The Second Wife by Melinda Mulera (book club reads .txt) 📗

Chapter 52: it's your fault

There was an uncomfortable silence as we all sat there, staring at each other. Rose kept her eyes on me and so did they all, staring at me as though I had to say something about anything. Hazel, sitting alone on the single arm chair facing Rose, didn't seem to mind that Avery and I were sitting awfully close together on the couch. He didn't seem to notice to say the least.

"That solve one problem." Rose spoke out, grabbing everyone's attention and finally giving me air to breathe. "Leaves us down to one problem. The two of you men need to decide who is stepping down, now."

A heavy atmosphere settled itself around us, almost foggy and slightly choking me as Avery and Hazel glanced towards each other in unease.

"I giving you both three months to decide which one is taking her. We don't need things to escalate, the press will soon find this story and Iris will ruin her own image." She stood up from her chair and sighed out slightly. "If three moths pass, I'll decide for you both."

"Why can't you just let us go through this ourselves?" Avery hissed as he glared up to her. His eyes mixed with fear and anger.

"The longer it takes the more you'll not willingly let her go." She rolled her eyes. "I bid this as a fair warning. I've given you three months. During then, you can go find women you think can replace her. I'm talking about you both, not just one. Don't put Iris on pressure of letting the child in her chose for you. As men you need to decide before you can choose."

"We agree to your suggestion." Hazel bluntly said, getting me and Avery to glance at him in shock. "But, we're not going scavenging women. It won't be fair to her if we both fall our of love with her."

Hazel.....

He smiled at me and I smiled back shakily almost feeling the tears in my eyes.

"Fine." She sighed out. "There is way, that after our three month agreement has come to pass, we can tell who the father truly belongs to. It's a process called chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. She'll be tested then to determine who's losing. Good luck mentally preparing yourselves gentlemen. Have a great day Iris." She smiled before leaving us with bad air to breathe.

I get why Avery said she mostly business. To her, this is a fun business problem she's trying to fix, but to most of us, it's pressure, even for me. She's cut our plans more than half and has to have us adjust on our own.

"Well that sucks." Hazel sighed out as he falls back into the chair. "But at least I can get rid of you faster, Avery." Hazel pointed out as he looked away with a smirk on his face. Avery didn't react right away, somehow, he seemed to be lost in his own works of jumbled thoughts.

"It could be mine you dumba**." Avery rolled his eyes as he suddenly circled his arms around my waist, plastering his arm on my stomach. "It's telling me it prefers me better."

"If that will make you feel better." Hazel rolled his eyes and didn't seem to want to argue with him.

"Rose is serious about deadline being three months though." Avery said against my ear as he must have been talk to Hazel who glanced at us. "She could even have us arrested if we breach her argument."

"Your wife is sick in the head. Everything looks like a business to her." He sighed out, running a hand through his hair. "But we can't also be too childish to tag it long further. Once we know I'm the father you'll have to leave."

"Yeah, once they announce I am the father we'll definitely leave the house." Avery growled, causing me to sigh out.

Well, I brought it on myself.

"Anyway." Hazel sighed out heavily as he got up from the couch and glanced down at me. "Linda said she had to talk to me. I won't be long. Should I bring dinner?" He said as he walked towards me.

"No, I'll cook." Avery volunteered to which Hazel didn't seem pleased to hear.

"Like hell I was asking you." He rolled his eyes before holding onto my cheeks and leaning down. I closed my eyes as well but instead of his lips against mine, I could feel fingers. "Avery, what the hell?" Hazel hissed as he grabbed Avery's wrist and tried to removed it from covering my mouth.

"You can't expect me to just sit here and watch, can you?" He asked as they now began struggling holding each other down.

"You freaking kiss her behind my back and I can't!?" Hazel yelled out.

Gosh these two are children.

"That's only when you're not there to stop me. It's not my fault you don't stop me." Avery chuckled to which Hazel glared at him for.

"Just let him have it, Avery." I said out lazily, a bit too annoyed to see them fight right now.

They both glanced towards me, Hazel a bit shocked and Avery looking annoyed. He let him go eventually and turned away from me in obvious anger. I sighed out slightly as Hazel chuckled to himself before grabbing my chin and pulling my slightly to him. Our lips met, Hazel's always slightly warmer than Avery's as always. It wasn't too long or too short either. It was just somewhere in the middle. He leaned back and smiled down at me. The look in his eyes showing he really appreciated that I cut Avery off for him.

Well, if he's the one I'll end up with, I can't let Avery control him until then.

It could break us apart.

"Anything you want me to get you?" He asked as he leaned to kiss my forehead before turning to the arch. "Chocolate?"

"Yes please." I smiled as I waved while he walked out of the arch.

I sighed out softly while I laced my fingers together, glad Hazel looked somewhat better now than before.

"Don't ever do that again." I heard Avery say lowly beside me. I glanced towards him and he was leaning into the couch with his arms folded  on his chest, looking annoyed. "Don't ever stop me from protecting you or I'll get really angry."

"You know it's not fair to him-"

"And you think it's fair to us?" He asked as he shot me a glare that sliced deep into my chest. "You think it's fair that you just had to sleep with both of us and have us stressing about who's baby you're carrying? It can't be us both that's why we have to think things over and over and know one of us is losing you and you think it's fair?"

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