Congratulations Maggie, you are in love with a complete asshole. I may not beat on you, but I have totally and completely ruined your life just like Michael did Dina’s. Yes, I am just as worthless as that piece of shit, sorry excuse for a man. My mom is right. It should have been me all those years ago. If only Maggie new, she would agree and wish I was long gone never to have met her.
When my phone rings, I am too messed up to talk to Maggie, so I let it go to voicemail. The text chime alerts me to find the papers have been served. Maggie is a wreck I am sure. I decide it’s best not to speak to her at all for a bit. She needs to cool down, I need to think. Damn, I have messed up bigger than shit this time.
Maggie
Brayden won’t answer his phone; he is gone in my car, leaving me stuck in a house that I suddenly have been told I must vacate. I don’t know why the house is in foreclosure, I give Brayden my paychecks, together we make more than enough to cover our costs.
His car is paid for. Hell, it’s the very first car he ever owned. My car was a college graduation gift from Dina and it’s paid for in full, I have the title. Neither of us have any student loans, so I don’t understand why the house wouldn’t get paid for. Right now, I feel helpless and my boyfriend of four years can’t even answer a phone to explain to me what is happening.
Ryder and Dina arrive in the middle of the night, coming directly to my house from the show. They both look exhausted. I instantly feel guilty that I couldn’t handle this on my own. I just hand Dina the papers without speaking.
She begins to cry, “Mags, what does this mean? Like the house is gone? Where is Brayden? Surely this is a mistake.”
“Dina, he is, well I don’t know where. He won’t answer his phone, he has my car, and he won’t answer the shop phone.” I begin to sob. “What am I going to do?”
Dina wraps her arms around me, “it’s okay Mags, we will figure it out.”
After a few minutes Ryder goes to our desk, pulling out every paper he can find. We sit down at my kitchen table to look for clues. All I can manage is crying hysterically, as Ryder keeps finding more papers and just saying shit as he shows me that there is no money, every last penny is gone. Dina is just sitting beside me with an expressionless face of complete numbness.
How can I possibly pick up the pieces from this? What am I going to tell my family and friends? We were settled with a strong future ahead of us. I don’t know what Brayden is hiding but there is definitely something serious going on.
Brayden
Damn, can’t they all take a hint; I am not going to answer my phone. I have lost my car, I have lost my house, and I am pretty sure I have lost Maggie, too.
She wouldn’t understand even if I tried to explain so there is no point in talking to her. What kind of man leaves his woman blindsided to losing everything? This bastard right here does, that’s who.
I am at work. I know I will have to face Ryder sooner or later. How do I explain this mess to him? Then again, its Ryder, maybe he will help, maybe he will bail me out and then Maggie will listen to anything I tell her because she always sees the good in me. Yes, I decide, Ryder, he will help, so I send him a quick text.
Need to talk. Don’t tell Mags. Meet me at shop. Pls
Ryder and I met freshmen year of college. He was my dorm roommate. We had a common love for old muscle cars and formed a fast friendship. He was in school for business management, I was in school because my dad’s death paid for it and required I get a degree, so I was studying communications. Ryder is from Charlotte. He started working at a local garage when he was really young. Through him I was able to get a job there as well.
When the old man who owns the place decided to retire he sold the business for cheap to Ryder saying he believed in him. Ryder has grown the business to double the revenue originally coming in. He is not only smart on mechanics, but business, marketing, and the books. He has been the best and longest friend I have had outside of Valerie and Vanessa. Ryder doesn’t talk about his family, other than he was raised by his Grandma and I don’t talk about mine.
Maggie
“What do you want to do, Mags? Do you want me to call the bank, pay to have this fixed? Do you want to move to my house?” Dina asks.
“I can’t have you pay this, Dina. It’s all been lies, how could I stay here with him? He can’t even answer a phone to explain. Just let the bank have the house.” I sob.
“Let’s get your immediate needs packed and moved to my house. We will just put everything else into storage. It will take some time Mags, but we will sort everything out.” Dina reassures me as we began packing.
“D, baby, can I talk to you outside?” Ryder asks my bestie.
I have a feeling this is about Brayden. I continue packing while they talk. About fifteen minutes later, my best friend returns with tears filling her eyes.
“Maggie, I don’t know what is going on exactly. Brayden asked to see Ryder, but not to tell you. Ryder thinks he knows but he won’t elaborate. He agrees it would be best for you to move to my house until we can figure out exactly what Brayden has gotten into.”
Dina pauses letting me take it in. “Maggie, I need to be honest with you. I don’t have a clue as to what could be going on, and Ryder has not yet shared his suspicions with me just saying that it’s not his story to tell but that it is serious.”
She sighs, “Ryder and I have discussed living together. I thought about putting the house on the market. Mags, you are my family, the house is paid for in full, I will sign it over to you if you want it. I am not going to move in with Ryder until you are settled regardless of whether you want the house or not .” Dina searched my eyes waiting for a response.
