Chapter Sixteen - Bad Behavior

I get out of my car and walk up to my grandmother's house. Opening the door, I step inside and make my way to the sitting room where Aria is. She turns to wave at me before her attention is once again captured by the cartoons. I find grandma in the kitchen cleaning up and hug her from behind.

"Oh! Don't scare me like that Charlie!" She smacks my arm and I laugh at her expression.

"Sorry grandma. Here let me clean up, you sit." I set down my bag before taking over. "Thanks for picking up Aria today."

As I tidy up I watch as she takes a seat at the table. She looks a bit paler than usual and tired which has me frowning in worry. Me and Aria visit every two or three days but I didn't notice this the last time. Her iron levels usually get very low and I have a strong feeling she needs to go for a check-up again.

"What?"

"When was the last time you got your bloods done?" I ask and she huffs.

"I'm fine Charlie, no need to worry about me." She puts her reading glasses on as she opens a book.

"We'll let Doctor Russo be the judge of that."

"Stubborn girl!" She mutters in annoyance which makes me smile.

"Love you too grandma." I blow her a kiss and it quirks her lips. "I uh...I have something to tell you."

Her eyes narrow in suspicion when I close the kitchen door. "What's wrong? Did that Jackson boy do something because I swear to –"

"No! No, no, Theo hasn't done anything. It's about Liam actually, he's my ex and Aria's father remember?"

"What the hell does he want?! Is he here?! Did he come up to you girls?!" She fires off one question after the other angrily.

"Calm down, we're fine." I take her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. "Remember how I went to Theo's cousin's engagement party? Liam's dating a friend of his cousin. He saw Aria that night and wants to be involved in her life."

"What do you think?" She asks quietly and I gulp harshly.

"I'm unsure...I'm going to see if I can request an initial supervised visit to see how they are around each other, whether she's comfortable." I sigh tiredly as I take out the paperwork I had filled last night.

"Why are you unsure? Did he do something else?"

"This happened last week. He said he was going to pull a harmless prank but it backfired. He locked himself in the supply closet with me and turned off the light. Kept trying to touch me and wouldn't let me open the door to let us out." I slump in my seat as the incident replays in my mind. "The day after the party though I took Aria out for lunch and he showed up. Invited himself to sit with us but he wasn't interested in talking to Aria as much as I thought he would be."

She stares at me quietly and it worries me. "I don't think he wants to be involved in Aria's life Charlotte. He wants to be back in yours."

"I..." I trail off with a shake of my head. "He knows I'm with Theo –"

"That doesn't stop some people." She points out and I nod hesitantly. "If he ignores Aria again make your confusion obvious. Make it clear that you two will never be together. You must draw the line for some people to know where it is Charlotte."

"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you." I whisper as I stand to give her a hug.

"You'd do just fine." She chuckles and pats my back reassuringly. "Now go before you're late for dinner. I've yet to meet Theodore by the way!"

"Soon grandma." I grin before stepping out to get Aria.

We bid her goodbye before I drive back home. Theo wants to take us out for dinner tonight and with how crazy work has been lately I'm not in the mood to cook either. Thankfully, I finished the syllabus and submitted grades for their assessments so they know how much they're going into the final exam with.

We reach home within ten minutes and I help Aria get changed before doing so myself. I quickly decide to curl the ends of my hair and touch up on my makeup. Checking the clock, I realize Theo's going to be here any minute now.

"Mum?" Aria calls as I get my coat on. "Can I ask you something?"

Noticing her tone change to one of seriousness I make my way over to her. "Of course, what is it?"

"Are you and Theo..." She starts and I stiffen in surprise. "...boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"I was going to tell you later but yes, we are. Are you okay with that Aria?" I ask gently while feeling like a nervous wreck on the inside.

Her brows furrow for a moment before she smiles. "Yeah, he's really nice. You look happy with him. You look nice when you're happy."

I pull her into a hug as I feel my throat tighten with emotion. "Thank you Aria. You, grandma and Theo make me the happiest."

She grins up at me before hugging me again. We hear the doorbell ring and I assume Theo has arrived early. She runs off to get her shoes and coat on while I walk towards the door. I open it but my eyes widen when I see Liam standing there.

Immediately I feel uneasy because I never told him my address. It's been a week since the incident and he hasn't bothered me until now so this is unexpected. I close the door behind me so that Aria remains inside. His gaze roams my body covered in a winter coat, jeans, and heeled boots.

"Sorry, are you going somewhere?" He smiles sheepishly as he steps further onto my driveway.

"Dinner." I nod and discreetly open Theo's number on my phone just in case. "What are you doing here and how do you know my address?"

"I wanted to apologize after what happened on campus and see if I could make it up to you. Maybe I could tag along with you guys and treat you to dinner? We could grab a pizza or something?" He asks and I stare at him as if he's grown two heads. "I also wanted to know your decision about the custody and visitation rights."

