Summary: Julian is about to lose his job after the company he works for is combining with another. His boss, Lucas, always flirted with his wife, Brooke. What happens when Julian pushes Brooke to sleep with Lucas to keep his job?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the little boys. Everything else is owned by One Tree Hill. The title is from a Fall Out Boy song!
Since it's practically Christmas, I made this update longer than normal as a gift to my amazing reviewers. I was going to have this up on Friday but I had such a busy weekend! I saw Jana Kramer and she touched my shoulder and took a selfie with me! I was in a freak out mode Saturday night. She now has a new fiancé who might I add is pretty handsome and she is hilarious. I've fallen in love with her. Haha, girl crush right here. Sunday I went into New York for the day so today was the only day I could post. I hope you all enjoy this.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you enjoy the present I gave you at the end!
Sugar, We're Going Down Swinging
Chapter Ten
Brooke's Point-of-View
"I want the boys tonight, alone." Julian walked down the stairs, stomping his feet. "You need to scram for the night."
"No, not happening." I responded, placing a plate of eggs and toast in front of the boys. "Eat up, Grant. The bus will be here soon."
"I don't care what you want." Julian rolled his eyes. "My lawyer said I can have them alone when I want. Tonight I want them alone. Get use to it, soon enough you won't have them at all."
"Mama, you going away?" William looked up, his brown eyes filled with tears. "Don't leave me."
"No, I'm not going anywhere, William. I promise. No matter what daddy says." I kissed his forehead as a way of reassuring the little boy. "Julian, I don't care what the lawyer said. Right now, I will not leave them alone with you."
"We'll see about that." Julian hissed. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the other room. "I want my sons tonight, and I will get them. My mother's coming in for the weekend and she deserve to see them."
"She can see them with me here." I was not going to change my opinion of the situation. His mother is someone who does not get the privilege of being alone with Grant and William. Never has and never will.
Trust me, there is no way that lady is being alone with my sons. After witnessing first hand how her son turned out, I'm not allowing it ever.
"I do not like having to ask you to see my own fucking sons. I live with them and you still control every single detail of their life."
"I'm their mother, I get final say."
"I'd watch yourself, Brooke. You fight me on this, you do not know what else is happening." He whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spin. "Play nice."
I had to calm myself down before entering the kitchen. I did not want to confuse and scare William and Grant with fighting. They've seen enough in the past couple of months, enough for a lifetime.
"Tonight, Grandma's coming and we're going to go to the movies and get ice cream. How does that sound?" Julian told the boys excitedly. "She's going to be here all weekend. We're going to have so much fun with her."
"But I got school tomorrow daddy. Mama says we don't go out on school nights. I gonna have a spelling test too and I know all the words this week!" Grant spoke with such confidence.
My nerdy little man, him and school are like a match made in heaven. Grant worked so hard this week to get the ten spelling words correct. I was positive, just as positive as he was, that he'll receive a check plus on that test.
"Well maybe this week, you can skip tomorrow. We can spend the day with grandma instead of school. It should be fun."
"Daddy, I'm not sick though. Mama says we only skip school when we are sick."
"Well sometimes there is an exception." Julian sipped his coffee. "It will be really fun, bud."
"I wanna go to school, Daddy." Grant looked down at his place. "Is that okay, Mama?"
"It's perfectly okay, baby." I smiled, cleaning up from breakfast. I ignored the eyes piercing the back of my skull. I had raised a great son so far, and nothing was going to change that.
"Well I have a say and if I don't want you to go to school tomorrow Grant, you are not going."
"Mama can I be excused?" Grant looked up at me. "I'm not hungry anymore."
"Two more bites baby, then you can go get your coat and backpack and we'll go wait for the bus, okay?" I smiled softly at my gentle little boy and he did exactly as I said. "William, go put on your shoes. We need to go bring Grant soon, okay?"
"Okay, Mama." William smiled happily at me before skipping off to find his shoes.
"Do not, and I mean do not do that ever again. If I want them to do something, they will fucking do it. Understand me, Brooke? What I say in this house goes." He grabbed on to my hips tightly with his hands.
"There is no reason for him to skip school, Julian. I'm doing what is best."
Calm yourself, Brooke. Your sons are in the next room.
