Chapter 8

I would love to tell you it was a movie montage from then on out about Paxton and I getting closer with Jackson dotted in to keep a huge happy home, but that just wasn't how it went. We fought all time and much to my mutual pleasure and dismay, Jackson dropped his protective brother role and seemed to be mainly siding with Paxton on everything. Claire now spent her dinners with Jackson at Paxton's because she said she couldn't stand the boys constantly asking questions about me.

The other brothers were pretty pissed still, especially Jeremy, who hasn't spoken to me since. Even in the three weeks it's been, Sam drives by Paxton's house in the morning and waits for me before school. At first I thought it was a peace offering, however when I accepted the first few rides he said nothing to me. I declined them after that, but he still shows up.

However, I have discovered that it's very easy to get lonely when you have been nothing but surrounded your whole life. Daddy is having a hard time letting me go, but has stopped trying to ask me to come home. It's hard to argue the proper point when they boys are all glaring at me whenever I am over there.

I continued to date Byron in secret, but with more freedom than before. We even went to dinner to discuss "School". We haven't gone past some pretty heavy kissing but it hasn't been for lack of want. I told Byron everything when he came back from his vacation. He was obviously shocked, but very understanding and surprisingly forgiving of the situation. He is a perfect gentleman however and could not bring himself to cross that line with a married woman, even if it was a fake marriage.

I had spoken to Paxton about getting the marriage annulled and he agreed, however, there was the problem of my brothers… again. Once they see the marriage annulled, then they will pounce like hungry lions. Taking down Paxton and dragging me back to the house. Having your father working at the only police / courthouse in Darrington, it's hard to pull that off unnoticed.

So here I am in this pickle but happier than I could say. I came home from spending the day with my sort-of-boyfriend and spent the evening with my best friend/ husband and my brother. It sounded like a messed-up episode of Jerry Springer, but it was my life and I was cool with it.

I need to stop saying that. Being cool with a situation just invites it to go bad.

I am sitting at my desk with Byron and we are going over test papers when I feel a hand going up my thigh. I clear my throat looking up at him and laugh at his smirk. "Mr. White, we will never get through these papers if you can't let me think straight."

"Ma'am, I do believe we have been working hard enough." He said slyly, his hand sliding up further making me gasp some.

"Byron, you know Paxton will be here soon. There is nothing we can start now that won't be interrupted." I took a hold of his hand and moved it away with a gentle smile. "You be a good boy and let me finish this work."

There was a quick look of disbelief on his face and a darker look he mixed with his usual playful smirk. "Ms. Stanley, are you saying no to me? That is a punishable offense."

A small shiver of thrill ran down my back with the images that one statement brought on. I had to remain strong on this so I shook my head and gave a serious look. "I guarantee that if Paxton finds your hands in his honey pot, which also will be a punishable offense, we will both have hell to pay."

"Your husband doesn't scare me in the slightest." Byron drawled scooting his little roller chair closer. "Just like those brothers of yours and your bouncy little friend Jake."

I frowned a little watching his face. "You haven't met Jake; how do you even know about Jake?"

He smiled easily looking up at me. "You have told me about him, beautiful. See? You're working too hard, you have forgotten what you have and haven't told me."

I thought hard, truly amazed. Wow, maybe I am working too hard. Or maybe his proximity is fogging my brain. "Right well, I am going to work harder still because I need to get these papers done."

"You can do them at home." He smirked again and now I was about to smack him. As much as this man sets my nether area on fire, he was quickly trying my Stanley temper for this tiresome attempt to get me to do something I don't want to.

"Byron, I said no." I said firmly and the dark look was back, but it no longer held the same reaction. Now it was a tad scary.

"Yeah, Byron she said no."

We both jumped looking at the classroom door where Paxton stood propped up against the frame. "Paxton!" I jumped up and started shoving papers into my briefcase.

Byron stood slowly, his eyes on Paxton with a look I could only see as a challenge. "Why Mr. Aimon, it is good to see you again."

Paxton smiled as I came to his side, and held me around the waist. "Pleasure is all mine. Now I trust you two kids are being good."

I gave a nervous laugh. Nope, that isn't at all suspicious.

"Would have been better if you took your time coming to pick her up, she hasn't yet finished her work." Byron countered, crossing his arms in front of him. His eyes however hadn't left where Paxton's hand held my hip.

