C'est La Mort

We used to talk a lot. I miss that. We were so close that I swore I could tell you exactly what he was thinking every second of the day. Now, not so much. We used to talk about our hopes and dreams, our fears and worries. I guess I just got too comfortable because I never thought things would change. It isn't supposed to, is it? I hate feeling like I have so much to say to Matt... Now I'm afraid to speak to him. I just don't want to argue anymore and I certainly don't want to push him further away than he already is. I don't want to lose him. If I could only find the strength to just tell him these things. I heard him calling out my name as I slipped my boots on. I sighed, grabbing my jacket and heading towards the hallway where I knew he would be. He almost ran into me as I stepped out the door so I stopped ubruptly.

"Oops." he said, finally looking up at me. I could have sworn that his eyes lit up when he looked at me, but I just blamed it on the lighting in the hallway. It was a little more dim in the hallways than the rest of the rooms.

"I'm ready." I replied shorty, with a sigh as I glanced in my room at the full length mirror. I thought I looked decent. I slipped my sunglasses on slowly and then carefully moved past Matt to walk down the stairs.

"Lacey..." he called, his voice sort of sad. It seemed as if he wanted to tell me something important. He came down the stairs behind me. He stopped beside me at the small section in the middle of our steps and grabbed my hand.

"What is it Matt?" I asked, shooing the butterflies in my stomach away. It was amazing what that man's touch could do to me. But I didn't have time to really think about it.

"I just...", he sighed, shaking his head and looking up at me. "I don't know... You think Lyric will like his presents?"

"Of course he will." I told him, knowing that's not what he really wanted to say. I dreaded having to see Val, but it was worth it to see Lyric again. I had missed him so much since Val had gained custody. Matt decided it was for the best since Val was pregnant again and Lyric wanted to be in his little brother's life. The kid wasn't Matt's if that's what you're thinking & neither was Lyric I had learned earlier on, but Matt had raised him as his own. We get to keep Lyric as much as we want, but things have been too crazy for the child lately. I didn't want him to see that like Matt and Val's relationship, our's was beginning to go downhill as well. I couldn't help but feel that the failure of Matt and Val's relationship was all on me. Although if you ask Matt, he'd say that wasn't the case.

"Let's go." He commanded, never letting go of my hand as we walked down the rest of the stairs and out the door. I fought the urge to let go out of stubbornness, but I just couldn't. This was the first real affectionate contact that we have had in months. That was mutual anyway...

Six year olds ran crazy in the backyard at Lyric's birthday party. There were presents everywhere and everything was decorated in Batman decor. And not to mention Val in her slutty outfit. I had to wonder if she realized that this was a six year old's birthday party. Her own son's for Pete's sake! I question her sanity...and even her sense of style, but at least I know that she will take good care of Lyric. She always had. I'm not saying that she won't drive him crazy when he's older, though. I began to wonder if Matt and I would even make it that long. That made me sad and I tried not to think about it. I walked close behind Matt as he carried all six of Lyric's presents. I noticed that Val almost broke her neck making it over to Matt and I.

"Matthew! I didn't expect to see you here! Especially not you!" She said, glancing over at me. I rolled my eyes and just looked away.

"You really think I'd miss my son's birthday?" Matt asked her with a disgusted look on his face.

"Well, Matt, I used to think a lot of things. I thought that we'd still be together right now, I thought that you wouldn't have an affair with the nanny...but I was wrong. You know, things just happen to ... change when that girl is around." Val explained, giving me an ill look. I was trying my best to ignore her, but you couldn't slap the bitchy look off my face right now. I was going to open my mouth if Matt hadn't of beat me to it.

"Yeah... I guess I see what you mean..." My eyes widened and I was about to be really pissed off at Matthew.

"Oh, you do?" Val replied in a snotty tone of voice.

"Yeah... I mean...I never thought that you would dress that slutty for a kid's birthday party... Well the Val I knew wouldn't have. But you know, the Val I knew wasn't desperate either." Ooh! Burn!

"I'm not desperate!" Val replied, visibly offended. Her eyes were squinted at Matt.

"Well...you're trying awful hard for someone..." Matt said with a big smirk on his face. I had to laugh myself.

"Maybe I was trying hard for you!" She said, turning around and storming into the house. Matt sighed, walking over to put the presents on the table with the rest of them.

"Daddy! Lacey!" I heard a very excited Lyric yell from beside the slides. Matt embraced his kid in a bear hug, wishing him a happy birthday.

"Thanks, Daddy! I missed you so much." He told Matt, letting go of him and hugging me. I hugged him back, smiling. I had missed him as well. I had grown attached to the little dude.

"I'll be right back, I better go apologize to Val before she ruins the whole party." Matt whispered to me, walking into the house behind Val. What the fuck?! He doesn't need to apologize to Val. She was the one trying to start shit! I just pushed that out of my mind as Lyric grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the table with all of his little friends.

"See Lacey! Look at my cake!" He told me pointing towards the cake in the middle of the table. It was Batman with the Batman signal behind him, gleaming yellow in the dark sky.

"I love Batman!" I said, smiling. He smiled back at me and looked down at his cake again. By that time Val and Matt came back outside with us.

"Lacey...I need to talk to you for a second." Matt ordered, gently grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the table.

"What is it, Matt?" I asked, pulling my arm back to myself.

"Val said that the only wish Lyric had for his birthday was that his Daddy stay the night at home with him one last time."

"Yeah... I guess we can stay if that's what he really wants." I sighed, dreading having to deal with Val for a whole night.

"No...not you, just me." He seemed as if he dreaded letting the words fall out of his mouth. My mouth fell open in disbelief.

"But...Lyric loves me, Matt... I don't-"

"It isn't Lyric, Lacey. It's Val. She won't allow you to stay here." I couldn't believe my ears. This isn't Lyric's doing! This was Val's. She was trying to come in between me and Matt once again.

"So you would really stay somewhere that I'm unwelcome?" I looked at him, almost feeling sick to my stomach.

"Lacey, this isn't about you. This is about my son. It's his birthday. It's what he wants. I was hoping that you would understand."

"Understand? Yeah, I understand that he's your son and that you'd do anything for him. He comes before me. I get that... But the thing that you don't seem to understand is that it's Val. She's doing all of this on purpose to make us fight. To try and get you alone and get on your good side... Maybe even seduce you. And she knows that I am going to look like a bitch for even complaining about it. And I probably do... But you are so blind, Matt. I wish you could see that." I explained, shaking my head and glancing over at Val for a split second. She looked satisfied and proud of herself.

"Lacey. I love you and you have to know that I would never fall for her schemes. Maybe she does have ulterior motives, but you should know me better than that. You know how I feel about her and you know how I feel about you. You should know that I would never do anything to hurt you. I'm doing this for Lyric not Val. I want you to trust me, Lace."

"I do trust you, Matty. I just don't trust her" I shot a cold glare at Val.

"I am impervious to her. I promise!"

"Okay, I'll just go and stay the night with one of my exes, too. I'm sure you trust me." I spat, turning around and walking away from him.

"That's not fair, Lacey." I heard him say as I walked past Val. I stopped to look at her for a second. Slapping her crossed my mind, only I thought better of it because I didn't want Lyric to witness anything like that.

"Good job, Val. You're quite the dictator when it comes to Matt." I complimented her sarcastically.

"Of course I am. I was married to the man." She snapped back, laughing in my face. I was blind mad as I stepped into my car and drove away. I wanted to make Matt pay for letting that bitch win! And I will. Believe me, I will.