"Well what you think is best is hardly what is best." Julian whispered in my ear before biting down on it roughly. "Bitch, get use to it because you are still fucking mine."
And he left the house, right out of the attached garage door to his car.
I let go a breath I didn't know I was holding in so tightly.
"Mama, you ready?" Grant stood dressed in his black fleece and his character backpack.
"Yeah, G. I'm ready."
It's all about putting on a better face for them.
I can handle him, or I think I can.
-XO-OTH-XO-
"Mama, guess what?"
I looked up to see William running over to me as I sat at the kitchen table trying to figure out how to afford everything.
I was stressed lately, completely stressed. I was trying to figure out a job, that can support two kids as well as how to pay for the house and all the bills till I get that job.
I tried to make Julian move out. I tried hard and even Lucas tried to help me. He was almost forceful in the sense that he pushed and pushed for me to get a restraining order or something against Julian to get him out of the house but I couldn't lie like that. So we lived together in completely different rooms.
I moved both boys into my room as a form of protection. If I slept with them next to me then I can make sure that he does not take them. I even lock the bedroom door.
They needed the consistency that was missing. I could see it in them.
William, the once wild child changed so drastically in three months. I had to be in his sight at all times. If I wasn't, oh lord help the person around. He freaks out, cries, screams, and kicks for me. I want to help, but Julian is not allowing it. I though therapy, just to have him understand that I was not leaving, but Julian thinks therapy is for wimps and his son is not one.
"What is it baby boy?" I took off my reading glasses, placing them on the table before giving him my full attention.
"Daddy's outside with Grant!" He cheered running towards the door.
I became nervous. Grant was supposed to be at school, not with Julian. Julian is supposed to be at work not with Grant.
"Do not open that door, Grant." I warned running my hand through my hair.
"But Mama!"
"Please buddy, go back to watching television, okay?" I kissed his forehead and slowly moved towards the front door. Right before I opened it, Julian came storming in.
There was things I realized though. He was not in the right mindset. Drunk? Maybe he was. I could smell alcohol but I smelled it on the boys' clothes previously that I thought it was just his new apartment.
I was wrong.
"You!" He growled at me, dropping Grant out of his arms making my oldest son run off nervously. "You did this!"
His finger was pointed right at my face.
"What?" I questioned not sure exactly what I did now. According to Julian, these past couple of months I did everything to him. I ruined his marriage, I ruined our family, and I ruined his life.
I shouldn't be surprised that he's angry though.
"Don't you even dare question me!" He warned grabbing my arm roughly. "You did something to your lover boy that made him fire me today. I know it was you. They said I was the best one there and that I was being kept but nope, you did something."
"How could I do something when I don't even talk to him?" I fibbed, "I don't talk to him, and have nothing to do with your job. Now get your hands off me."
I fibbed, so what. If he knew the truth I'd be in worse than I already am. Lucas and I, we haven't seen each other since I left him in the elevator but we talk all the time. He checks in on me, constantly since finding out about the divorce proceedings. Lucas was worried, and I was glad to have a friend there.
That's all he was. A friend who supported me emotionally until I can figure out everything on my own and be strong enough for this mess.
"I know you, and I know him. You two are up to something and I won't let you get away with it!" He hissed. "I'm taking the boys for the night."
He shoved me back making my head hit the wall. The pain struck me but I was not going to let it affect me. Mama Bear was going out to protect her cubs.
"Oh hell no!" I stormed right towards him "Not when you smell like beer."
"You do not get to tell me when I can see my sons!" He hissed, "William, go get your shoes on, you're coming with me."
"Mama, I don't wanna go." William looked up at me with his brown eyes. They looked scared and nervous, something I really don't want my three year old to know.
"Grant, take him upstairs, please. Go play. I want to talk to your dad alone." I stayed calm, something that took a lot out of me. The mama bear was screaming to protect her kids. Yell, scream, do whatever the hell I have to do to make sure he doesn't leave this house. "Please."
"This is all failing, Brooke. The house will be gone in a matter of weeks. The boys, they'll be with me. No one will give custody to a lady that left them in a hotel room to go have sex with a guy."
"I did no such thing, Julian and you know it. I haven't even spoke to Lucas in a long time."
"Don't feed me that bullshit, Brooke." He hissed, "I know you. I know that you can't keep your fucking legs together long enough. You're nothing but a filthy slut and I am making damn sure my sons will know how to treat someone like you; like complete trash you are."
