Chapter 21 Tabitha's Confrontation
Daylan's POV
I stood in my apartment, the muted hum of the city seeping through the closed windows. The clock ticked past 7PM, and I hurriedly stuffed a few essentials into my overnight bag. I hope that Brielle was still okay. After everything she had been through with Rick and her struggles at work, she needed someone by her side. Someone who cared deeply for her, and that someone was me.
Just as I zipped up my bag, there was a firm knock at the door. My heart sank. I knew who it was before I even opened it.
Tabitha stood in the hallway, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and hurt. She was still as striking as ever, her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her expression one of cold determination.
"Daylan," she said, her voice clipped. "We need to talk."
"Tabitha," I replied, stepping aside to let her in. I closed the door behind her, feeling the weight of our shared history pressing down on me. I turned to face her.
She walked into the lounge, looking around as if trying to find traces of another woman. "Rick called me," she said, turning to face me. "He told me everything. About you and Brielle."
I took a deep breath. "I figured he might."
"How could you?" she demanded, her voice rising. "After everything you have done? You think you can just waltz into her life and make it better?"
"It's not like that," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I care about Brielle. I want to help her with her health and be with her."
Tabitha laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Help her? Like you 'helped' me by cheating on me?"
I flinched. That wound was still raw when it came to Tabitha, even after all these years. "I have made mistakes. I know that. But this is different."
"Different?" She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "How is this different? You are just going to hurt her, like you hurt me."
I shook my head. "No. Brie is special. She has been through so much. She deserves happiness after Rick cheated on her." She deserved every part of happiness since I have read her book and what her life had been in just two pages.
"And you think you are the one to give it to her?" Tabitha scoffed. "What about Rick? He's devastated, not that what he did to her can excuse what he did to her. But you can't just barge into his life and take everything away from him."
"Rick and Brie are over," I said firmly. "He cheated on her. She is heartbroken. She needs someone she can trust." I couldn't believe this.
Tabitha crossed her arms, her gaze never leaving mine. "And you think she can trust you? After all the lies and deceit in our marriage?"
"I'm not that man anymore," I said quietly. "I have changed. Brie makes me want to be better."
Tabitha's expression softened for a moment, but then she hardened again. "I don't believe you, Daylan. I think you are just using her to fill some void in your life. And I won't let you hurt her."
"I'm not using her," I insisted. "I want her more than anything, I want to settle down again. I know she is that person for me. She wants a family, and maybe I can give her that," I added the last part hoping that I would believe myself that I wanted a family. It was a difficult decision to make for the compromise and maybe Tabitha would back off.
Her eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, she looked taken aback. "You want to have a family with her?" she repeated, almost incredulous.
"We are deciding on that because we want each other," I said. "I won't walk away from her just because you want me to. You won't be there to take care of her, to see that she takes her medication. I'm the one that is there for her and the one who is possibly picking up her broken pieces that Rick shattered. Don't blame me for the way that he turned out either, he made a choice."
She shook her head, a sad smile playing on her lips. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. After all these years, you think you can just start over with someone else? It is because of you that Rick thinks it's okay that he cheated on her. If you were in his life, he would've seen what a happy family we could have been. You screwed it up. I wanted more from you, I wanted to add more to the family, but you destroyed our little family to be with Abby. I'm surprised you haven't started a family with her, but to have that with Brielle? I won't let you hurt her the way you hurt me," she glared at me.
"I'm trying to make things right," I said. "Brie deserves happiness, and I believe I can give that to her."
Tabitha sighed, looking more tired than angry now. "Daylan, I came here to warn you. To protect Brielle from getting hurt. But it seems like she has already made her choice. Just… be careful. Don’t make the same mistakes again. If this is really what she wants and what you want, don't hurt her."
"I won’t," I promised. "I have learned from my past. I know what’s at stake."
She nodded, a hint of sadness still lingering in her eyes. "I hope for her sake, and for yours, that you are telling the truth."
With that, she turned and walked to the door. I watched her go, feeling a mixture of relief and sorrow. When the door clicked shut behind her, I stood there for a moment, processing everything.
I grabbed my bag and headed out, locking the door behind me. I needed to get to Brie. I want to cook her dinner if she hadn't already. I just want to make her evening pleasant since she was worried about Tabitha.