"No, that's not necessary. As for you being around Aria I've decided to request an initial supervised visit. If all goes well then we'll proceed. I was...about to drop the papers off on the way to dinner." I shake my head as doubt settles in once again, wondering whether I'm making the right decision. I will my heart to stop racing so fast because of how freaked out I am right now. "But you didn't answer my other question. How do you know where I live?"

"Charlotte?" I look to my right to meet Theo's confused gaze and sigh in relief. He walks up to us and I notice Liam's jaw clench before his annoyed expression is gone. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I was just asking Charlotte out." Liam laughs it off and I don't miss the way he words it. His tone has a teasing lilt to it as if wanting to get a rise out of Theo.

And boy did he get it. I can tell it's majorly pissed Theo off with the way anger and protectiveness leaks into his gaze as he stiffens. He steps up to Liam with a menacing glare and I hurry towards them when I notice his fists clench. Based on how I told him everything that's happened I won't be surprised if a fight breaks out between them.

"How about you get the fucking hint and stay away from my girl?" He asks but his voice has become low and full of warning.

"I'm just being friendly. Are you that controlling that no other man can be around her?" Liam shrugs nonchalantly with a smirk.

"You have the nerve to say I'm controlling –"

"Guys please stop –" I try and pull Theo away from him.

"Asking her out when it's obvious that she's dating me. Locking yourself up in a closet with her when you could've just waited for her to come out. That's not being friendly Liam, that's being a creep and you fucking know it!" Theo gently pushes me away and gets in his face. I see Liam's eyes flicker with worry before he's schooled his features again. "When someone isn't interested you leave them alone, not harass them!"

"Look man, you need to stop interfering. I want to get to know my daughter and Charlie's the mother of my child. Whether you like it or not I'm going to stick around." Liam completely ignores what Theo said and rolls his eyes. "You're getting in the way of us being a family and she deserves way better than someone like you. So, have some self-respect and stay the fuck away."

"Liam!" I shout angrily and shove him away when he tries to push Theo. "You are in no position to be making demands! We're not together and we never will be. You're not even interested in getting to know Aria or be around her as you claim!"

He freezes before turning meek. It's like his behavior does a complete one eighty. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to say or do the wrong thing to make her uncomfortable. I'll try harder to give her my attention."

I frown and shake my head. "I don't think this is working out. Your constantly changing behavior is worrying me –"

"Charlotte...you're right and I'm so sorry. I meant it when I said I would never hurt you again and the same promise applies to Aria. I guess I'm just jealous of Theo being more of a father figure in her life. I understand you're in a relationship and I'm sorry for disrespecting you both." He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration before stepping back. "I would really appreciate an initial supervised visit with Aria. That way I can show you how much I want to be involved in her life."

I sigh and nod after a long moment of mulling it over. "Alright, we'll probably be granted the request after Christmas so we'll work it out from there."

"I'll come back. Aria will have school and I can just take some days off." He smiles gently before rubbing the back of his neck. "I really am sorry about my threats, that was completely wrong. I have no business interfering in your personal life."

My mind reels from the sudden change in behavior and I find myself becoming exhausted. "I'm glad you understand. If things go well we will be co-parenting and that's it. I'm not interested in anything else."

"Fair." He nods before shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll go now and to ease your concern me and Carmen were driving through the neighborhood one evening and saw you go in. We assumed this is where you live."

"Thanks. Bye Liam." I smile shakily as Theo wraps an arm around my waist.

His eyes flicker to it and they flare with an emotion I don't have enough time to decipher because he turns quickly. We watch as he gets into his car and drives off before I release a deep breath. I turn in Theo's arms and hug him tightly, feeling so much safer and calmer. He doesn't say anything which I'm thankful for. Instead, his fingers run through my hair and his lips press kisses to my skin.

"I'm submitting the camera footage from what he did on campus and relaying all of these incidents back to my lawyer. I don't fully trust him." I whisper and Theo hums in agreement.

"He's going to push for custody and visitation even if you say no so informing your lawyer is the right thing to do." He replies and presses his lips to the crown of my head comfortingly.

"Mum! Are we going?!" Aria's voice snaps me out of my trance and I look over to see her by the door. "Hi Theo!"

"Hey bug!" He chuckles with a wave as we walk to her. "Let's go. Are you ready?"

"Yep!" She giggles before running towards his car as I quickly grab my bag.

The excitement I felt earlier about our dinner plans has now diminished. We get in the car and Theo's hand curls around my thigh with a reassuring squeeze as he drives off. I smile at him before staring out the window, lost in thought. Liam's sudden shifts in behavior aren't good, I think to myself. I must keep a close eye on him during the first visit. He's confusing the hell out of me!

The time flies by after we reach the restaurant. I feel guilty for not being as present as I should've but Theo's comforting grasp on my hand reassures me that it's alright. Thankfully, Aria doesn't suspect a thing and enjoys her food while chatting away.

