Mixed up families, huh?

Chapter Thirty Seven: Tyson's POV

Oh. My. God.

Noah sat straight up at the sound of Griffin's voice, alert and startled. Noah had a look in his eyes, a realization of what was about to happen. I immediately backed down from the previous anger I had, turning my eyes to gaze nervously at the scene unfolding before me.

I turned to Reagan, who had her hands tightly clasped over my shoulders still. She loosened them considerably as a shocked whimper escaped her lips. Almost a gasp, but not quite enough strength. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything.

I stared at Griffin's bewildered, astonished, scared face. The look nearly made my knees weak. Griffin was never scared. Never. Sad? Maybe. Angry? Yes. Scared? Never. He kept a steady gaze on a shocked Dara, not able to take his eyes away. He waited for her response, but all she could do was stutter.

Dara, on the other hand, looked straight at Noah as she attempted to find the words to announce her frustration with the situation. A burning glare was all it took for Noah to look down at his knees, ashamed.

I couldn't step in to save Noah, though, or berate Griffin for leaving his room, because I was frozen. It was like... me and nachos. I love them, but they sure are bad for me. Griffin and Dara are the same way.

Deep down, I think Dara loved Griffin at some point. Griffin never stopped loving Dara. Maybe he never will. But, at the end of the day, their relationship doesn't help them at all. It will only ever hurt them. It's toxic, that's what it is.

And being in a room with an atmosphere as intense as that? Scary as hell. Also, very awkward.

I snapped out of my stupor, realizing that Dara's violent rage was aimed at Griffin now and Griffin looked about this close to either kissing Dara, or killing her.

I stepped up hesitantly. Looking from Dara to Griffin, I weighed the situation. Is there anything I can say to cool the situation at this point? I looked at Noah, waiting a second before he glanced at me.

I looked at him, questioningly. He violently shook his head, a wild look in his blue eyes. Oh well. Too late now. I took a few more quick steps, keeping myself between Dara and Griffin. "Alright, let's just all take a br-" Griffin cut me off.

He shot me a warning look that told me if I didn't back up right now, I would be mauled. "I've got it." With that, I practically sprinted to the couch and dove, stuffing myself behind Noah's rigid stance.

I looked back at poor Reagan, who narrowed her eyes at me accusingly for leaving her. I gave her an uneasy grin, half apologetic, half smug. Perfect getaway.

"Do I really have to repeat myself, Dar?" Griffin stopped at her nickname, but only for a moment. "Did you really get remarried?" Griffin's voice sounded truly upset, but there was an underlying sense of brokenness that hurt my heart.

Dara didn't answer for a second, overwhelmed with the sudden presence of her ex husband. "I-I." I almost felt embarrassed for her. Almost. She turned to us, a furious fire blazing in her eyes. "How could you invite him here?!"

Before Noah or I could respond- not that we wanted to- Griffin stepped in. His tentative whisper turned into a yell. It startled us all. Reagan stepped back, looking ready to run as Griffin's stance shifted, becoming more threatening.

Dara shrunk back into the couch, any semblance of heated annoyance was off her face in a second. I leaned closer to Noah, feeling uneasy about how this was going. Noah just looked shaken by Griffin's tone of voice.

Griffin, usually calm in the face of chaos, looked at Dara with outrage. "Don't you turn on them! You abandoned them. You wanna blame someone for your mistakes? Blame yourself. But don't you ever, ever, yell in their faces again."