James and Clair Drabble

William Confronts Me- James POV

I'm sitting outside with Coda on my lap and Hunter on his baby swing, laughing as both twins continuously squeal and sign in delight. I hear a door open and close, but think nothing of it till a figure sits down besides me and takes Coda from my lap. I look up at the person next to me, seeing the set jaw and cold blue eyes of William Black. "Hello, William. Is there anything you need?" His eyes snap to me with a glare, "So what, now I need your permission to play with MY son?!" I can't help but open and close my mouth a few times, shock pooling in my veins, "I-that's not what I was asking. Normally you don't seek me out, you make every effort to avoid me, so for you to come looking for me like this it must be something important."

William's jaw sets again, before he sighs,"Fine, yes I was looking for you. I've decided it's about time you pay for your sins."

I grab Hunter from his swing, frowning, "My sins? What do you mean?" William bares his teeth at me, looking quite frankly like he would dearly love to rip my throat out with them, "You turned us in, remember? Because of you, Josh knows where Harper is. Now you will pay for that."

My jaw drops, "William I have been doing everything in my power to protect her since I found out she ran away on purpose! I've been protecting her, I've been her confidante, I've kept her company when she goes hiking, I've been playing video games with her, I've been helping her with the twins everyday, and I've been doing everything YOU should be doing instead of sulking around like a douche-bag because your girlfriend was kissed and groped by another man! And for that matter, her name is Clarice!"

At this point in my rant, I'm standing up with Hunter cradled to my chest, the simmering rage that has resided in my chest since William started being such a jackass to Clarice exploded.

William stands too, standing a few inches shorter than me. The hate in his eyes for me is rivaled by the hate in his eyes when he speaks of Clarice's abuser. "You have no right to tell me what I should and should not be doing in regards to my ex. She didn't stop Asher from kissing her, she didn't stop him from touching her. She lost the fucking right to be called Clair when she kissed Asher back! She's strong enough to resist him, I know she is! She just DIDN'T. I'm still taking care of my sons, I'm protecting Harper in my own way. You. Have. No. RIGHT!" My anger simmers in my blood, heating up with each hypocritical word William spits at me.

"I have every damn right! Do you have any ideas how many times she's cried about you late at night?! You're not the one who's been sitting with her as she cries her eyes out for you, I'm the one who has been doing that! It sickens me how many tears she has shed for you! She trusts me now! She trusts me enough to cry in my presence! She's pregnant with your third child William! Wake the fuck up and grow the fuck up! She's been through so much more than you know, yet you don't even make an effort to even find out what she's gone through! THAT, William Black, is your sin." William's eyes seethe with rage, but all he does is shove Coda into my arms and march inside with a slam of the back door. Both boys in my arms are wailing loudly, and all I can do is bounce them as gently as possible to try and soothe them. It's a little while later that the door opens again. Focused on the twins as I am, I'm once again unaware of a presence until Hunter is gently plucked from my arms. I look up while still bouncing Coda, looking at Clarice as she gently bounces her younger son with a soft look in her eyes. She sits on the step, gesturing for me to do the same with a wave of her head. I sit next to her in silence, letting the comfortable air between us wrap around us like a blanket.

"Ya know, I find it strange that you and Liam lock horns so often. One would think with you two having a mutual goal of my protection, you'd get along. Although, I gotta say, thank you for yelling at him like that. Normally I'd be yelling at you for a stunt like that, but you're right. You are the one who has been around these past two months, not him. I always thought Liam was a very strong and forgiving, but I guess these past two months have proved otherwise...Why does he hate me so much for something I had no control over? Does he know how much him calling me Harper breaks me a little more everyday?" She lays her head on my shoulder, warm, salty tears hitting my shirt. I wrestle my right arm from underneath Coda gently, and wrap it around both of her lower legs. With a tug, I pull on her lower legs till both are draped diagonally across my lap. I continue to tug them till her chest is pressed against mine, using the cradle of her thighs to hold Coda up as I replace my arm back underneath him. We lean on each other, relishing in the warmth and comfort provided. Both of us watch the setting sun in silence, the last fading warmth of the day wrapping our comfort blanket even more snugly. Even though the air is comfortable, I can't help but let my thoughts wander down a seldom walked path. This should be her and William, not her and me. Why can't I stay away from her? Why do I want to make her do nothing but smile until all her fears and worries are gone? Why are we so close? Why do I want to knock William around and beat him up until he takes her into his arms once more? How close will we get before William finally stops being a jackass?