After the girls got processed and their items were returned to them, we all walked outside.
Before Mark could even say anything, I turned and started in on Ari.
“Of all the stupid-ass things you could do, Ari, why would you break the restraining order? What in the hell were you thinking by threatening Rebecca? Then, you laugh about it like it’s some joke. What if you caused her to go into labor early? What if something happened to the baby? What the fuck, Ari?”
Everyone stood there and looked at me, stunned.
Mark stepped between Ari and me. Giving me a dirty look, he asked in a calm voice.
“Where did you get your information from, Jeff?”
“Well, Josh at first, since Ari felt the need to call him to come get them out of jail. Then, Rebecca called and left me a message, saying she wasn’t feeling well and was turning her phone off. I called her back and she said Ari threatened her today. She couldn’t even talk. ”
I looked at Ari, who had her hands balled in fists. She looked really pissed.
“Fuck you, Jeff, and your baby mama, too! Daddy, can I please come home with you?” Ari said as the tears started to roll down her face.
“Jeff, you’re a prick! Why don’t you at least let us explain before you go off attacking Ari? You don’t even have the facts straight,” Ellie said as she poked her finger in my chest.
“Okay, everyone just calm down. Ellie, honey, just back off your brother for a second, sweetheart. Why don’t one of y’all explain to us what happened. ” Gunner said.
I looked at Ari and she was still crying and in her father’s arms. Gunner pulled Ellie back away from me and whispered something in her ear. Josh was…well shit…Josh was trying to look at everyone but Heather.
“Fine, I’ll explain what happened. ” Heather said as she also gave me a dirty look.
“We were at Dr. Wyatt’s office, waiting for Ari to finish up with her appointment. Rebecca walked in, and the moment she saw us there, she started asking why we were there and if we were following her. Ellie tried to explain to her that Ari had been seeing Dr. Wyatt for years and that she had an appointment. Well, crazy Rebecca started raising her voice to Ellie, and that’s when Ari came out. Rebecca was egging Ari on, Jeff. I mean, she was really going after her. She mentioned how you had your hands on her stomach the other day and how happy y’all both were with each other. It actually was Ellie who got in Rebecca’s face and started to threaten her. ”
Heather looked over at Ellie, who was smiling like the Cheshire cat at me.
“Wait a minute. Y’all didn’t know that Rebecca would be there?” I asked.
“How the fuck would we know that, dickwad? I had this appointment already set up. Her appointment was supposed to be next week. She said she had tried to call you to tell you that she had to change it to today. Funny though, huh? I bet you never got a phone call from her, did you? Oh, but wait. I’m sure she’ll have an excuse. Her call must not have gone through since you were in Mason,” Ari said.
My heart started to beat faster. Shit, I just fucked up big time.
Ari turned to her dad and said something to him. I didn’t even hear what she had said my mind was spinning so fast. Rebecca changed the appointment day? Why? She’d told me she was going to drop the restraining order against Ari first thing this morning, but she didn’t. I looked back at Ari. She was just glaring at me.
“Ari, I’m so sorry, baby. I guess I didn’t realize where you saw Rebecca at and. ”
“Just stop. I can’t do this anymore with you. You need to make a decision, Jeff, and you need to make it soon. I’m not really sure how much more of this I can take,”
Ari turned and walked off with her father.
I just stood there. I didn’t even know what to think. What does she mean I need to make a decision?
“Are you just going to let her walk away, Jeff or are you going to go after her?” Ellie asked me with a confused look on her face.
I started to jog over to Ari and Mark. “Ari, please wait a second. Please!”
Mark stopped walking which forced Ari to stop. She turned and looked at me. The look on her face about gutted me. She looked so unhappy, and it was my fault.
“Ari, baby, please just ride back to Mason with me. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I really am. Please don’t walk away from me. ” I could hear the pleading in my voice.
Mark looked at Ari. Sweetheart, what do you want to do?”
“Fine, but don’t expect me to talk to you for awhile you ass-wipe. ”
Ari turned and gave her dad a kiss goodbye. “Thank you for your help, Daddy. ”