Should have realised that as I was reaching towards the guy with the money in my hand, someone was going to notice the huge diamond sparkling her way. Her mouth opened and snapped shut.
“Enjoy!” The young guy grinned after Griffin had told him to keep the change.
“You’re… back together?” she asked, her words coming out like bile up her throat.
I nodded, and Griffin did the talking. “Yes. We’re getting married.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. Oh, boy. “You’re marrying her? Are you fucking kidding me! How do you think the boys feel about that? You know you can’t just decide all this on your own without consulting me. I am affected by this too. I don’t feel comfortable with her around my children, Griffin.”
“Excuse me?” he asked with a steady voice. “I don’t have to ask shit from you. I’m a grown man. I make my own choices. Speaking of the boys, where were they last night?”
Oh, yes. She’d been out. Her eyes narrowed. “They’re old enough to take care of themselves. I was out for an hour. After that, I came back home.” I did not like that one bit. Those boys should still be watched. Maybe I was being over protective.
“After you decided to go to Ayla’s work and attack her? You should have been with them, Karen. That’s irresponsible.”
She snorted. “Don’t talk to me about being irresponsible, drag racing! You deserved getting busted.” She smirked. She so told on him. Then her gaze came to me. “Oh, and if you mean after I kicked her ass, then yes, exactly.” She was grinning. “How’s the face?”
I was not going to give her the glory of knowing it hurt like hell. I just ignored her and turned to Griffin. “I’m going to take the food and keep looking at houses while you take out the trash.” Yes, I called her trash. Petty, but Griffin chuckled.
He stepped outside, half-closing the door, and I could hear them well. She was never one for whispering as her voice screeched at him loudly.
“How could you go propose to her? She’s a child.”
He scoffed in disgust. “She’s far from a child. It’s none of your business, Karen. The boys love her, and so do I. You need to stop trying to assume there’s something here between us.” He went quiet. “I don’t love you.”
“You used to…” She pleaded, and my stomach knotted in jealousy that should not be there. “Don’t you want your children to have a family? A proper family with both their parents together?”
I listened hard for his answer as I scrolled down on the laptop, pretending to be searching for houses.
He finally replied after a moment’s silence. “I thought I loved you, Karen, but we were young, and I just thought with my dick. You tricked me by getting pregnant, and I stuck around for the sake of the kids. That’s all. I’m sorry, but I can’t give up my life just for the sake of our children. It wouldn’t be fair, and they deserve to know what a family is really like, not one where their Mum and Dad are yelling and sleeping in separate rooms.”
“You can’t give them a proper family life with Ayla. She’s not their mother.”
He cut her off. “She’s a mother to them. She may not be biologically related, but she loves them as her own, Karen. You just assume the worst in her. I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me if I didn’t think that part through.”
“She’s not their mother.” She seethed in anger. “You hear me, bitch! You’re not their fucking mother!”
I just sat there and did not bother to react. I knew I wasn’t. If only she knew Mack called me mum, she would blow a fuse big time.
“Karen, enough. You need to go home to the children. If you have anything else to say to me, speak to my lawyer. I’m done. I gave you whatever you wanted, and you fucked me over with it.”
“I want you,” she whispered. “You’ll pay for this if you marry her, I mean it.”
“Goodbye, Karen.”
I heard the door close shut and the lock flick over. It was time to change the subject for him. “So, I think I found one I really like. I’m just spending like you’ve got money to burn.”
He smirked, coming back beside me. “Oh, yeah? Is that so?”
I turned and looked at him. His hand reached up and caressed my cheek. “I love you, Ayla.”
“I love you.”
“I’m sorry about Karen,” he said apologetically. “She’s delusional. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before.”
I nodded, thinking of all the drama it could have saved us if he did. “I think she’s been hoping you’ll go back to her. It’s only hitting her now that it’s not going to happen. Let’s not talk about her. I just want to focus on us.” I did not want her to put a damper on our evening together.
Not when I had my new shiny ring to stare at all day.
“Do you want to keep looking? Maybe we can go and do some more baby making?” he asked, wiggling his brows.
I laughed loudly. “Is that what we’ve been doing all day, huh?” I said, smiling as I nuzzled my nose against his. “How about we eat and keep looking at houses? Then maybe we can go give the ovaries a good shake up.”
With a swift kiss, he smiled and pulled away. “Sounds like a plan to me, pretty. Now, let’s see what I ordered. God, I’m hungry, and you need to eat.”
He soon began digging through the delicious smelling bags of takeout. He had ordered all my favourites. Our night consisted of sitting on the couch, eating Chinese, and going through pages of homes to buy.
Turning to me, he moved the laptop from my lap. I eyed him cautiously. “Follow me.” He stood, helping me up as well.
“What are we doing?” I asked as he led me down to the office.
“Do you remember the house I’ve been so busy building? The one out on a couple acres?”
“The really perfect one with everything in it?” I smiled, unable to forget that. “Have the owners moved in yet?”
He looked up, walking over with a black folder of paperwork. “How about next week?”
