"Excuse me?" I said in a state of confusion, standing completely still on the steps of the staircase.
I clutched onto my daughter protectively as I tried to contain my anger at this woman who flat out called me a whore without any second thought. I had no idea who she was, yet she had the nerve to stand in front of me and disrespect me.
"You heard me." She seethed, taking a step further.
Austin immediately came in between us, his back facing her.
"Amelia." He said cautiously, as if he was trying to figure out how exactly to diffuse the heavy tension in the air.
But as much as his soft voice soothed my nerves, I was beyond pissed.
"First of all you don't even know me. How exactly am I a whore?" I snapped. I was fuming at this point.
Who was this girl? What the hell was she even doing here? And most importantly, why was she calling me a whore?
"You knew I was dating Austin, yet you snaked your way back into his life and stole him from me! We were happy until you came back into the picture!" She shouted, her fists curled up at her sides.
I guess this is his ex girlfriend that he was dating when I was pregnant, I thought to myself.
I looked at her in disbelief. I was at a loss for words.
"Amelia go to the kitchen with Ava." Austin said in an extremely low tone. He moved closer in front of the girl, shielding me and Ava from her. He looked as if he was trying to contain his emotions as he clenched his jaw.
I opened my mouth to speak but I decided against it as Ava began to babble in my arms, reaching out as she saw her dad. She started to cry when Austin didn't take her from me.
"Don't cry sweetheart, daddy will play with you later." I whispered to Ava as Beth continued to glare at me from behind Austin.
"Please." Austin said as he walked closer to me. His eyes pleading with mine as if he wanted nothing more than to remove me and Ava from the situation.
I nodded and slowly walked down the remaining steps towards him while he placed his hands on my hips.
"I'll be right there." He said before placing a kiss on Ava's cheek and letting go of me.
I walked off towards the kitchen, pretending to mind my business, though I was desperately trying to overhear their conversation.
I knew I shouldn't be doing this but I couldn't stop myself from listening in on what they talking about.
But all I heard was silence.
Suddenly I was startled when Austin's usually calm voice echoed loudly throughout the house.
"Are you fucking kidding me Beth?! What the fuck is your problem?!"
"Them Austin. They are my problem. I want you back and they're in my way!" Beth cried.
"They are my fucking family. I told you, us getting back together is never going to happen. We are done."
"She ruined everything. We were doing fine when she wasn't in our lives!"
"We weren't fine and you know it Beth."
"So I guess you got exactly what you wanted. Your heart was never really in our relationship was it? You used me after she left you and now that you have her back, it's like we meant nothing?" I heard Beth say.
What was she talking about?
"Beth, I don't want any drama." Austin said in an exhausted tone. "Just take your stuff and leave."
"She's really beautiful by the way. Now I see why we broke up." Beth said angrily through gritted teeth, completely ignoring what Austin was saying to her.
My heart was racing nonstop. I didn't know what to think.
Austin told me that they broke up because of Ava.
Not because of me.
"Beth. I know I didn't say it before but I'm sorry for what I did to you. I shouldn't have led you on. You're right. My heart was never in our relationship. And that wasn't fair to you." I heard Austin sigh. "But you had no fucking right to speak to Amelia like that. She is the mother of my child and I'm not going to have anyone talk to her like that."
"It's always about Amelia isn't it? You know something? The only reason I didn't claw her eyes out was because that baby was in her arms." She spat angrily.
Holy fucking hell this girl was insane.
I couldn't stop myself from peering around the corner so I could get a view of them. I watched as Austin walked up to her closely and leaned down to her.
His voice was low and serious as he cornered her to the door.
"If you ever come near Amelia or threaten her again, I will have you arrested and thrown into jail. Don't underestimate me. Now get the fuck out."
I watched as Beth swallowed hard, finally getting the message.
"I hope she makes you happier than I ever could." Beth said bitterly before I heard Austin slam the door shut.
I stood still holding onto Ava as I tried to process everything i had just heard.
I heard Austin's footsteps get closer as I rushed through the kitchen. I pretended to shuffle through the fridge looking for a bottle of wine, trying my best to act like I wasn't eavesdropping on his entire conversation with his ex girlfriend.
"Hey, I don't see any wine in here." I said trying to act casual as he took Ava from my arms and gave her kisses.
"Amelia come here." He said as he took my hand in his and gestured for me to sit on a bar stool at his kitchen island.
He stood in front of me, his tall figure towering down above me as he watched me with sadness and frustration written all over his handsome face. He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto my forehead as he cupped my face with one hand and held onto Ava with the other.
"I'm so fucking sorry about what just happened."
"Austin don't apologize. It's okay, it's-" I began, looking into his regretful eyes.