“Dina, I appreciate the offer. Yes, I will live with you until I can sort out everything. I cannot just accept a house from you. For Pete’s sake, Dina, I drive a really nice car because you paid for it. I have my dream job because you paid for it. I can’t just let you give me a house. Plus, you can’t afford that, can you?” As I finish responding, Dina just smiles. We have never discussed money or her inheritance so maybe she can afford it, but I could never let her.
Dina has always taken care of me, from my first heartbreak in high school; his name was Ayden. To my college party days needing someone to hold my hair after I drank too much, then my car, and now this. I am thankful Ryder is there to take care of her now and I know he will always.
Brayden
Ryder arrives. Stress, anger, frustration, disappointment, and confusion all seem to radiate off of him.
He walks in and begins, “Brayden, what the hell have you gotten yourself into? Maggie is hysterical. She doesn’t understand why you are losing the house and why you won’t answer the damn phone. I left her packing to move into Dina’s house. Is that what you want?”
I begin my response, “Hell no it’s not what I want but it’s what has to happen. I lost the house. The question is do you think Dina will let me stay there too?”
Ryder begins pacing, running his hand through his hair. The agitation and anger evident as Ryder says, “You will not ask Dina to stay there under any circumstances. I don’t know for sure what you have gotten yourself into but damn it you will not involve my girlfriend anymore then you already have.”
I look at my longtime friend begging, “Can I crash at your house?”
Ryder laughs a harsh, sarcastic laugh, “Hell no, you need help, not to be bailed out. You can stay here, sleep on the couch, you can shower at my house when I am at home. Val and I talked, I know about your past, B. If you want help, I will get you the help to get clean. This will be your only warning though. You keep your problem out of my business, out of my house, and away from Dina. Since you won’t confide in anyone with specifics as to what is going on so we can help you I am letting you know now. If I catch you or I can prove my suspicions right, you are out on your ass, friend or not. Get your shit straight and now.” Before I can respond, he walks away.
I have nowhere else to go. I don’t have the
kind of relationship with my parents to call them about this. Hell, I don’t have a relationship with them at all that ended when I was fourteen. I don’t want to bother Vanessa with my issues. She has two kids they don’t need to be around the mess that is all me. Valerie is just as messed up as me so that would be pouring gasoline on a fire. Ryder is my only help right now. Sure I have other friends but not ones I would want to share my current situation with. Hello, I don’t know anyone who is proud to find themselves homeless.
Maggie
Thanks to Ryder, Dina, and a few friends, I am all moved into her guest room. All of my furniture placed in a climate controlled storage facility. During the move, Ryder wouldn’t let Dina do any heavy lifting which typically would have upset my bestie to be told what to do by a man. We finally sit down to eat and take a break.
“Ok, you two what gives?” I ask.
“I know I am caught up in my own drama, but I’m not blind. You both act like Dina could break, so what is going on?”
They both laugh. Ryder answers, “I told you she would catch on, Dina. As for your question Maggie, there is a chance we could be expecting. It is too soon to know but since we know there is a possibility we are being careful.”
I look at my best friend who looks absolutely terrified, “Shit, Dina, how, when, what are you going to do?”
Dina looks at Ryder, almost for strength. She stutters, “Well, you know how these things happen, the when of it would be the momentary lapse of thought due to lust in my car. As for what to do, we wait to see if there is even a what coming. We should know any day now.” I hug her then we all settle on the couch to watch a movie.
The next morning I wake up to the aroma of bacon cooking. I get up expecting to find Dina in the kitchen. Instead I find Ryder standing over the stove smiling.
“Well, it must be a good morning for you with a smile like that.” I say.
He laughs, “Ummmm, yes it is. Mags, does it bother you for me to stay over? If so I will go back to my place. Dina and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
His thoughtfulness for me is overwhelming. “Ryder, you have made my bestie come alive again, don’t worry about me and by all means don’t stop what you are doing.”
Dina comes in laughing, “Funny, I tell him don’t stop quite often too, but for a different reason.” She says as she winks at her man.
We sit down at the kitchen table to eat the bacon, eggs, and toast Ryder cooked for us. I pour some orange juice for all of us and ask, “Ryder, when did you start cooking?”
He smiles at Dina, “I have enjoyed the time in my kitchen with my favorite cook, so I managed to pick up a trick or two.”
After breakfast, Ryder heads to his shop, Dina and I go to the office. I can’t focus on anything but Brayden. I haven’t heard from him. Yes, I am angry with him, but most of all I miss him. I just want him to tell me what happened so we can fix this.
Brayden
Ryder comes into work with an obvious attitude toward me. We spend the first few hours silently working.
Finally, he says, “Brayden, my office, now.”
I am annoyed at his tone, “What man, I am trying to finish this corvette today.”
He coldly responds, “Come clean, tell me man, what are you so messed up with? Where the hell is the Charger?”
Right here, right now is my opportunity to come clean.
I begin, “I have a lot of debt. I over spent. I got a crappy interest rate on the house. I sold the charger to Dave a few months ago in order to make ends meet. Ryder, I was trying to make the house payment. I am just sinking and losing everything.”