I did not understand. “Huh?”
“How about we move in next week?” He opened the folder, revealing drawings and interior designs. “It was for Christmas, but since it is finished now, why don’t we move in next week?”
Then, it began to sink in.
“You built this house?” He nodded. “For us?” He nodded again. “So we were moving all along?”
“Yes. I was building us a home, a place away from here.” He placed a hand over mine, squeezing gently. “I knew you weren’t happy here, Ayla. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh, Griffin!” I threw my arms around him, drawing him in. “I would love to move there, definitely.”
It was a perfect night in, but even though we were in our own bubble of happiness, I had a feeling in the back of my mind that the perfect bubble, was about to burst.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Hey, I told you not to pick that up.” Griffin warned, taking the large box of bedding from my hands.
I stood in the driveway with a frown. “I’m able to carry things, Griffin. I’m not pregnant.”
“You could be now. Just don’t lift anything, Ayla. This was why I wanted to get in removalists. They’d be able to do it all for us.” My handsome, hairless-faced man wanted to hire people when we could easily do it all ourselves for free.
Just grinning, I shook my head. “Sorry, baby. I promise not to lift anything again, and why would I want to watch old men lift our things when I can perve on your sexy ass?”
“That’s my girl.” He leant in and kissed me before taking the box of bedding inside the house.
We were moving, if you could not tell.
We have done it. We went and moved into the house Griffin had built for me, together. It was exciting. We had brought new furniture and shopped together for everything. He had made a major effort, promising it would be different. Most of those purchases had been delivered yesterday, and today, we were getting the last of our things from the townhouse. And that was it. We were in our own house that we chose together. Well
, we kind of did since he had been asking me questions about tiles and styles along the way, saying it was for the buyer.
All those visits were really him just making sure the builders were on track with the house.
He was putting up the townhouse for sale. It would be a clean, fresh start for us all.
It was a gorgeous and modern home on an equally stunning land. It was very farmhouse like but modern with no dairy. The beach was so close that we could go down there for evening or early morning walks. It was different to his other house we were living in. This one was stunning on the inside with oak floorboards, white walls, and timber beams through the ceiling. It had a large kitchen without the dining room in it. I loved the kitchen, and its dark, handmade concrete bench island and black taps at the large sink. I would not even mention the pantry, which boasted another smaller kitchen. We now have six bedrooms which we could hopefully add to soon. When we walked inside, we instantly fell in love with it. I could see a little toddler running around, and Griffin could see all the places he was going to fuck me.
See? Perfect!
The dining room had sliding doors that opened up to a large deck. Now the view of the city was within our sights, and I knew that we would be spending many nights out there. We stood on the railing, watching the boys who were already off checking out the land, figuring out where they were going to make a BMX track for their bikes. Griffin wanted to get them motorbikes, but I was not convinced that they would be a good idea, as fun as they can be. We were getting those for Christmas.
My parents were not at all surprised that we were engaged. Griffin had called and asked for my dad’s approval the day after he had been caught drag racing, and my father said yes. I could not believe it. Here I thought I was being sneaky when in fact, I had not been at all. They knew.
Griffin walked back down the front veranda steps, passing by Charlie and Paul who were carrying the LCD inside the house. “Don’t drop that. Ayla, will kill you both.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Yeah, he’s right. I probably will.” I turned to pick up a smaller box and heard a low cough behind me. “You’re kidding, Griffin. What can I lift? I’m not going to hurt myself.”
“Here, take these in.”
I stared at him, unimpressed as he gave me his phone and wallet. “If I wanted, I could ignore you and carry something in.”
“You could”—he said in a lower voice, coming in closer—“but you won’t because, in the back of your mind, you’re too afraid to.”
He was right. My subconscious was afraid that I was pregnant with no idea again, and I did not want to risk anything this time. I only had one tube left, I needed that.
Snatching them up, I took his things and pretended to huff. “Fine. I’m going to start putting some things away. Can you ask the boys to come put their clothes away for me?”
“Yes, Mum.” He smirked, patting my ass as I walked inside.
The boys both came running inside the house, and I raised a brow, peering around the kitchen island where I sat on my knees, putting away a box of baking trays. They both looked at me with wide eyes. They knew what they had done. “No running in the house, remember?”
“Sorry,” they both grumbled together, going back to the back door and walking in again.
New house, new rules. No running, swearing, fighting, or slamming doors. Also, no Karen. The last one was the most important. She comes in, and I’ll be out for good, I told Griffin that
He would make sure never to let that happen if he knew what was good for him.
When they walked into the kitchen again, Mack sat up on a yellow bar stool. “Dad said we had to do as you told us, and if we didn’t, he’d get the belt.”
I laughed. Yeah, empty threats worked well. “Did he really say that?” Suddenly, I was imagining my fiancé holding a belt in his strong hands and snapping it. Oh, how I remember those days well. Except the belt was hitting my arse as he pulled my hair from behind.
Toby nodded, sitting up beside Mack. “Yeah, but we know he’s kidding. He said if we help really well, we might get a bike each.”
