Tear Down These Walls

by Carter, Sarah

  Tim takes a step back under Kellen’s glare. “Fine, she’s all yours.”

  Teagan whispers, “I can’t feel my legs.”

  In one swift movement, Kellen has her up in his arms. “I’m going to take you home.” Teagan starts to cry. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” Kellen exhales, kissing her on the head. “Please, just talk to me.”

  “No,” Teagan gasps. “Just take me home. I don’t want to talk to you!”

  “Okay,” Kellen exhales. With that, he turns and walks away from the bar. A few steps later, Teagan passes out.

  * * * * *

  The next morning Teagan wakes up feeling like she was hit by a semi. “Oh my god,” she groans, rolling over in bed.

  “Are you going to be sick?” A familiar voice asks.

  Teagan turns her head and looks next to her. Kellen is sitting in a chair. “What in the HELL are you doing here?” she snaps.

  “I brought you home,” Kellen states softly. “You were about to leave with some strange guy you didn’t know.”

  She shuts up. “I don’t remember that.”

  “I doubted that you would,” Kellen exhales. “Now, are you going to be sick?”

  She grimaces and then says, “I don’t think so.”

  “Okay, hold on,” Kellen replies. He gets up and leaves. A minute later, he walks back in carrying a smoothie. “I made this for you.”

  “I don’t want your help,” Teagan grumbles.

  “Whatever, Teagan, it’s a smoothie, and it will make you feel better. Just drink it,” Kellen instructs, rolling his eyes.

  Sitting up, she takes it from him. “Thanks.”

  Kellen plops back down in the chair. “Are you all right?”

  “I feel like crap,” Teagan snips. “How do you think I am doing?”

  “That’s not what I was asking about,” Kellen sighs.

  “Don’t start on that shit,” Teagan growls. “If you are looking for a heart to heart, you can just leave.”

  He exhales and leans forward, “Can I at least say something?”

  “No,” Teagan retorts. “Just shut up.” She takes a swig of the smoothie.

  “Well, too bad,” Kellen starts. “I don’t give a crap about that woman.”

  “Kellen! That makes it worse! So, you sleep with her instead of me, and you don’t have feelings for her!”

  “I didn’t…”

  “SHUT UP!” Teagan screams. “Just shut up, and get out of my apartment!”

  Falling to his knees next to the bed, Kellen begs, “Listen to me, please.”

  “GET….OUT…. OF...MY….APARTMENT,” Teagan seethes. Kellen opens his mouth, but she cuts him off. “Get out or I will call the police!”

  “Fine,” Kellen whispers. He stands up and looks at her. “I do care about you.”

  “OUT!”

  He nods and leaves. Teagan sits there completely still until she hears the door open and close. Setting down the smoothie, Teagan drop her face into her hands and cries.

  For the rest of the day, Teagan lies in bed. Victoria calls, and Teagan cries more and tells her everything. She apologizes up and down, and Victoria says she forgives her. The day drags on into the night, and Teagan turns off the light and goes to sleep.

  The next three weeks are long. Teagan eats, sleeps, goes to class and works. She barely talks to anyone, until Wednesday night, when she drags herself out of her apartment.

  Teagan exhales and says, “I have no idea where I’m going.”

  “Use the map program on your phone,” Victoria replies over the speaker.

  “I hate that stupid thing,” Teagan mumbles. “God, I would rather poke my eyes out than go to this study group.”

  “You told them you would come,” Victoria points out. “Just go.”

  Teagan finally gives up and pulls over. “I’m going to hang up and get directions.”

  “All right, call me later if you want.”

  “I will, bye,” Teagan sighs.

  “Bye.”

  Opening the program, Teagan punches in the address. She rolls her eyes when she realizes she is in the completely wrong neighborhood. When Teagan looks closer at the map, she scowls. It’s close to Kellen’s house. “Asshat,” she whispers. Looking over her shoulder, Teagan does a U-turn. A few minutes later, her car suddenly swerves and Teagan yells, “Crap.” The familiar thud, thud, thud indicates that she has a flat tire. She pulls over and slams her hand down on the steering wheel. Turning the car off, Teagan opens her door and jumps out. The weather is starting to get nasty and wet. She pulls her coat tighter. Going to the other side of the car, she bends down. Her tire isn’t just flat; it’s blown.

