"I came here for support, nothing else.", Dean said, hands up.
Seth looked from his best friend to the baby in Liv's arms. He looked like Noah when he was a baby, at least from the pictures Roman showed him.
"Are you sure?", he asked.
"Dude", Dean said.
"I'm not denying him, Dean. I just need to know for sure.", Seth said.
Liv nodded.
"Its okay, I get it. I mean, I up and run away before you got off stage. No note or anything, you have every right to question it.", she said.
He did have a right to be upset. Especially when he was starting to fall in love with her. He thought they could make it work, but he was wrong.
Once he got offstage, he smiled. Looking at his new manager, that yes, Roman grilled, before letting Seth hire him.
"Hey Sami, is my girl here? I didn't see her in the crowd", Seth said, grabbing a water bottle.
"No. She didn't check in", he replied.
"You sure?", Seth asked.
Sami nodded.
"I can ask Kevin", he replied.
Seth nodded as Sami left. He grabbed his phone, but had no missed calls. Just a text from Noah saying he was excited that he was coming home.
Packing up, he went back to his hotel room, expecting to find her. She wasn't. Her stuff was gone, no note. Not even at the front desk.
"Not trying to insult you, but, can we get a paternity test?", Seth asked.
Dean visibly got upset over that, Liv squeezed his arm to keep him from saying anything.
"Of course, like I said, I get it. You want to handle this between us, or get lawyers involved?", she asked.
"I have to speak to Roman first. I don't make decisions like this without him", Seth replied.
Liv nodded. Dean understood Roman so far had made so many life decisions for Seth. He wanted to protect him from people like Dolph and Drew again.
Seth knew this, and so now he consulted with Roman.
"Okay. I'm staying with my mom, you know when you've come to a decision", she said.
"You won't run off again?", Seth quickly asked.
Dean could see his best friend had been hurt by that.
"Not this time", she replied softly.
He nodded.
Brie walked into work and tied her apron around her waist.
"Hey, Dean had to make a quick run. Said he would be back later", Sonya said.
Brie nodded. Her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Did he happen to mention where he was going?", she asked.
Sonya shook her head no.
"If you asked me, I would say he went to spend time with Liv and their son. Did you see how cute that baby was?", Mandy said.
"Their son? So the baby Liv was holding is his son? For sure?", Brie asked.
She wasn't about to come between Dean and his new little family, if it was his family.
She just couldn't put it together how he and Liv even conceived the baby. Diana had asked him through the years since if he was seeing anyone, he would always reply that he wasn't.
Did booty calls even count as seeing someone? Maybe that's all it was. Maybe she was visiting around and they hooked up.
Her mind kept spinning with possible ideas. He would have told, if not Diana than Roman.
"Mandy, stop. She never said the baby was his", Sonya said, bringing Brie back.
"But he looked so comfortable and was smiling from ear to ear as soon as he saw that baby boy", Mandy replied.
"You think that's why she came back suddenly?", Brie asked.
"Maybe", Mandy shrugged.
Sonya shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Instead of gossiping, get to work", Sonya said to Mandy.
Mandy pushed away from the bar and went to attend to the customers. Sonya looked at Brie.
"She never said the baby was Dean's. I mean, we all know when it comes to kids, Dean is a big softy. Of course he would be smiling at the baby, he's a sucker for them", Sonya said, making Brie feel a little better about it.
She nodded.
"Yeah", she replied.
Sonya knew about Dean's feelings for Brie, and now vice versa. She saw the little looks they would send each other during work.
Sonya thought it was cute. They both deserved to be happy.
"Trust Dean. If by chance it turns out he is the father, I am sure you will be the first he breaks it too", Sonya said.
Brie nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just freaking out over nothing", Brie said.
"Not over nothing, and even if that baby is his, Liv is not who he wants. We both know that", Sonya said, sending her a wink before going back to the customers.
Leah was painting the bottom half of the wall while he painted the top. Hearing a knock, he turned to see Seth.
"Hey bud, what can I do for you? Or did you come to help Leah and I?", he asked.
He saw the expression on Seth's face and knew it couldn't be good. He looked at Leah.
"Little miss, why don't you go see if aunt Diana can give us something to drink.", he said.
Leah nodded and set down her brush. She hugged Seth before going back downstairs.
"So?", Roman asked.
He was almost afraid Seth was going to tell him that he relapsed.
"You remember when I told you about that girl I met?", he asked.
Roman nodded and set down his brush. It was the first time Seth actually told him that he had fallen in love with someone. Never gave him a name though.
"Yeah, what about her?", he asked.
"She got pregnant", Seth said.
