Filip's POV
"She's taking on the world by herself, trying to fix everything and everyone around her. The night we went on lockdown, she trashed her room, put her fist through her mirror and then fought me when I tried to get her to leave. She went back to the club and outdrank Piney, started a sloppy fight with Happy. Opie had to throw her in a cold shower to get her to calm down. Tara and ma told me about it when we got back to the club that day. I gotta tell you brotha, she's hurtin'. That night you left her here, when she showed you what they did to her; you broke her. She thinks you didn't want her." Jaxson takes a deep breath.
"I fucked up." I mutter, staring at my hands.
"Make it right, dumbass." Jaxson says, as if it were that fucking simple.
"This shit with Fiona and Kerianne. I don't know how ta make that right. I can't just leave them in Jimmy's hands. I know it's killin' Aubrey. I see it in her eyes when she looks at me." I feel like shite after listening to her earlier. I hadn't realized what kinda pain she was in. "But Fiona's my wife, mother of my child."
"You gotta choose. I understand wanting to rescue your daughter Chibs. I'm on that same path, but you can't keep letting Fi come between you two unless that's what you want." Jaxson says. I don't answer him, unsure if I can let Fiona go completely.
"Aye, Jackie. But that ain't an easy question brotha?" I close my eyes and run my hands through my hair.
"Fiona threatened her, said she could take you from Bree anytime she wanted. You rushing off to save her, just hits that fact home to Bree." Jaxson lowers his voice.
"She deserves better." I mutter.
"She does but for some reason, you're the ugly motherfucker she wants." Jaxson smirks at me, gripping my shoulder tight.
Aubrey's POV
I lay there, completely still eavesdropping on the two men. I try to keep my lip from quivering as I listen to Filip being torn between his wife and mistress. My breath catches once or twice but I cover it easily with a movement. I hated every second that passed and I heard more from him.
Once Jaxson leaves, I wait several minutes before opening my eyes. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but to see him sitting in the chair next to my bed, looking distraught and lost was the last thing.
"How ya feelin'?" He asks, sitting up a little farther when he realizes I'm awake.
"I'm fine." I try to bite back the cold tone to my voice.
"No yer not. Yer hurt baby." He says; I hang my head when he calls me that.
"I'm fine Filip. I just had a moment of insanity. I'm allowed those, you've met my family." I try my best to give him a true smile. I'm not sure if he believes it.
"Ya need some rest." I lie back against the pillows. "Ya want me ta stay?"
"That's up to you. I'm just gonna pass back out." I keep my voice light and nonchalant. He realizes I'm shutting him out.
"What is this?" He's angry.
"I heard you and Jaxson." I tell him, deciding on honesty. He rests his elbows on his knees and holds his head in his hands. His silence makes me angry and before I can stop the words from coming out of my mouth. "I think you need to go. Just do whatever you need to do for Fiona and Kerianne. When you make up your mind, let me know."
"Bree, don't baby." His voice is thick and his accent vibrates through the air.
"No, you need to focus on the club, your family." I grind my teeth and lock my jaw against the words threatening in my mind. The loud obnoxious screaming fear in my head, the one begging me to keep him here, telling me that I should be holding him close is barely kept at bay.
He stands up and walks over to me. He leans down and kisses the top of my head before he leaves.
I walk into the garage early the next day, hiding the effects of my sleepless night and initial break down flawlessly. False confidence and indifference settle into my movements, convincing the guys in the garage that I had either completely lost my mind or finally found it. Either way, they all stay away. The guys gather in the parking lot while I work in the office with the door open. A steady breeze is keeping me cool.
"You should wear your glasses instead of your contacts more often." Jaxson scoffs.
"You got some kind of weird librarian fetish Teller?" I joke with him, no real humor in my voice.
"Maybe I do." He laughs and comes in to sit down. I put down the paperwork and look up at him, easily slipping a mask of contentment on.
"How you feelin today Bree?"
"I'm good. I got some sleep last night." I tell him. "What's going on?" I point out the door at the gathering bikes and men.
"Goin to get ma. We're takin her North, we got a lead on Abel. I want you here at the clubhouse while we're gone." He explains. I nod my head and my eyes follow Filip as he stalks across the lot, tossing his bag violently into the van. I can see the anger written on his face from this distance. He stops and stares when he notices that I'm watching him. I look away and Jaxson catches the moment I let my guard down. "What the hell happened?" He asks, his eyes dancing between Filip and I.
"Something that should have happened months ago." I lower my eyes to the papers in front of me.
"What did he do?" Jaxson stares at Filip's back as the man turns back into the clubhouse.
"Nothing. I just couldn't be the other woman. I refuse to be the one to make him choose. I want him to be with me because his heart is in it, not because he feels obligated to stay with me to keep the peace in the club." The pen I'm signing the invoices with shakes violently in my hand and I drop it so that Jaxson doesn't see.
"What are you talking about baby girl?" He comes to stand next to my chair, squatting low to the ground and looking up at me. His hand wraps gently around my twitching palm.
"I heard you guys last night. I heard how much the idea of Jimmy hurting Fiona tore him apart. He's not over her. He needs to figure that out first. I can't be some kind of consolation prize. I deserve to be someone's first choice." I let the words rush out of me.
"Things are gonna be ok Aubrey. We're gonna get through this. All of us, we will." He kisses the back of my hand. "Jesus Christ, I sound like Gemma."