  “Crap, I don’t know how to change a tire. I’m such a girl.” She stands up and goes to get her cell phone. When she gets to the door, she tries to open it. It won’t budge. The door is locked. Teagan looks through the window. All the doors are locked. “Shit!” Thunder explodes in the sky, and rain starts to pour down. “YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!” She stands there for a second and then stomps her foot because she knows that the only place she can go to is Kellen’s.

  Turning, Teagan starts to walk towards his house. When she arrives, she stands on his stoop for a few seconds before ringing the doorbell. A minute goes by before the door opens. When Kellen sees her, he exclaims, “Teagan!”

  “I have a flat tire,” she grumbles.

  “Jesus, get in here,” he stammers, pulling her inside. “You’re soaking wet.”

  “It’s raining,” Teagan declares.

  “Obviously. Are you okay?” He inquires, unzipping her coat. “You’re drenched.”

  Her teeth start to chatter. “No, I’m freezing.”

  Kellen puts his hand on her cheek. “Teagan, you’re ice cold.”

  “No shit,” she stutters.

  “Come on,” he takes her hand and leads her upstairs. “You need to get warmed up.” Teagan reluctantly follows him. When they get to his room, Kellen says, “Go get in the shower. I will get you something to change into.”

  “No,” Teagan snaps.

  “You need to get warm and dry,” Kellen sighs. “Just get into the shower.”

  She glares at him and then turns on her heel. Practically stomping her way, Teagan goes into the bathroom. She slams the door. She quickly strips off her clothes and gets into the shower. “Oh my gosh,” she moans. “Warmth.”

  A few minutes later, there is a knock. “How are you doing?” Kellen yells.

  “Better,” Teagan replies, turning the shower off.

  “Can I come in? I have a sweatshirt for you,” Kellen states.

  “Hell no,” Teagan snaps. She grabs a towel and wraps it around herself. Opening the door, she sticks her hand through it. “Just give it to me.” Kellen puts it in her hand, and she closes the door.

  After she dries off and puts on the sweatshirt, Teagan opens the door. She sees Kellen standing near the far wall. A fire is going in the fireplace. When Teagan steps out, Kellen turns to her. “There’s a blanket on the bed. I started a fire for you.”

  Teagan grabs the blanket and wraps it around her shoulders. Slowly, she walks over to Kellen. “Thanks,” she whispers.

  “Why didn’t you just call me?” Kellen inquires, sounding confused.

  Blushing, Teagan mumbles, “My door locked and my phone was inside.”

  He bursts out laughing. “Is the car running?”

  “It’s not funny,” Teagan snaps. He continues to laugh. Finally, she can’t help but smirk. “No, it’s not running.”

  “Well, that’s good,” he sighs. “I will call someone. I don’t have the tools here to open it.”

  “Thanks,” Teagan whispers. She sits down on the floor, scooting closer to the fire.

  Kellen gestures. “Can I sit next to you?”

  “It’s your house,” Teagan mumbles.

  “I’m asking what you want,” Kellen replies.

  She pulls the blanket around her tighter. “Yeah, go ahead.”

  Sittin
g down, Kellen stares at her. Teagan matches his gaze, and they sit there looking at each other. “So, if it’s my house, and you have no pants on, you have to listen to me.”

  Teagan frowns. “Don’t start.”

  “No, damn it, I haven’t been able to talk to you. You’re going to listen to me for one minute,” Kellen states strongly. Teagan glares at him and then turns her head. “Listen, I don’t know what she said to you, but I didn’t sleep with her.”

  “You were at her house,” Teagan counters. “She told me.”

  “Yes,” Kellen answers.

  “Then I don’t believe you.”

  With an exasperated huff, Kellen says, “Teagan, it’s impossible to sleep with someone who wasn’t even there.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Teagan asks sharply.

  “She wasn’t there!” He exclaims.

  Teagan shakes her head confused.