“Oh, did he just said that?” I asked. Of course, he bribed them with a motorbike. “Well, all I would like you boys to do is unpack and hang up your clothes then you can go play.”
“Play? We’re not five, Mum.” Toby laughed and got up to go to his room. Mack followed, just grinning.
I would never get used to that. We had sat the boys down on the couch and announced our engagement to them. Mack asked if they had to call me mum, and I told them they didn’t. There was no way I would put that kind of pressure on them. Forcing them would only end in resentment, and that was something I did not want.
Toby then mumbled that if I would let them call me that, they would want to. I never expected that.
Of course, I said yes, but only if Griffin did not mind. It kind of turned him on, and he has been calling me that as well.
Karen had practically disappeared since we started moving out. She never once came to the house and have not even called. It was… dare I say, nice? Touch wood. I was not going to jinx this quietness from her.
Hours later, I closed the pantry door and bumped into Griffin's chest. His arms were instantly around my body. “Finished? I could think of a reason for us to go back in the pantry.” His breath felt hot on the nape of my neck.
I nodded, trying to focus and turned in his arms, ignoring the innuendo to go for a midday quickie. “I’m finished. All that’s left is to make our bed, and then the house is complete.”
“Don’t make it, We’re only going to mess it up again.”
“But…” I have a new cover and everything. “I went to Adairs. It’s really pretty. I love our bedroom.” It was a haven for just him and me.
“No buts especially tonight. You’re going to need to hang on,” he said.
Oh, I could not wait.
Charlie walked in, grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge and cracking it with a sigh. “What a day. Definitely deserved this.” I could not stop picturing him as a swinger. “Want one, bro?” he asked, grabbing another for Griffin.
My man took it with a nod. “Cheers. The women back yet?”
Maggy and Helena were at the store, grabbing some food for tonight. We were having a kind of housewarming party with friends and family, except for Griffin's parents who suddenly called this morning and told him they were unable to make it.
They would regret that. It was not just a dinner they were missing.
“Oh, hey. Guess what?” I said, slapping his chest as I forgot to tell him about my earlier call. “I got fired.”
“What?” His frown was back on. “When?”
“Like three hours ago. Mum called and told me I was no longer needed. She has sold the café, and the new manager heard about my fight. So I was pretty much fired.” I was not happy about it. I loved that job. “You want to know the reason?” It was a great one. “Someone called and put in a complaint that I got violent in the bathrooms.”
“Fuck off,” Griffin said, almost growling. “You’re kidding me?”
“She threatened to sue if they didn’t fire me. Well, look who now is jobless.” I hated that I was not working. It gave me something to do. God, I hated Karen with a passion. “She offered me a job at the new café in Mosman only forty minutes ago.”
He pulled me to his side. “I’m sorry. Is the new café something you want to do?”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Probably for the best, anyway.”
I eyed him, trying to take the drink from him, but he moved his hand higher in the air. “You’re just saying that because you’re happy I no longer have to work with Harvey.”
“He kissed you.”
“I thought it was a peck?” I teased.
“I should go break his jaw,” he muttered and took a mouthful.
Laughing, I patted his chest and turned to Paul as he walked in to join us. “I’m going to make our bed. Enjoy your drinks, boys.” T
hey had earned them after all the hard work today.
“I told you not to make it,” Griffin called out, and I just laughed, ignoring him.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I got a fright when Mum walked in holding a metallic, silver spotted cushion. “I think these were just too lovely to pass up. They’ll go well with the new couch.”
“Thanks, Mum.” She did not leave the room, and I raised my brows. “What’s up?”
“Did I hear the boys calling you mum earlier?”
Oh, boy. “You did. They’ve done it since we told them we were engaged.”
She nodded, gazing at me with that motherly look. “You’re happy, yes?”
I groaned. Please don’t start this are-you-sure talk now. “Yes, Mum. I’m very happy, and I love the boys. If I didn’t, then we all wouldn’t be here starting a life together.”
“What about Karen?”
“I don’t know. She’s been quiet. I think maybe she’s going to stop harassing us and be nice for once.”
“Well, all I can say is it’s a darn shame his parents didn’t come by to help. I feel sorry for Griffin.”
In a way, so did I. It must be tough to have parents who were judging you for everything you’ve done or thought you always needed to do better, be better. I got lucky with mine. Even if I screwed up, they were always there for me to offer comfort and support.
When Mum left, I stood up and closed the bedroom door. I needed some privacy right now.
Dialling his number, I called Harvey for the fifth time this week. He was not answering me and barely spoke to me at work. It rang, and I sighed, tossing my phone aside after leaving another voice message. How could he just tune me out like this? He had been there for me constantly when Griffin and I were having troubles, and now that I was back with him, he was not to be heard of.
Men are so frustrating.
Fixing the bed, I made my way outside where the others were and took my spot on Griffin's lap. His arm wrapped around my waist, drawing me in closer… or maybe he did that, so my boobs were close to his face. You never knew with this guy.
Breaking Old Habits Page 20
