“It’s not petty, Alexis. If that’s going to make you feel better, then do it. It’s your call; your decision.” He turned his back on my car so that he was facing me. “Speaking of changing wills, you should know that I have already changed mine. I don’t want you to ever have to worry about any of that.”
I looked at him, shocked. “What do you mean you have already done that?”
“I had a meeting with my lawyer the day after you told me you were having our baby, and I sorted it all out.”
“Oh.” I nodded, warily. I don’t know why I was dubious, it sort of made sense he would do that. I guess I just didn’t expect him to do it that soon.
“What’s this?” he asked holding up a lop-sided ceramic mug.
“It’s mine.” I snatched it from him while smirking. “I made it in high school.”
“It’s lovely,” he said sarcastically.
My mouth dropped, and I smiled at his audacity. “Shut up. It’s art, kind of abstract.” I rotated it in front of me, secretly thinking my statement was bullshit.
He picked up a photo of me and the kids which had been taken on my birthday the year before. “When was this taken?” he asked, as he studied the photo. “I like it.”
“Last year, on my birthday.”
“I’m keeping it,” he said matter-of-factly, continuing to look through my stuff.
“Get out. Stop touching.” I playfully shoved him out of the way then gathered up a few things. He too grabbed my suitcase and a few things more. The rest I would come back for later.
***
The elevator doors opened to the apartment, and as I stepped out, the sight before me had me frozen with fear.
“Alexis. Bryce. Finally, I’ve been waiting for you.” Gareth or Scott—I’m not really sure who and I didn’t really care—had been sitting on the sofa casually chatting away to my children. How the fuck did he get in here?
Bryce stepped out in front of me. “Gareth, what are you doing here? Who let you in?”
He gestured to Charlotte. “This beautiful young lady here did.”
My heart literally plummeted to the ground. Charli-Bear, how could you be so stupid? You know about stranger-danger. Like every parent, I had explained to Charlotte that talking to a stranger, let alone letting one inside your house was extremely dangerous. Obviously, I hadn’t done a very good job of it.
“Gareth, in my office! Now!” Bryce said sternly.
“Now wait a minute. You don’t need to be like that. I’ve come here to take my meds in front of you just like you asked me to. I’ve been doing it every day like you said.”
“Gareth,” Bryce warned.
“Hang on and hear me out. I want to apologise to Alexis, explain a few things. We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, and I want to make things right, especially now that she and her children are living here.”
I thought I noticed the faintest evidence of fallacy, but I couldn’t be quite sure. Then again, maybe this was Gareth and he was being genuine. No, regardless of that, I wanted him as far away from Nate and Charli as possible. He was unstable, and I did not trust him, not for a minute.
I looked at my kids who were still sitting on the sofa now looking nervous. “Nate and Charlotte, please go to your rooms for a minute. I will be up soon.”
Nate sensed my unease and took hold of his sister’s hand, both of them making their way upstairs very quickly. When they were out of sight and the door to the bedroom had shut behind them, I addressed Gareth.
“Okay, so apologise.” I put down the items I still had in my arms and walked over to the sofa my kids had been sitting on. Bryce did the same.
“Look, I know Bryce has explained my situation, and I’m glad he has. Hopefully that will help you understand and be, um...forgiving of my flaws, so to speak.” He seemed very calm and informative, but I couldn’t help pick up on a tinge of arrogance in his expression. The whole apology seemed forged. Then again, I had no experience whatsoever with someone who had Dissociative Identity Disorder, so I couldn’t say for sure that this wasn’t Gareth trying to make amends. Regardless, I went along with his attempt.
“The day I attacked you...well I didn’t attack you, Scott did...” He seemed angry, angry with Scott, who was also Gareth, but he wasn’t angry with himself. Oh my God, this is so surreal. “The day Scott attacked you I had lost all control of myself. I had no idea I had even seen you, let alone touched you. That was until Bryce told me what I had done. I’m so sorry, Alexis, please believe me,” he pleaded.
I wanted to believe him, but deep down I just couldn’t.