  “This is what happened,” Kellen sighs. “That stupid bitch is a horrible mother. It was her night to have Kya. I called to talk about taking Kya the next day. Celine informed me that she was really sick. I asked what was wrong. She said Kya had a raging fever and would barely stay awake. I asked what she was doing for her. With a rather blasé attitude, she said that the babysitter was going to keep an eye on her. I was shocked. I told her that she couldn’t leave our sick daughter with someone else. Celine made it known that she had plans, and Kya would be fine. I told her that was ridiculous, so, I went over there to take care of her. Kya was too sick to move. Later that night, Celine called and said she wasn’t coming home. So, I spent the night. The next morning Kya was better, so I brought her back here.”

  “You didn’t sleep with her?” Teagan whispers.

  “No,” Kellen replies. “I told you. I haven’t had sex in over two years.”

  “But she said…..she said you were trying to work things out, and she was moving back in here,” Teagan says softly.

  Kellen bursts out laughing, “Oh my god, I wouldn’t let her move back in here for anything. I give her enough money to live somewhere else so I don’t have to see her.”

  “You aren’t trying to work things out?”

  “No!” Kellen exclaims. “I couldn’t stand to be with her when we were together. I would never put myself in that situation again.”

  “But…..” Teagan starts. “You hid that you were married.”

  “Not entirely,” Kellen sighs. “I was going to tell you after we got back from Michigan, when you met Kya. I was going back and forth. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you about Kya first, or Celine, or both at the same time. You did so great with Kya, I was going to tell you about Celine, but I didn’t want to lay both bombs on you at the same time. It had been a wonderful two days. I was more concentrated on you. Celine wasn’t even on my mind. I only thought about it when I dropped Kya off. I was going to tell you that night.”

  “So….you don’t want to be with her?” Teagan inquires softly.

  “No baby,” Kellen replies, his voice like velvet. “I want to be with you.” Teagan can only stare at him. “Teagan, I would never purposefully hide something from you or hurt you. I have missed you so much.”

  She hesitantly says, “You missed me?”

  “Desperately,” Kellen whispers. “Teagan.” He takes a deep breath in, “I would never hurt you because….. I love you.”

  “What!?” She gasps.

  “I’m in love with you,” Kellen states. “I would never, ever want to hurt you.”

  Teagan drops the blanket and gets up on her knees. “Say it again.”

  “I love you, and I would never hurt you,” Kellen declares again. “Please, forgive me for not telling you the truth right away.”

  Falling forward, Teagan grabs him and kisses him. Kellen stiffens in shock and then pulls her onto his lap, frantically kissing her back. They passionately embrace each other. Finally, Teagan pulls away. “I love you, too.”

  “That makes me the happiest man on this planet,” Kellen sighs blissfully. Teagan reaches down and pulls off his shirt. “What are you doing?”

  “Make love to me,” Teagan whispers, yanking off the sweatshirt.

  “Are you sure?” Kellen breathes out.

  Teagan grabs him and says, “Shut up, yes.” She kisses him hard, and he matches her intensity.

  Kellen finally pulls away. “We should get on the bed.”

  “Why?” Teagan breathes out.

  “Rug burn,” Kellen chuckles. “Trust me, you don’t want that your first time.”

  She crawls off of his lap and grabs his hand. Kellen stands up. Teagan pulls him by his pants towards the bed and then begins to unbutton them. Fumbling, she slowly takes off his pants and underwear and he steps out of them. Teagan grabs one sock and yanks it off and then the other. He laughs and she giggles. Standing up, Teagan looks at him. “I’m nervous.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Kellen asks, brushing his fingertips down her face.

  Turning her face into his hand, Teagan kisses it. “I’m positive.” In one swift movement, Kellen picks her up. He lays her gently on the bed. Teagan takes a deep breath as he crawls on top of her. “Be gentle,” she whispers.

  “We are going to do this slowly,” Kellen replies. He kisses her right under her ear. “Really slowly.” Teagan turns towards Kellen and kisses him deeply. Kellen runs his hand up her leg, gripping her hip. Teagan pushes herself against him. Tracing his fingers along her skin, Kellen runs them around and then in between her legs.

