react instantly. I slam my elbow into his right eye-socket as hard as I can, no hesitation. "Do not fucking try me. You are done. They will never be in your care again, Scott."

He clasps his eye and yells viciously, "what the fuck?! You stupid bitch!" He screams. "Now you're really fucked. No one is going to believe shit you say. All you are is a lying whore, and that'll never change. I never laid a hand on Lanie." He lies. "And on top of that, you just hit me!"

I look up at the battered woman and can see a handprint around her throat and a gash under her eye. I smirk to myself, "I never touched you, Scott.  Your wife defended herself against you, that's how your eye got fucked."

Scott shakes his head at me and I look up at Lanie again, "if you're smart, you'll go with that. Sorry you even got tangled up with him."

With these words, I walk out of the house and tears instantly form in my eyes. I hold my hand over my chest and my breathing gets out of control. I gasp for air repeatedly.

In all the years I spent with that man, he never laid a hand on me. I never thought he'd go that far. I always knew him to be verbally abusive, but what I just saw in there- he's lost it. For the first time in my life, I felt fear in my bones because of that man... and I'm not even married to him anymore. I don't know where it came from when I hit him- but I'm glad it did.

I force my composure to return as I open the car door and climb into the drivers seat. I wipe my tears and clear my throat, still shaken as hell from the encounter with my (apparently abusive) ex.

"Alright, let's go home." I say, trying to sound and appear normal to my children.

The drive starts off quiet, but after a few miles I can't shake the feeling.

"Girls?" I speak up.

They both look at me through the mirror with their concerned, innocent eyes.

"Does that happen a lot?" I ask, not wanting to discuss details. They shouldn't even be subjected to that.

The sisters look at each other, then back at me. They nod together and I do too.

"Okay," is the only thing I say.

This is not their burden to bare, and I won't let it touch them any more than it already has.

* * *

Lexi's POV:

Sunday

I walk into the house with a small suitcase in my hand. "Anyone home?" I call out.

I'm greeted with screams and hugs from three small people, and it puts a smile on my face.

"I knew you'd come!" Ava chirps, clearly excited to see me.

I wink at her, "you think I could go a weekend without seeing you?! No way."

The girls giggle and their mother's voice pulls my attention to the kitchen doorway. "Good, now you can entertain them for a while."

I smile and walk over towards Evan, desperately wanting to wrap her in a hug and kiss her lips, but I settle for a light touch on the shoulder instead. "I'll happily do so."

The kids stand around, waiting for me to do something to entertain them. Evan looks at my lips and I look at hers, and it is clear we are both wanting to do the exact same thing.

"Last one outside is a loser." I say, hoping the kids will bite and take off.

They do, and I smile softly, "I missed you." I kiss her lips tenderly and she lets out what sounds like a sigh of relief when I do. "You okay?" I ask her, pulling my lips away.

She nods and her finger plays with a strand of my hair, "mmhm."

"I'll be back in a few. I'm gonna go see what game they have me playing this time." I smile, taking one more quick glance over her face.

"Pizza is gonna be ready soon, so make it a quick game." Evan instructs as I walk out the backdoor.

I deliver on my promise of entertaining the kids, and by the time they've lost interest- dinner is ready.

I sit with the family and eat, taking notice of how quiet Evan's being. She hardly looks up at me the entire time. Of course the kids don't notice anything different, they are busy talking my ear off the whole time. But once everyone has had their fill, I convince mason to go take a bath, and allow the girls to take my computer to play with.

I pull Evan down the hall and into the master bath, shutting the door.

"You seem off, what's bugging you?" I ask Evan, noticing how quiet she is. She seems distracted.

She shakes her head a little, "nothing, baby. I'm fine." She begins straightening things on the bathroom counter and I know something is up.

I grab her hand and she freezes, but doesn't look up at me. "I know you too well for you to be able to get away with lying to me. Something is on your mind. Is it court?"

I watch her swallow the lump in her throat, and I get a little more concerned. She finally looks up at me and her lower lip quivers hopelessly.

"Hey... don't cry." I pout, pulling her into me.

Evan stands there, crying quietly against my chest. She takes several minutes to compose herself to a point where she's able to verbally communicate.

"Lexi.." she sighs. She leans against the counter and shakes her head. "I picked the kids up and when I got there, I heard someone yelling. I went into his house and he was in the middle of delivering a beating to Lanie. The girls said it happens all the time."

My eyes narrow and my lips turn down. "What?"

She shakes her head, clearly in a state of disbelief. "I- I didn't think he was capable of being physically abusive, Lexi. He was always just loud and disrespectful. Now- he's a monster."

I have extreme difficulty wrapping my mind around the situation. Evan is so distraught. I've never seen her like this, and that puts fear into me.

"If you could have seen her... she was scared, Lexi. She had marks all over her. I feel bad for her, and I don't even like the bitch!" She groans, giving a pitiful laugh. "I keep thinking about when we were married, Lex. I was with him for years. Do you know how easily that could have been me?" She whines, her lip trembling again.

I grab her and hug her, unsure of how to react. I kiss her head over and over, "but it wasn't. You are safe." I whisper to her. "You don't have to fear him."

Evan wipes her face with her hands, then looks up at me with the most helpless eyes. "What do I do?"

I lick my lips and force my hand through my hair, thinking. I've never been in a situation like this, so I don't know where to start. All I can do is tell her what I know to be true.

"You focus on the three little people in the other room and giving them the home and the love they deserve. Bottom line is, they're all that matters, Evan. Scott is a cruel and wicked man, and that probably won't ever change, but those kids don't have to, nor do they deserve to, be subjected to his violence and his rage." I reason. "His lawyers will probably get him out of it, because men rarely have to pay for their actions, but it doesn't mean-"

"I hit him." Evan blurts.

"Huh?"

"He raised his hand and I hit him. I elbowed him in the eye." She explains. I feel my blood boil inside of my veins the moment she says he raised his hand to her.

"Did he actually hit you?!"

She shakes her head, "I- no. I hit him. Then I told Lanie to say she did it in self-defense. Lexi, it's going to come up in court tomorrow. It has too. Even if she is a dumb bitch, she doesn't deserve to get beat on like that."

I can hear it in Evan's tone; she's made up her mind.

"Would it do any good if I said I think it is a terrible idea for you to bring that up in court?" I ask, despite already having my answer.

Her head shake slowly, "I can't just do nothing. Even if I don't get the kids back- I won't let them reside with him."

"You're getting the kids, Evan." I assure her, now more sure of it myself than I ever was before.

She takes a ragged breath, "I need to call Richard."

I nod my head, agreeing. "Call him. He's going to need time to prepare. This is going to make things a whole lot more interesting." And more expensive I imagine.

Evan grabs her phone and dials the number, leaving the bathroom and pacing the house as as she explains the situation to her attorney.

I was hoping for a quick and easy hearing, but it looks like there is going to be much more to it now.