"Mrs. Aimon and I have a lot of work to do at home too, I am sure you can understand. Newlyweds and all." Paxton gave a small salute and turned me toward the parking lot. As calm and cool as he seemed handling Byron, I could see the muscle working in his jaw as we headed to his Jeep.

"Paxton I—"

"No, not here." He cut me off angrily.

I nodded silently following. Already gearing up for a huge fight, I climbed in and took a deep breath, spinning on him ready to come to my defense. 

I never did though. Paxton grabbed my wrist and the back of my head and smashed his lips into mine. Taken by not unwelcome surprise, I squeaked some before melting against him. This wasn't a usual greeting, mind you. In fact, even though we said we would stay BFWOB's, there have been no real benefits of this kind involved.

"You're so fucking stupid." He mumbled against my lips and I nodded, threading my fingers into his hair as we kissed. I was definitely stupid and on a lot of levels so it would be pretty… well stupid of me if I didn't agree with it. I mean I was kissing my roommate / husband while I left my secret fake gay sort of boyfriend back in the classroom. "What were you thinking?"

Paxton had pulled me into his lap and I was grinding against him when I heard a car start and peel out through the lust in my brain. Byron had seen us. Damnit.

I pressed my forehead to Paxton's and worked hard at catching my breath. "He was different tonight…"

Paxton laughed lightly and set me back to my seat, starting up the car and pulling out of the lot. He took his time looking around as we drove. "Of course he is, you said so last night that you haven't given the guy so much as a kiss for like a week."

"Well, I saw that article—"

Paxton burst out laughing before I could finish, and I glared at him. Well, I tried to because I was smiling at the same time. This has been an ongoing joke for about a week now at poor Byron's expense.

I read this article about if you think your boyfriend is just using you for sex, then see how he reacts if you take it away. Jackson, Paxton and Jake are all convinced that I will get myself in more trouble than I can handle, but I know I can take care of myself. I was just a little surprised by Byron tonight, that's all. Really.

Really.

"He wasn't looking at you like he was going to stop." Paxton glanced at me and shook his head as we headed home. "I am going to have to kill him, you know that, right?"

I rolled my eyes at him, remembering pretty distinctly the brunette that he introduced me to last weekend and then catching his truck all steamy and rocking hours later when I was taking the trash out for the night. "You will not kill him because there is nothing to kill him for. This is our agreement, remember? You live your life, I live mine and we stay married because it keeps the brother's in their corners."

He sighed but nodded, pulling in front of the house. "Okay but if he gets out of hand…"

"I have pepper spray in my bag and the boys have taught me how to fight." I finished getting him out of the truck and heading for the front door. "Really Paxton, I am a big girl."

The door flew open and I screamed like a teenager on a cheesy horror flick.

Jake came out grinning, holding out two beers and I glared at him as I took one. "You're a dickhead Jake." I snap before punching him hard and moving past him into the house.

Jake was still laughing, congratulating himself on not spilling a drop through the punch as I moved through the house to the bedroom to get dressed. I really liked Byron, but I have no idea what was up with the weird vibe I was getting from him tonight. I sat heavily on the bed, staring off into nothing as I replayed the evening's events.

I knew what to do about it though.

"Jakey-poo." I called in a sing-song voice, slipping on my sweats and walking out to the living room, bringing my beer with me. I could see all over his face that he knew I wanted something he would not like.

"No."

I whined, giving him my puppy look. "You didn't even listen to what I had to say first. Come on, it's for the greater good and for once, if you think about it, it helps with your entire obsessive protective gig."

He frowned at me and I knew I had him. The brother's and my dad trained him themselves to protect me like the president's daughter. "What do you want?"

"I need you to hack into the state-wide police files." I said with a grin. He grunted, but I saw a smirk start on his lips. "Who are we looking into?"

I gave a nonchalant shrug but sighed heavily. Paxton was watching me and I knew how he would react when I said the name. "You just hack in and we will talk about who when we get there. I have to go to the house to get some things."

Paxton was on his feet in seconds, blocking my exit from the house. "Why? I thought we got everything already."

"I left some files in the filing cabinet and I need them tonight." I gave his arm a pat as I walked around him. "Don't worry, the boys should be out, it's Thursday." He was glaring at me from the door and I had no doubt he would follow me in about five minutes, but it was fine. I would probably be on my way back to the house by then. I mean no one was even going to be home, how hard could it be?

