Chapter 92: Mad Hath

Holy shit, David thought to himself. He took a step back and held up his hands. “Sorry, just coming to see if you’re alright.”

“I will be once I get the mad out,” Hath said, as she pushed past him to the hall. He went in to read the last exchange on the board then followed at a safe distance. He grinned when she went downstairs to the studio. Hath whirled on him and stabbed a finger into his chest so hard, she nearly broke a nail. “You stay out here,” she said as she went inside. “And if you even think about recording this, I’ll have your balls for earrings.”

David laughed. “Yes, dear,” he said. Hath couldn’t even muster a smile.

Hath closed the door behind her and went into the studio. She had never really been down here before, but was too mad to have a proper look at everything. She walked into the middle of the room, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and screamed. She screamed loud and long, over and over. Then the tears came. David was half out of his chair to go to her, but stopped when her lips started moving. David turned on the monitors, and laughed out loud at the words coming out of his beloved’s mouth.

“Mother fucking, cock sucking, ass licking, sons of bitches! Fucking dog raping pig-fucking sons of whores! Like to slice your balls off and shove them down your fucking throats. Beat me. BEAT me. Yeah, like he would. Like I’d LET him. I’ll show you a fucking beating. No, Jon’d kill me. FUCK!” She was ranting and pacing and her face was so red, David thought she was going to have a heart attack. Then she stopped dead, closed her eyes, and let out an eardrum-shattering scream.

David jumped a mile. He was not expecting how loud she was. Damn, he knew she had a temper, but this was just beyond. He was chagrined to find himself unbelievably turned on by this side of her. She was shaking with rage, and he wanted to redirect that power and passion to him. He wanted her to take out her mad on him in bed. Or here on the floor, he didn’t much care which. He took a step toward the studio door when he saw Hath collapse. His ardor gone in an instant, he sprinted the rest of the way into the studio, and saw Hath curled up on the floor.

“Baby?” he asked softly. Hath didn’t look up, she just sobbed and shrunk more into a ball. “Hey, sweetheart,” David said, going in to gather Hath to him. “Don’t let them get to you.”

“But the things they said…” she couldn’t finish her sentence, just clamped her lips together and shook her head.

“Aw, Hath, they’re just looking for a headline. Richie is the big news right now, and…OOOF!” David was cut off by an elbow to the stomach.

“Not about that, you ass,” Hath said, then laughed through her tears. “I am not crying over Richie. Don’t get me wrong, my heart is breaking for him and Lucy and Ava, but I’m upset about the things they were saying about you!”

“Don’t even think about them. Your brother took care of it.”

“I just can’t stand that they think that! Because of me!” Hath knew she was being unreasonable and stupid, but she didn’t care. “God, what if those idiots print that shit! Your kids will see it!” She scampered off David’s lap. “We have to tell them about this. NOW.” She stalked from the room, and David shook his head and chuckled. He had to hurry to catch up, and they made their way to the office. “Skype your son,” Hath said, and pushed David roughly into the chair.

“But what if he isn’t…”

“Just do it,” Hath said. Colton picked up right away.

“Hey, Dad,” he said. “Just working on a stupid paper for my history class. Why are you calling on the computer?”

“I made him,” Hath said from just off-screen. “We need to show you and your sisters something,” she said, and came into view.

“Holy shit,” Colton said, then blushed. “Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Hath.”

David smiled at Hath, then at his son. “I said the same thing,” he said. “Hath was on a train that crashed earlier this week, and she got a little hurt, and the reporters are insinuating that I did this.”

Colton paled. “But Dad! You would never…”

“NO!” both Hath and David said at the same time. Hath continued. “Sweetie, I know that your father would never hurt me or anyone else. Never. I know you know that too, but I didn’t want you to hear about this somewhere else. The things they’re saying are pretty ugly.”

“Geez, Hath, are you okay? And, um, the babies?”

Hath’s heart got all mushy at Colton’s obvious embarrassment at asking about her pregnancy. She was touched he thought to ask. “Yeah, we’re all fine,” she quipped, “but I feel like I’ve been in a train wreck.”

“Ha ha, Hath,” Colton said, then burst out laughing. “That’s sick, you know.”

