Starting Over

Chapter 4

A week has gone by since Arlington has started working for the restaurant. He has been absolutely wonderful, and definitely knows his shit, and he is extremely funny, sweet, and kind. Today the restaurant is closed since we are closed on Sunday's, and I do not have any plans on leaving the couch today. The kids are out doing their own thing, being teenagers, and they won't be back until sometime after dinner. Around noon, there is a loud knock on the door, and I loudly groan while rolling my body off the couch to trudge myself to the front door to see who is there.

Raising my left eyebrow at Thomas, Charlie, and Arlington as the three of them grin at me; "What's up?"

"We are here to get you out of the house to have lunch with us, and hangout for a while," Charlie grins, walking around me and into the apartment with Thomas and Arlington following behind her.

The two men give me a shy smile like this really is not their idea.

"Charlie, I do not want to go anywhere outside my home," I groan in slight annoyance. "I just want to be lazy at home today, thanks for the offer though."

"Hayden, I am not letting you do that," she sighs with a frown while she takes a hold of my upper left arm to pull me toward my bedroom. "You need to leave this apartment other than to get groceries and work."

"Charlie, if he does not want to go, then we cannot force him," Thomas gently tells her as we continue down the hallway to my bedroom.

She ignores him as she pulls me into the room, dropping my arm to rummage through the closet for clothes since I am still dressed in my jammies. She leaves the closet a minute later with a pair of blue jeans, and a dark grey long sleeve pullover shirt.

She thrusts the clothing into my chest as I blankly stare at her, not taking the items, and she gives me a frustrated sigh; "Please Hayden? Finn is meeting us for lunch, too."

Even if I am interested in seeing Finn again, this is too soon after my divorce to even consider dating again even if I do find Finn attractive.

"Charlie, you know I love you, right? But I just want to stay home on my only day off until next Sunday," I whine, pleading with her to understand where I am coming from.

"Fine. We will hangout here then, order food to be delivered, and I will invite Finn over here," she huffs with a shrug, placing the clothes on top of my dresser.

"Charlie, I Just want to be alone," I grumble, becoming frustrated with her. "I am not in the mood to be good company or host. Please understand this?"

She frustratingly sighs at me with a roll of her eyes; "Fine. Be fucking alone for the rest of your fucking miserable life. Eventually Aria and Jordan will become sick of your attitude, and leave you like Elliot did, and now me. Have a nice fucking life, Hayden. At work, do not speak with me unless it is work related. Sorry, I tried being a best friend, and pulling you out of your depression."

She turns on her heels, and walks out of the bedroom, and a few seconds later the front door slams shut. Rubbing my hands over my face in frustration, forgetting for several seconds that there are two other men with me until Thomas pulls me tightly against his chest as I start sobbing.

"I will talk with her, and point out that what she just did and said to you is unacceptable," Thomas murmurs into my hair while he rubs my back gently with his warm right palm while holding me with his left arm around my waist.

"She is right though," I sob into his chest. "Aria will leave me like Elliot and Charlie have! I am not ready to date again though! Why would anyone want me when Elliot did not?"

I do not notice Arlington leaving the room while Thomas continues to hold me.

"Elliot is and always has been a controlling narcissistic asshole to you and Aria," Thomas murmurs. "Charlie is wrong in saying that Aria and Jordan are going to leave you, too. You are an amazing person, parent, and you will be an equally amazing grandparent, too. Charlie is wrong for trying to push you into dating when you are not ready, and for trying to drag Finn into this. You need time to adjust to your new life, and date if and when you are ready or not. This does not happen on her timetable, but yours."

Sniffling softly as I clutch his shirt tightly in my fists, not really caring if I wrinkle the fabric; "Thanks for the hug, and being so kind, but you probably should go before Charlie gets mad, or madder at you."

"I love her, but right now, I do not care if she is mad, or gets mad at me," he replies as we step back from each other. "Honestly I am pissed at her for this behavior toward you."

"Please do not fight with her because of me as I am not worth that," I hiccup, trying to calm myself down some.

"I will try, but I will not make any promises that this won't happen," he sighs with a small smile. "I should head out, and again, I am sorry for her behavior."

"That is not your fault, Thomas," I mumble on another round of sniffles while I clean off my face with my shirt sleeves. "See you around, I hope."

He gives me a weak smile before leaving my bedroom and apartment, and I look around my room feeling even more hopeless than I have been recently. Crawling into bed, under the covers, and pull these over my head as I start sobbing hysterically into my pillow. I do not even hear Aria and Jordan arrive home, and I jump slightly when Aria pulls the covers off my head, and drops these at my waist.

"Papa, Charlie is wrong," Aria murmurs with tears filling her eyes as she stares down at me. "Dad is an asshole, and you are nothing but sweet, kind, caring, and all the wonderful things in the world. You take whatever time you need to decide if you want to date again. Do not start dating because you feel forced into that. I won't leave you like dad did, and neither will Jordan or Preston. Dad does not know the wonderfully beautiful person you are. The three of us love you, papa. We always have, and we always will."

"Thank you, Rooster," I mumble, reaching up to wipe away the fallen tears on her cheeks with my left thumb. "I do not know how long it will be before I believe all of that."

"Take a nap, papa," she mumbles with a quick kiss to my cheek. "Either Jordan or I will wake you for a late lunch."