"Trash? Really? God damn it, Julian. Get it through your thick skull that if you didn't want me to do what I did then we wouldn't have this horrible mess. You did this, not me." I paused, trying to catch my staggered breath. I was pissed off, angry, and ready to say whatever I have been keeping in for the past three months, but then I remembered the boys where upstairs, terrified most likely. "If you lost your job, that is on you not me. Understand that and move on."
"I've seen it, Brooke. I know you and him are still fucking. You're home all damn day alone, I know what you do, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure it out."
Just like a curse from God, my phone rang and I knew that ring tone very well. It was all bad timing.
"Let me guess, that's him calling now? Huh?" Julian looked like he had been punched in the gut with pain just from seeing the name on my phone.
Maybe I should've put him as some code name, like instead of Lucas, maybe put him in as Lucy or something, just a way to keep everyone happy. But why should I hide talking to a friend? I'm not staying married or even doing anything romantically with Julian.
"Julian don't do anything stupid right now." I warned nervously.
Instead of listening to me, he reached towards my cell phone and answered it. "Stay the hell away from my wife and my life."
I heard Lucas's voice on the other side but barely heard it. I could pick up words such as "she's not yours" or "what happened today, was your fault" but I didn't stay to listen to more.
I quietly left the room while Julian was distracted and ran up the stairs to grab the boys.
"I want you both to go into the tree house, can you do that for me?" I was petrified and was going to protect them.
Idiot me thinking it will be okay to live in a house with him again. How did I not see this coming? Lucas warned me there will be more layoffs coming and don't be surprised if Julian was one. According to him, Dan didn't approve of his methods anymore.
"Mama will you be okay?" Grant asked holding his brother's hand. "I watch William but no one watching you."
"Yeah, Grant, I'll be okay. I just want you two safe. Can you protect each other?" They both nodded and I kissed them both as if it was my last opportunity too do so. "I love you both to the moon and back. Don't forget that."
"Love you too Mama." Both repeated before doing what I said too.
I watched them exit the back door before turning back to see were Julian was but he was gone, just like that, he disappeared from the house.
My phone was in pieces, but Julian was gone. I knew what I had to do. Get the boys and myself out of this house now and to safety. I don't think Julian would do anything to hurt us, but know that he's been drinking I'm not too sure.
I walked quickly out of the back door to the fenced in yard. "Grant, William, it's okay to come down now."
"Mama, you said to hide. Daddy was yelling but we hid still!" Grant stated, "I protected William. I did it Mama!"
"Yes you did bud, you're an amazing big brother." I smiled proudly helping them both down the tree house my father had built for them. "We're going to go on a little trip. Are you two okay with that?"
"Where we going?"
"I'm not sure right now, William, but I'll figure it out." I smiled, helping them into the car.
Right when I was about to pull out, a black sports car pulled up, blocking me in.
"Brooke?" Lucas screamed running out of the car. "Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Julian said some things on the phone. I was worried, that's all. I needed to make sure you and the boys were alright."
I tried to protect William and Grant from my mistakes, but it didn't last long. Lucas wanted to always protect me and in the end protect the boys.
"I don't know where he went." I said calmly.
Immediately wrapped me in his arms. That's when I broke down. "It's okay, Brooke. It's going to bed okay."
"It won't be if I just live like this." I mumbled through the tears, "I don't know what to do anymore."
"You keep on doing what you're doing, Brooke. Soon enough it will all be over with." Lucas held on to me tightly and kissed the top of my head. "It's going to be okay, I'll make sure of it."
"How? I don't want any more drama, Luke. You being here, it can cause more drama."
"Come with me. Let me get you and your boys away from here, at least for the night or a couple of nights. Just till everything calms down again."
"Lucas,"
"No, who knows when he's coming back and I'm not allowing you to stay here or go back to a hotel. He'll figure out if you're there. Something happened at the office today and I just feel like I need to be there." Lucas was begging, "I'm not taking no for an answer, Brooke."
"Okay, okay. We'll come with." I gave in. If anything I learned from talking to Lucas these last three months was that he was very persistent and determined to make his way.
"I'll protect you, Brooke. I'll show you what it's supposed to be like."
I will hold him too it.