We eventually finish up and decide to walk around. Aria manages to win Theo over with her puppy dog eyes and convinces him to get hot chocolates. We wander around aimlessly before I catch sight of Theo's office and point to it.

"Is this it?"

"Yeah, do you guys want to take a look around?" He asks excitedly and I laugh as he's already tugging us there.

"Would anyone mind?"

"I'll be surprised if they look up from their projects long enough to greet you both!" He shakes his head with a grin.

We enter the building and I instantly sigh in content over the warmth. Greeting the receptionist, Andy, we follow Theo as he shows us the sitting area, kitchen, games room and the main office area which spans two floors alone. He introduces us to his employees who all greet us kindly.

"And these are the main people I work with. This is Thomas, my vice president." He introduces us to a tall man with salt and pepper hair, and glasses hiding his brown eyes. "Tom, this is Charlotte and her daughter, Aria."

"Finally, we get to meet the Charlotte this guy's been blabbering about for months!" Thomas grins with a mischievous look to Theo. "Lovely to meet you both."

"Oh? And what has Theo been saying?" I tease and laugh when he slaps a hand over Thomas' mouth as soon as he's about to speak.

"Not one word." He threatens jokingly before introducing me to the others. "This is Cathy, my chief financial officer, and this is Nevaeh who is my marketing director."

Cathy is a Japanese woman with black hair and equally as dark eyes. Her skin is pale and glass-like that I instantly am in awe of and envy. She's the same height as me whereas Nevaeh as a petite woman with flawless deep brown skin. Her eyes are a stunning blue that contrast with her skin color and her full lips are painted a ruby red.

"He certainly turns into a lovesick puppy when he talks about you." Cathy winks and I smirk when Theo groans in mock annoyance.

"And now we know why he doesn't work late anymore." Neveah grins and I blush in response.

"Pretty soon we won't even see him around the office!" A muscular and broad-shouldered man enters before shaking hands with me and Aria. His eyes are a light brown with flecks of green here and there, tan skin with freckles and curly brown hair. "I'm Wes. It's nice to meet you Charlotte and Aria."

"Nice to meet you too." We greet him with a smile.

They're all incredibly nice and funny, clearly enjoying teasing their boss. I watch as they talk to Aria who answers all their questions politely. We're introduced to a couple of more people before Theo lets them get back to work. Me and Aria wave goodbye to everyone before we check out Theo's office.

It's modern but has a rustic feel to it which doesn't surprise me. It screams Theo Jackson to me with all the décor and furniture choices. He has a lot of tech in his office too and I smile when I see the multitouch tablet I had got him for his birthday on his desk. His eyes meet mine with a knowing look before he gestures to the view. Behind his desk are floor to ceiling length windows that provide a view of Dallas city below. We admire the bustling city life and I almost end up dragging Aria away from it when we decide to leave.

"Your office is so cool Theo!" She grins up at him as we exit the building. "Do you ever get scared when you look out of the big window?"

"Never." He winks at her and ruffles her hair. "Did you?"

"No, I'm not scared of heights!" She smirks proudly which makes us laugh.

We get in the car and Theo drops us back home. As soon as we reach I thank him for taking us out for a nice evening. Aria runs ahead to the door before looking back at me with a knowing look and puckered lips. I blush fiercely whereas Theo looks at us weirdly.

"I hope I got your mind off things this evening?" He questions and relief shines in his eyes when I nod.

"Yes, thank you Theo. I'm so glad you showed up when you did." I sigh and his features become tender.

"Me too. He'll be gone soon but if you ever feel unsafe or if you need me...I don't care when it is, please just call me okay?" He murmurs as his gaze becomes etched with concern.

"Hopefully, it won't come to that but I won't hesitate to let you know if something's wrong. I promise." I nod and he squeezes my hand appreciatively.

"I'll talk to you later then. Bye Char...bye Aria!" He waves to her before turning to leave.

"Theo."

He looks back and frowns in confusion when Aria giggles and covers her eyes. Chuckling I grab his jacket and tug him close. My lips meet his in a soft, lingering kiss. He doesn't have time to respond before I pull away with a wink. I watch his eyes widen in surprise as they dart between Aria and I.

"She figured it out." I shrug and that seems to snap him out of his trance.

"And she's...okay with...us?"

"Yep!" Aria replies with a cheeky grin as she walks closer. "But if you hurt my mum I'll hurt you."

He smiles tenderly and I watch him kneel to her height. "I promise I will never hurt your mom or you."

"Good." She replies before pecking his cheek and he does the same.

Both look up at me before gesturing for me to lean down. I do and they kiss each cheek which makes me chuckle softly. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now.

Next chapter is a little steamy! 😉 It's already up on Inkitt too! Click the link in my bio to read my book faster!

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