I walked through the back door of my childhood home and looked around. Wow, the guys were really doing fine. The dishes were washed, it didn't smell like dirty laundry, and rotten food. I was proud of them for not wallowing and letting everything go to hell just because I wasn't around anymore.

Quietly I made my way through the dark house by memory, not bothering to turn on any lights. I got to the office and the filing cabinet, grabbing my work file on Byron so I could get some information that might help us look him up. I had to find out more about him. Even if I did it in a shady way and found nothing, I could at least say I played this smart.

Daddy would be proud.

I headed back through the house to leave, but stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a sound in the living room. There was movement and I reached to my left behind a planter where I knew it was one place my dad stashed a handgun. He was paranoid but prepared for just these kinds of situations. He always said if someone was going to break into this house, it wouldn't be with our permission.

I flicked on the light at the same time as aiming the gun, but the scenario did not play out as I had thought it would. "Oh, my Gods!"

I drop my aim and shield my eyes as Kim scrambles off her knees from in front of Jeremy. Jeremy was already jumping to his feet buckling up his pants. "Fuck Parker, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"What the fuck is she doing here?" I snapped, placing the gun back in its hiding spot. "What if I was Jackson, or worse, what if I was Claire?"

"She lives here now." Kim said, staring me down with an icy glare. "So, she has more of a right to be here then you do right now."

"Bitch, you don't have the right to breathe the same air as me, let alone be in my families fucking house." I snapped walking slowly toward her.

"Parker, stop it. She lives here now, you can't just—" Jeremy tried, but was quickly cut off.

"Oh no, let her finish. She opted out of your family, remember?" Kim egged on, pointing at me with her French tipped finger. "You got yourself a husband and disowned this family, so tell me what it is you have to say to me."

I looked at Jeremy who just stared back at me without saying a word and I saw it all over his face that he agreed with her. "Jeremy, I won't tell you who you can and cannot be with, that is your choice and you have to live with that. I can tell you that you are not thinking about your brother." I looked right at Kim. "And he does still live here and is still a part of this family. Show some fucking respect and as hard as it may be, some fucking class if you are even dreaming about latching your poisonous gold digging claws back into this fucking family."

With that, I turned on my heel and headed for the door and felt pretty good until that snake opened her mouth again.

"How is that Byron doing?"

I spun around so fast on the steps of the back door that I almost tripped them. "What?"

She knew about Byron. I could see how in her eyes but I refused to read it clearly. "Are you trying to convert gay men too, as well as honest hard working straight men?"

She sneered at me walking forward and holding the screen door open wide so I could get a better look at the ugly smile she was handing me. "Right, gay, well he is definitely the sexiest gay man I have ever… seen."

Oh, my Gods.

I can get mad, what am I doing with Paxton and Byron. I can't in my right mind be mad about this. So maybe I wasn't in my right mind because I was furious and I didn't even realize I was being pulled backwards and fighting until I was almost at the tree line and I heard Paxton's deep voice calling to Jeremy to put his bitch on a leash.

I was still kicking and scratching at Paxton all the way back to his house. "Calm the fuck down!"

"Fuck you, put me down so I can fucking kill that whore." I screamed, landing a kick on his thigh. He grunted and held my legs better, opting for my punching his back instead.

"Watch your mouth, there is a kid at the house." He snapped at me, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything but drawing blood on Kim's face. It wasn't really so much that she had been sleeping with Byron. Byron was a man and I haven't been giving him any, so he will go where he can get it. Lord knows all you need is a semi-sweet compliment to get Kim to drop her panties. It didn't mean that they had anything other than that.

It was more of the fact that I was quickly seeing that a woman like Kim was all Byron was looking for. My day dream bubble of finding the perfect man on the first shot, settling down, and having a family just like my family just popped. Popped and little day dream bubble splatter went in every direction. All over my face and clothes. 

I liked this shirt. Now it's covered in a good memory day dream bubble splatter.

I invested my heart and lost the game. I also lost the fucking bet with Paxton. Well, at least I didn't end up pregnant.

That doesn't mean I have to give up. I won't give up, but I am looking into Byron's history carefully now.

Paxton set me on my feet outside the house and I have to say I was much calmer. That was probably why he was looking at me as if I was a bomb about to explode. "I have a job I want you to do. I have a feeling this might be a lot more fun for you then it will be for me."