Even the Score(106)

“She’s going to get away with this,” Andy growled with a dazed look on his face. “She can’t get away with this.”

Before I even had a chance to ask what he meant by that, he charged toward the door that led to her room.

“Andy! No!” I yelled, but it was too late.

Blaire’s head snapped toward the slamming door and her jaw dropped. She jumped up from the chair. “Andrew! What the hell are you doing here? And what were you doing in there? Who’s with you?!” She stared at the mirror and squinted, trying to look into it.

“You miserable bitch! You do know Javier and you know that he attacked Dani!”

I stood totally frozen, not sure if I should get someone from the hallway or let them have at each other. Going in there would only make things worse, so I stood still, worried that if I made a sound, she would know I was there.

“I said I know Javier, but as for him attacking Dani, I know nothing about her pathetic little life.” The tone she used when she spoke sent chills down my spine.

“She’s done nothing to you! Why did you do it?”

“Why did I do what?” Her head jerked back and her lips turned up in disgust. “You’re really starting to scare me, Andrew. Ever since she started working for you, you’ve been acting irrationally. You bet your ass the minute I walk out of here I’m going to call my attorney and let him know all of this.”

I waited, ready for Andy to flip a table or throw a chair, but to my surprise, he stood up straight and sighed. He walked over and squatted with his back against the cinder-block wall and put his head in his hands, tapping the top of it with his index finger, clearly trying to calm himself.

A solid minute of silence passed as my eyes darted from Blaire to Andy to the door. Finally, Andy calmly stood back up and put his hands on his hips, staring right at Blaire. “What happened to you?” he asked quietly.

Blaire and I both flinched at his question.

“What are you talking about?” she snapped back.

“You were not this person when we started dating. You weren’t even this bad when we got married and had Logan. Something changed in you, and not for the better. What was it?”

She played it cool, but I could tell by the subtle dip in her eyebrow that his words hurt her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Dragging the chair across the floor, she plopped back down and huffed. “I thought I was here to help you, the father of my children, and now you practically attack me—”

“Blaire . . . I know. I know everything. I know that you paid Javier a shit ton of money as soon as Dani started working for me, and it wasn’t for just a bar. I also know that he started stalking her shortly after that. Storybook Productions? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to connect the dots, Blaire. The only thing I don’t know is why.”

She turned her lips up and gawked at him. “You have an overactive imagination, Andrew. You should probably get that checked out.”

“Storybook Productions doesn’t mean squat to other people, but I know what it meant to us. And there’s no coincidence in the world that can explain away that or the money. I just want to know why. Why, Blaire? Why Dani? She never did anything to you.”

Blaire looked to the side of the room and licked her lips, refusing to talk back.

A tear dripped down my cheek as I watched their intense conversation. As much as I hated her for what she did to me, she was clearly a very broken, damaged woman.

“Blaire, it’s no secret that being a mom was never really your thing, but you have a chance to make this right. You have to make this right. If not for yourself, do it for Logan and Becca. This situation is taking a toll on them way more than it is me. For once in your life, do the motherly thing. They need this to be over, and honestly, I think you need it to be over, too.” He walked over and leaned against the wall she was staring at, forcing her to look at him. “I think you’re tired, Blaire. I think you’re tired of this act you’ve been performing for all these years, and you need this break just as bad as the rest of us. Save yourself while there’s still time for redemption. The kids are still young. They don’t need to know this side of you ever existed.”

As the door opened and Detective Larson came back in, my breath caught.

“Sorry about the delay—” He froze when he saw Andy. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

Andy stood up straight and sighed, sounding completely exasperated. “I thought maybe I could talk some sense into her.”

“Mr. Shaw, you need to leave immediately,” Larson ordered, pointing toward the doorway to my room.