Family Affair

"Why are you crying?" she stood up wobbly and walked over to me, I picked up Rylynn and ignored her question until I got outside with them both.

"I'm not crying, I have sinuses," I whispered buckling Rylynn in her seat. "Elliot buckle."

"Mmmkay,” She nodded and hooked herself up. I sighed and got into the driver’s seat, rushing over to Johnny’s.

“Alex?” He opened the door as I pushed inside with Elliot and Rylynn. “What’s wrong?”

"Ellie, will you go play in your room?" I asked softly, she nodded and ran off to her playroom in Johnny's house. "Zacky loves Cory still."

"Wait what?"

"The drama's back…"

"No,” Johnny shook his head in disbelief as I ran my fingers through my hair.

“I shouldn’t have fucking brought her back.”

"No, let's talk about this," he grabbed Rylynn and sat her in his small play pen for her to sleep, then walked back over to me and grabbed my hands to lead me to the couch. "Why do you think he loves her?"

"He told me he loves me but he wished he could just love me only."

“Why would he still love her?”

"The fuck if I know," I whispered as I leaned against his arm. "Johnny, I don't want to lose him, I have lost everyone else."

"You never lost us babe."

"Matt doesn't love me, Brian apparently still likes me but is head over heels for Kayci," I sighed. "But Zacky, he's in love with his ex-fiancé who nearly killed his biological child after sleeping with his best friend."

“Love…” Johnny sighed. “Strong as fuck.”

“Obviously.”

-----Cory-----

“I’ve missed you guys.” I told Brian as we walked down the beach.

“And we’ve missed you,” He smiled, my phone vibrating.

“Text,” I said simply and pulled my phone out.

Cory, it’s Zacky. We need to talk.

I sighed and texted back.

About what Zacky?

"Its Zacky?" he leaned over my shoulder and grimaced. "What's he wanna say?"

"Dunno," I mumbled as I waited for another, soon to get a.

I really upset Alex, I think I still love you.

"That mother fucker!" Brian shouted.

“He what?” I dropped the phone from my shaking hands. “He… What?”

“Cory,” Brian picked the phone back up and handed it to me.

Zacky, I… Love you, too.

"Cory," Brian cleared his throat. "I have to take you home; I need to go talk to Zacky."

"Don't hurt him."

"I'll see if I can manage that," he ground his teeth.

-----Zacky-----

I held my cell phone to my chest and sighed. Why the fuck did she have to come back? Life was so amazing, I had a woman that I adored, children that were my life. Family.

And then Cory came back.

"Hello?" I answered my ringing phone with a sigh.

"You son of a bitch!" Johnny shouted.

“What?”

“You still fucking love Cory!” He screamed. “Your such an asshole! Has she not been through enough?!”

"I—I—I"

"If you never wanted Alex why the fuck did you say you did, you fucking asshole! You act like Brian when he was hooked on her! I can't fucking believe you!" Johnny shouted. "She was fucking better off without you! She's hopped around to Matt, Brian and you because she thought everyone of you sons of bitches loved her!"

“I love her,” I insisted. “But now that Cory’s back-“

“Zacky!” Cory ran through my door, sobbing.

"I—" I stopped.

"You don't fucking deserve her," Johnny growled and hung up as Cory ran and hugged me.

"I love you,' she cried.

"I can't do this to Alex," I whispered. "I love you but I can't do this."

“I know,” She nodded frantically and cried. “But it just feels good to know. I love you, Zacky…”

“I-“ I looked at her, then a family portrait, and back to her. “I love you, too.”

"Alex doesn't have to know," she whispered. "We can keep it from—"

"What's wrong with you?" I gasped as I stepped back. "Why—"

-----Alex------

"Hey," Brian walked in and sighed. "You okay baby?"

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

"Zacky loves Cory and not me," I whispered as I glanced up into his eyes. "Am I really that hard to love?"

"My god no!" he sighed as he sat beside me and hugged me. "I loved you so much, I just loved Cory too."

"Again…am I really that hard to love."

“No, no,” Brian shook his head. “Guys, for some reason or another, just can’t seem to let go of Cory. Except for Matt.”

"You love her," I whispered.

"Well," he said slowly. "I will always have some feelings for her, she has my son," he sighed. "But besides that, no I don't."

I bit my lip to keep from showing how much it was shaking. "Brian I just want to be loved by someone who loves me just the same, I don't want to keep being pushed off because of one person, who I'm really beginning to hate with all my being."

“Babe,” Brian chuckled lowly. “You brought her back.”

“And I’m beginning to regret it.”