David laughed. “Go get your sisters, OK? Let them know first, then bring them in. I’m going to call your mother.”

“OK.” Colton started to leave then came back. “Hath?”

“What is it sweetie?”

“I’m glad you’re ok.” He gave a smile that was heartbreakingly like his father’s then went to get his sisters.



David stepped away to call his ex-wife. I heard him say, “April, we need to talk,” then the girls were on-screen.

“Oh my God!” Lil cried. Gabby was just staring.

“Girls, I’m okay,” I assured them. “Just a little banged up is all. But, there are reporters here outside your Dad’s house.”

“Because of Uncle Richie?” Gabby asked, sliding a sideways look at her little sister.

I just nodded. “They said some mean things about my cuts and bruises, and we just wanted you to see for yourself that I’m okay, and to hear from us that there isn’t anything seriously wrong. I’m okay, and the babies are okay.”

Lil smiled. “Good,” she said. “I still can’t wait to be a big sister.”

She made me laugh. “I can’t wait for that either, sweetheart.” I could hear April calling for her daughters.

“In here, Mom,” Gabby answered. April’s beautiful face filled the screen.

“You’re really okay?” she asked. I nodded. “Good,” she said, and was gone. That was bizarre, but I didn’t want to think about April.

“Alright, your Dad wants to say ‘hi’, then we’ll let you get back to your evening. We just wanted you to hear this news from us.”

“OK, Hath,” Lil said. “Love you, bye!”

My throat closed up. David put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. “Love you too, Princess,” I said. “You too, Gabby. See you guys soon.” I stepped away to let David say good night to his girls, and to compose myself.

David came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “You okay, my love?”

I just nodded. “Lil said she loved me,” I said with wonder.

“Yep, she does.” He smiled then sighed. “I let April know what was said so she’d be prepared. I don’t think anything will come of it, but she did say she appreciated the heads-up.” David shook his head. “Are you really okay?”

I turned in David’s arms, and he pulled me into a crushing hug. “Yeah, I think I got all my mad out.” David looked a bit disappointed.

“Really?” he said. “That’s too bad. Mad Hath is hot.”

“You are a fucking lunatic, you know that?” I said to him.

“Are you getting angry again?” David asked hopefully.

“No, sorry,” I said to him, and kissed David deeply. I felt him stir against my thigh, and shifted to rub my leg along his length.

“JEN!” I heard my brother bellow. “Where the fuck are you?” then the door burst open. “Stupid fucking giant house,” he lamented as he, Kirk, and Ed came rushing into the room and slid to a stop. “Shit,” John said, looking at us wrapped around each other. “Sorry.”

“Uh, what do you want?” I asked John. David and I were still wrapped in each other’s arms, and he wasn’t quite ready to let me go yet – not with my brother in the room.

“Huh?” he said, playing dumb. “Oh, we’ve got the truck unpacked. All your shit that was coming heeah is in the living room. We’ll take the rest to storage tamahrrow.”

David laughed. “How much damage did you do outside?”

Ed laughed. “None man, we just scay-ed them a little.” He looked at me. “They hurt ah sistah. That just ain’t acceptable.”

“You guys are the best,” I said, and smiled at them. “Now go away. Go watch a movie or something.”

“Is there beeah?” Kirk asked.

David laughed. “Yeah, in the fridge in the screening room.”

John got a twinkle in his eye. “I don’t know, guys, I kinda like it in heeah.” He settled into one of the wing-backed leather chairs and made himself comfortable. Kirk and Ed took their cue from him, and loafed on the couch.

David and I just laughed. “Oh for heaven’s sake,” I said to them, “get the fuck out of here.”

“Are you getting mad now?” David growled in my ear, loud enough for the others to hear. He licked the rim of my ear, and I shivered.

“Jesus,” John said, and bolted. “I so do NOT want to watch you seduce my sistah, man.” He shivered. “C’mon, you assholes, let’s go find some beeah.” Ed and Kirk whined that they wanted to watch, and John cuffed them both on the back of the head. They piled out of the room, insulting and joking with each other.

David laughed after them. “They’re just like me and the guys,” he said.

“Juvenile and perverted?” I asked, smiling.

“Yep, pretty much,” David confirmed, and kissed me again. He took my hand and led me out of the office and up to the bedroom.