  With a gasp, Teagan says, “I thought you were going to have sex with me.”

  Playfully biting her, Kellen murmurs, “You have to warm up the engine first.”

  “Mmmm,” Teagan hums. Throwing back her head, she sighs happily.

  A long while later, Teagan is lying on Kellen’s chest, completely weak with satisfaction. He is rubbing her back gently. “You okay?” He asks.

  “Yes,” she contently sighs. “That was….incredible.”

  “I am glad you enjoyed yourself,” Kellen states, kissing her on the head. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Please, let’s always talk things out,” Kellen pleads. “I don’t think I could go without you again.”

  Teagan turns her face to him. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Kellen inquires, putting her hair behind her ear.

  “Doubting you,” Teagan answers. “I didn’t even give you a chance to explain yourself.”

  He smiles and says, “You had every right to be upset, especially with everything you have gone through. I should have told you right away. I should have told you before I brought up Kya. They kind of go hand in hand.”

  “Can I ask a question?”

  “Of course,” Kellen replies.

  “Why aren’t you divorced….if it’s been two years?” Teagan inquires.

  “She won’t give me one,” Kellen exhales, looking up at the ceiling. “Celine keeps threatening to take Kya away from me.”

  Shaking her head, Teagan states, “You’re her father. You have just as many as rights as she does.”

  “Kya bruises really easily,” Kellen murmurs. “Celine has taken pictures and said she will say that I caused them if I divorce her.”

  “WHAT!?” Teagan exclaims.

  Kellen closes his eyes. “I got into trouble in high school, lots of fights. I’m an ex MMA fighter. She says it will be easy to believe.”

  “So, why won’t she give you a divorce? I mean, she has nothing to gain staying with you, if you won’t be with her.”

  “This is the thing. I made Celine sign a prenuptial agreement. It stated if she cheated on me, she wouldn’t get anything.”

  “She says you were the one who cheated,” Teagan says softly.

  He rolls his eyes dramatically. “That’s classic. Celine cheated on me so much, it was insane. I finally had her followed and took pictures of two different guys. She knows I have her. If we divorce, she gets nothing, no alimony, nothing,
just child support.”

  “So…..she refuses to give you a divorce,” Teagan states.

  “Yup,” Kellen sighs. “I don’t know what to do. The best part is she doesn’t even want Kya. She does it because it gets her more money.”

  “How do you know that?” Teagan asks, her voice tinged with shock.

  Kellen chuckles. “She didn’t want Kya, never has.”

  “What?” Teagan breathes out.

  “That’s why we are married,” Kellen states. “She was a one night stand, just like every other girl at that point. I used protection, but you know, that’s not a hundred percent. She got pregnant. I manned up. I said I would take care of the baby, support it and everything. She wanted more. Celine wanted to be part of the lifestyle I had. I told her I wasn’t interested.”

  “How did you end up getting married?”

  “She found out Kya had Down Syndrome. Celine said she was going to get an abortion. I begged her not to.”

  Teagan smiles. “That’s commendable.”

  Smirking, Kellen declares, “One of my best friends has a brother with Down Syndrome. He hung out with us all the time. He was the shit, and I loved him. So, I could never imagine aborting a baby, for any reason.” Teagan grins and kisses him. Kellen kisses her back and then sighs. “The only way she wouldn’t abort the pregnancy was if I married her. So, we did before Kya was born, but I had the last laugh. I quit fighting. Man, she was pissed!” Teagan laughs with him. “Anyway, we were married for three and half years before I finally had enough. You know, actually thinking about it, it has to have been close to three years since I had sex. We rarely did anyway. It was emotionless. I didn’t have many options.”

  “We need to figure something out,” Teagan states. “I have seen you with Kya. I can be a witness. You’re an incredible father.”

  “I have a lot of witnesses,” Kellen murmurs. “But she has those damn pictures.”

  “Have you ever taken Kya to the doctor and asked why she bruises so easily?” Teagan asks.

  Kellen looks at her and furrows his eyebrows. “Actually, no. We keep a close eye on health concerns, or I should say, I do, but no.”

  “What if there is a reason,” Teagan chirps. “Then the pictures don’t really matter.”