I still don't know what PJ's retaliation was because Batman decided to kidnap me and is pacing and texting Caleb nonstop all afternoon so that I cannot overhear (ha) his threats or maybe they're promises, I don't know. Batman is prone to some scary, violent tendencies in a way that never really touches me, and every now and then he'll stare lovingly at me or pull my hair back and look at my ear. Sometimes he squeezes my hand. Sometimes my shoulder. Other times he quickly walks out of the room. In any case, he's going for a world record, as Caleb will put his phone down and pretend he doesn't see messages when pressed, so the threats must be right frightening at this point. They've been typing furiously for hours.
New Jake thinks it's amusing. He thinks I play them. He thinks this is the long con and I already told him he was right, though I have no need to con Batman. Batman is just lonely. Well, I mean they all are, but I have no reason to con Batman. He's been nothing but wonderful to me my whole life and while he tries to be hands off, he knows I have a ridiculous penchant, no, rather, a kink maybe, for downright intense men and that I don't always understand my own boundaries and I have a terrible understanding of love and affection and a horrible addiction besides the axe to grind that I drag behind me because it's so heavy.
Finally he hangs it up.
What would it take, Bridget? He says it softly. I think I misheard.
I think you all have scolded him lots, I return.
What if I took over the finances for you and you banish him?
I'm not going to do that. It's a whisper directly into his face and I flinch when his expression shifts so fast from kindness to rage and he turns and fires his phone into the french doors and yells, at last.
Why the hell not?! Does he have something over you? Now is the time to tell me. Something has to be done.
Leave him alone. Please. For me.
Reaching a point where that's not going to be an option for much longer, Princess. He invokes the P-word and I shut down. They've weaponized the most treasured term of endearment I have ever had, twisting my fairy tale into the dark legend it's now become.
He hurts people, Bridget. He hurt you. Multiple times. Thousands of times, probably. He hurt Ben. He's hurt all of us by what he's done and the only reason he exists is because you've built him a guilded candy cage in your mind and we can't break through it.
Right so mind your own.
That's it. You just going to let him chip away. A little piece of Bridge every time until there's nothing left.
What a way to go. I head to the door, stop to pick up his phone which I bring back to him, and then pause with my hand on the knob. I'm going home. Touch him and I banish all of you, instead.
This isn't going to be up to you, honey.
Yes, it is.