Roman nodded.
"Is she sure that its yours? I mean, if she could skip out on you, she could skip out on any guy", Roman said, arms crossed over his chest.
Seth swallowed.
"That's what I asked, but then Dean got all defensive…", Roman cut him off.
"Dean? What does Dean have to do with this girl?", Roman asked.
"Its Liv, Liv Morgan. You remember her from school", Seth said.
Roman sighed and nodded.
"Dean dated her a few years back, before you.", Roman informed.
Seth nodded, now it made sense.
"I asked her if we could do a paternity test, she said yeah. I just came to ask if you think I should involve lawyers or not", Seth said.
Roman nodded.
"I think it could be handled between you two. Let her get hers done by her doctor and you get it done by yours.", Roman said.
Seth nodded.
"And if he is mine, how do I go about asking to spend time with him?", Seth asked.
He had screwed that up with Noah, he didn't want it to happen again.
"You ask to sit down, just the two of you and you let her know what you want. Then ask her what she wants, or vice versa", Roman said.
Seth nodded.
"I know I am old enough to handle my own shit, but can you help me? I don't trust myself", Seth said.
Roman nodded.
"Of course, but first, let's find out if this kid is yours", Roman said.
Seth nodded.
"How was it, seeing her?", Roman asked.
"I was shocked at first, but then, all these feelings came rushing back. Then I remembered how she left me and, my feelings are all over the place", Seth sighed.
"I can understand that", Roman nodded.
"Should I bring that up to her too?", Seth asked.
"I think you should. If not they'll just be sitting there, boiling till you can't take it anymore. Less of a mess this way", Roman said.
Seth nodded. Roman's phone rang and he reached for it. Groaning when Shane's name flashed.
"What's up?", Seth asked.
"One of my bosses, turns out he was Brie's date. Guy rubbed me the wrong way is all.", Roman said.
"Gut feeling?", Seth asked.
Roman nodded.
"You should call him back, if you don't like what you hear, just use the excuse of Diana being pregnant and you don't want to leave her.", Seth said.
"Yeah", he nodded.
"I'll be downstairs, help D with the kids", Seth said.
He left the room as Roman called Shane back.
"Hey, I was just about to text you. Thanks for calling me back", Shane said.
"Of course, sorry I didn't answer before, I'm painting the nursery", Roman said, which wasn't a total lie.
Shane chuckled.
"Of course, hey, baby comes first", Shane said.
"Yeah, she does", Roman replied.
Again that gut feeling was forming.
"So listen, I have this golf thing for work coming up. Was wondering if you and the guys want to come down to New York and help out. You don't have to worry about transportation, that is what the company jet is for", Shane chuckled.
Roman rolled his eyes.
"We aren't much for golfing, unless its mini", Roman replied.
"Don't sweat it, you don't have to be good. It's just this company get together. There will also be a lot of clients there, it would be good for you work wise", Shane said.
As much as Roman wanted to decline, if it involved clients and future work, why not. What could it possibly hurt?
"Thanks for coming with me, Dean", Liv said, as he was dropping them off at her mom's house.
"Of course. What are friends for", he smiled.
He watched her walk into the house with Max on her hip. Getting home, he showered and dressed. His usual outfit, jeans and a black tshirt. Grabbing his jacket before walking out to his truck.
Driving to Brie's house, he parked out front. Getting a text message from Roman about golfing and that he couldn't back out on him. Dean would have complained, but this was his chance to meet Shane for himself.
So he agreed. Getting off his truck, he knocked on Brie's door.
"Come in, I'm almost ready", he heard her shout.
He walked in, the house was clean and he could smell her perfume from here.
"Where are the kids?", he asked.
"Roman and Diana's house. I asked Roman to talk to Leah, seemed to work", Brie shouted back.
He nodded. He was going to sit, but before he could.
"Ready", she said.
He turned to see her in a black dress, the front went down in a v form, it was backless, and tied behind her neck.
"Holy fuck", he said, his eyes taking her all in.
She giggled and blushed.
"Great, you approve", she said.
He went over to her and pulled her into him.
"Approved. You pass. Access fucking granted baby", he said.
She grabbed her sweater as they walked out. He took her hand and locked it with his till they got to his truck.
"So where are we going?", she asked.
"Little Italy, the food is so good there", he said.
"So you've eaten there before?", she asked.
He nodded with a smile.
"With Liv?", she asked.
He looked confused by that.
"Sorry, I don't know where that came from", she said.
"Brie, what's going on?", he asked.
She sighed before looking at him.
"I saw you two. Is that baby yours?", she said.