“Brayden, why didn’t you ask for help, man?” He questions.
Now I am angry. He wouldn’t understand, no way in hell I am spilling my personal business to him. He has it made. He doesn’t know the struggles I have faced. I am boiling mad now, I need to get out of here before I get my ass kicked again.
“Ryder, just drop it man. You wouldn’t understand. Can I take my ass back to work now?”
I drown myself in work the rest of the day, refusing to speak to anyone including clients. I feel the headache building and the tension coursing through my veins. I need a fix with nothing available to me at the moment. Shit, I am out of control.
Maggie
Four days later, Ryder and I are at the kitchen table.
Dina comes out of the bathroom smiling, “No, baby.” She then went over to sit on Ryder’s lap, “I love you, Ryder Cole Davenport. Thank you for being honest with me, thank you for being so supportive, and for just being with me. I look forward to our future together and the babies we will make years from now, and I do mean years.”
Ryder kissed her and replied, “Whenever you are ready I would love to have lots of babies with you. I hope we will be living together before that just so you know. I love you, Dina.”
I am so happy for my bestie. Ryder and Dina are meant to be together. I thought Brayden was my happily ever after, now I just don’t know.
I finally muster the courage to ask, “Ryder how is Brayden? I have been trying to give him his space. I wish he would just talk to me.”
Ryder sighs, “He is stressed Mags. He misses you. He also feels like he has lost everything, between the car, the house and you, he is a mess right now.”
I am stunned, “Ryder, what do you mean car? Brayden has my Audi, what did he do with my car?”
Ryder looks at Dina and then me, “Not the Audi, Mags that is at my shop. The charger, he sold the charger to a client a few months back. I thought you both knew since he’s been driving the Audi for so long. He didn’t tell me up front, I found out when my client called the shop looking for parts for it.” I begin to cry and excuse myself.
He sold the first car he ever restored and he didn’t even tell me. What kind of relationship do we have? If we needed money that bad why didn’t he say something? That’s it I have to go see him. I didn’t want to do this at the shop, but I have no choice.
Brayden
Not talking to Maggie is killing me, but what can I say. I have never missed someone so much. I love her but I don’t think she will understand the skeletons in my closet. No one knows the truth and I have been running from it for so long I don’t know if even I can face it.
I see a flash of yellow out front. Oh shit, that is either Dina or Maggie. I am not ready to see either one of them. Ryder is hard enough to face every day, but I have to, I need money.
Damn she looks good even in yoga pants and my old t-shirt. Her eyes are sad and puffy. I drop my head as she approaches.
She takes my face and cups it in her hand, “Brayden, talk to me please. I miss you. Whatever it is, let’s work through it babe. I don’t want to be without you.” She is crying and I can’t manage words so kiss her.
Ryder comes around the corner, “Why don’t you two go somewhere and talk? I have the shop covered Bray, go fix things with your girl.”
Maggie smiles up at me as she says, “Follow me to Dina’s.”
Maggie
Now that I have him here in the privacy of Dina’s home, I don’t know if I want to rip his clothes off or just scream at him. For the first few minutes we both just openly stare at one another.
I see the tears in his eyes as he begins to speak, “I am sorry, Maggie. There are no words to explain it and I understand if you hate me. I love you Margaret Rose Lawson and I will do anything to make things right between us.”
I close the space between us as I say, “Brayden just talk to me, you sold your car and I find out from Ryder. If we needed money I would have asked Dina. I want this to work between us, but it takes honest communication and trust.”
Not knowing how to get through to him, I decide to discuss the one thing we do best together, sex. I reach up and put my hands around his neck.
“Remember the first time you tied me to the bed posts? We talked about my safe word and the importance of open, honest communication. The first time you blindfolded me, we discussed trust.
The trust I need to have in you to bring me intense pleasure without me being able to see what would come next. We discussed freely the bond and trust you had to have in me to safe word, firecracker, if I couldn’t handle the sensations.”
“Brayden we are amazing in bed together. Imagine our relationship if we were just as open and honest with our communication in all areas. Brayden, you have tied me up, you have blindfolded me, you have spanked me, you have poured hot wax on me, you have gagged me, collared me, whipped me, dressed me up, we have had sex in public, we have attended the fetish balls, we have used clamps, balls, and toys, and never once have I safe worded out. I have given you complete control always in bed but also in our relationship. I trust you to know my body that well, I want to trust you to know my heart and mind that well. We need to be as open outside of bed as we are inside. I want to be your safe place, tell me anything, and trust me completely. Brayden, my love for you is unconditional.” I state matter of factly.
I pull him into the living room, removing our clothes as we go. He lays me on the floor using his belt to bind my arms to the coffee table. As he is kissing and caressing every inch of my body, I lay there taking in every sensation. I have become so lost in the moment with Brayden. I don’t hear the front door open.
I don’t become conscious of what is going on until I hear Dina screaming as she is hitting Brayden with her shoes. “Get the hell off her, you punk ass. How the hell did you get her tied up? I am going to beat the ever loving shit out of you.” Dina is blaring out on Brayden.
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