"No. It's not okay. I didn't even know my ex was going to come here. I texted her that I was going to mail her all of her shit that she left behind when she moved out, and the next thing I know, she's telling me that she never moved out of Utah and she's outside the house." He stressfully squeezed his eyes shut. "She had no fucking right to call you that name Amelia. I won't have anyone disrespecting you."
"Hey it's not your fault." I tried not to squirm in my seat, desperate with questions.
"Let's just forget about it okay?" I said, attempting to calm him down as he stood in front of me. I gently caressed his cheek with my thumb as I watched him relax at my touch.
Though I badly wanted answers about their conversation I overheard, I knew it was best for me to drop it for the time being.
"I swear, you're the most calm understanding person I've ever met. You're too good to be true." He chuckled as he took my hand from his face and gave it a small squeeze.
"I might have some wine in the liquor cabinet, let me check. I need a fucking drink myself." He said as he walked off into the living room holding onto Ava.
He turned away to place her into the small playpen we brought with us.
I got off of the stool and reached up to the cupboard above the sink on my tip toes trying to get two glasses down. After struggling to reach, I tipped one wine glass over and soon heard it shatter onto the ground. I was taken aback by the loud crash as I tried to balance myself back onto the ground, only to somehow step onto a piece of broken glass.
I hissed in pain as the shard pierced into the skin at the sole of my foot.
Geez you're such a klutz Amy, this is karma for eavesdropping.
I heard Austin instantly rush into the kitchen at the sound of all of the commotion I had caused.
"Amelia are you okay?" He asked with concern filling his voice. He looked down at me holding my one foot up in the air with the small piece of glass sticking out.
"Holy shit, come here."
He quickly ran over to me and slipped his hands under my thighs, picking me up from off of the floor. I placed my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his torso.
I guess I should get hurt more often
"What happened?" He asked softly as he carried me to the bathroom down the hall.
"I went to reach for the wine glass and I knocked it over and it fell on the floor and then I fucking stepped right onto it like a complete idiot." I groaned as I leaned my forehead on his shoulder and held tightly onto him.
He placed me down onto the countertop and pulled out the first aid kit.
"You are so clumsy I swear." He chuckled softly.
"Okay you're gonna have to walk me through this Nurse. I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing." He exclaimed as he looked at my foot.
"Okay first you wash your hands and then you need to take the glass out." I said to him, preparing myself for the increase of pain I was about to feel.
He opened the faucet and washed his hands with soap before he took a deep breath. "Ready?"
I nodded quickly at him, anxious to get it over with.
He quickly pulled it out as I let out a small scream.
"Fuck that hurt!" I yelped trying to examine how much I was bleeding.
"Okay now put pressure on it to make it stop bleeding." I instructed him as I poured some saline onto a piece of gauze.
He pressed down firmly onto my wound as I handed him the gauze. He cleaned the cut as I gritted my teeth and hissed again in pain from the intense stinging. He gently bandaged my foot and looked up at me.
"How did I do? Did I pass?" He chuckled.
"You did amazing. A plus." I winked at him as he picked me up from the counter and carried me out of the bathroom.
"I think I can walk from here Austin!" I laughed as I held onto him.
"I'm just making sure Amelia. I mean you are my patient after all." He smirked as he set me down onto his couch and walked over to the playpen.
He brought our precious girl over to to where I was sitting. I took her in my arms and laid her down on the couch next to me, covering her with a blanket, as he disappeared into the kitchen.
I heard him cleaning up the mess I had made and then soon after pop open a fresh bottle of wine.
He brought over two glasses halfway full of white wine.
"I only have white wine, I know red's your favorite."
"Thanks Austin. And it's okay, I will literally drink whatever wine you have." I chuckled as I eagerly reached to take the glass from him.
"Be careful. I don't want you getting hurt again. It's not easy being Nurse Austin." He teased as he took a long sip from his glass and set it down on the table in front of us.
"I can't stand you I swear." I joked as I shook my head at him. "Wanna watch a movie?" I suggested as he sat down next to me.
"You can put something on but I'm so exhausted I can't promise you I won't fall asleep." He chuckled as he turned on Netflix and handed the remote to me. He then stretched his legs out on the couch and laid his head comfortably in my lap.
And as if my heart wasn't already in my throat, he pressed a soft kiss onto my exposed thigh.
Holy fuck did he any any clue what he was doing to me?
I looked down at his head laying on top me as I hesitantly draped my arm over him. My heart pounded away at the soft feeling of his lips against my thigh.
He nuzzled himself closer to me as I felt his warm breath on my skin. I ran my fingers gently through his hair, stroking his soft curls and minutes later I heard his light snores.
How long we were going to play this game? Acting like we were together when we really weren't.
I knew I had find the courage to tell him how I felt about him.
How I never stopped feeling about him.
I was going to tell him. I had to before it ate away at me any longer.