Loose Ends

Chapter 23: Skeletons In the Closet

"What about now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you planning on marrying her now, or in the future?"

"I don't know, Adrian. Whether I do or I don't is none of your business because we're not together anymore but we're getting off track; I'm here tonight to talk about why our relationship was so screwed up."

"It wasn't all bad!"

"True, but if Amy was such an issue for you, why not break things off with me as soon as you knew we were keeping our kid instead of trying to find ways to hurt her?" As he'd expected, Adrian suddenly went on the defensive.

"And why didn't you break up with me if Amy's the one you really wanted!?" she asked, her voice rising slightly.

"Because I was selfish and clueless at the time, Adrian! I didn't think I could be a good dad until I faced Bob again. Before that I was more interested in having sex than taking care of Amy, which her boyfriend was doing anyway. Plus, I didn't know how far you were willing to go to try and keep me away from her." Adrian swallowed, nervousness creeping into her face. Sodoes he know the types of things I said to her? Adrian decided to try to deflect his attention with another question of her own.

"Why do you suddenly care now about how upset I made Amy back then?"

"Because I just found out about it!" Adrian gave a disbelieving huff.

"You knew about it back then, Ricky, but you obviously didn't care too much because we were still sleeping together!"

"No, Adrian, I didn't know!" Some of his earlier anger came surging back as he remembered what Adrian had implied to Amy. "If I'd known you were scheming to replace Amy as John's mother I would've broken up with you long before I did! Had I known you were stressing Amy out on purpose we would've ended months before you moved in next door to her!" Adrian was taken aback at Ricky's forceful tone but she was curious about something.

"What makes you so sure now that if you'd known about that back then you would've dumped me?"

"Remember when I asked you not to make problems for me the day after Amy caught you holding John?"

"Yeah?"

"Amy and John are the two most important people in my life; they have been since I decided to be a father to my son. What you said and did to Amy back then ended up almost coming between me and John. If I'd known earlier that being in a relationship with you was the one thing that could keep me from my son I would've broken things off with you sooner!" Adrian was both hurt and angry at Ricky's admission.

"So you think I was the only problem in your relationship with Amy!? You had something to do with that too you know! You were so busy sleeping around during her pregnancy it's no wonder she let Ben step up and take your place as the father of her baby!" Adrian hit a nerve. Ricky knew he should've been there for Amy from the beginning and it was something he was gonna have to live with for the rest of his life.

"I know I didn't do right by her, and Ben was never gonna take my place! Amy and I've already talked about our past issues and I take full responsibility for what I did and didn't do back then! What I wanna know is why you were so determined to be in a relationship with me if you thought I was more interested in Amy than you!"

"We're a lot alike, Ricky. We both had unhappy childhoods, we have similar temperaments and personalities, and we both like having sex. I liked having sex with you and I really liked you. I fell in love with you and that only made me more jealous of Amy because I knew after she had John that they would always come before me, unless I could keep you preoccupied!" Ricky groaned with frustration.