Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



That kick had some serious power behind it. The man grunted, trying to sit up and make a run for it, but he just couldn't manage it. It felt like his bones were shattered!

Tarquin was momentarily stunned, then quickly looked toward the door.

And there, standing in the doorway, was the little guy!

Wrapped in a thick winter coat, with a baseball cap on backward and arms crossed, he stood there with a frown, looking every bit the picture of defiance.

The moment their eyes met, the little guy turned his gaze away with a haughty sniff, as if he was too cool for school.

Just as Tarquin was about to ask what brought him here, Evan pulled a lollipop out of his mouth, sporting a face that could easily be Emmett's twin, and strutted in.

"Don't get it twisted. I didn't come because I'm worried about you or anything! I couldn't care less. I'm only here because of Elijah, so don't flatter yourself."

Tarquin was speechless.

Not long after Tarquin had left, Elliot emerged from the bathroom.

Despite his anger, he was worried about Tarquin going to Future Community alone. That mysterious figure they were dealing with was no easy mark, with a penchant for unpredictability and danger.

He feared there could be a trap waiting at Future Community, putting Tarquin at risk.

Without Tarquin, they'd lose the closest thing they had to a dad - albeit a cheap and clueless one.

After much deliberation, Elliot called an emergency meeting of the brothers.

He quickly briefed them on his conversation with Tarquin that evening and suggested they enlist Evan's help, pointing out that among them, Evan was the most capable.

Only Evan had a shot at dealing with the mysterious figure effectively; the rest might just end up in the way.

Elliot figured if the mysterious figure wasn't at Future Community, fine. But if he was, having Evan there would minimize the risk to Tarquin.

Plus, with White looking out for him, Evan was virtually untouchable.

Even if Evan couldn't overpower the mysterious figure outright, between White and his arsenal of homemade gadgets, escaping unscathed was a given.

When Elliot finished his pitch, Evan immediately balked.

"Why should I? He was all tough when he was picking on Mom back in the day, wasn't he? Doesn't seem like he needs anyone's help. He's so great, after all. I've got better things to do than worry about him.novelbin

You know what I really want? Three things: eat, sleep, and beat him up. I wish I could catch him and give him a good thrashing every single day. So, me helping him? Not happening."

Elliot knew Evan well - knew that despite his tough talk, he had a soft heart and cared deeply about appearances.

So, he offered Evan a way to save face.

"We all know you don't like him, but don't think of it as helping him. Think of it as helping Elijah."

With that, Evan was on board.

Of course, upon seeing Tarquin, Evan maintained his cool detachment.

"Stop looking! Let's get on with it. A grown man needing a kid's help, shameful!"

Tarquin couldn't help but smile, tipping his cap in acknowledgment, "We owe you one tonight. Without you, he would have gotten away."

"Hmph! Just remember who's boss around here."

Tarquin chuckled, flicking Evan's forehead, "Respect your elders."

Evan was about to retort when the man on the ground stirred again, clearly still hoping to escape.

So, father and son turned their attention back to him.

The man didn't get far before he spat out a mouthful of blood!

Yet, even in this state, he clung to his mask, determined not to reveal his face to Tarquin.

But after a particularly violent cough, the mask fell away.

Tarquin eyed him, seeing a face that was young, unfamiliar, and not entirely unattractive.

"I don't know you. You're not him. Why are you so afraid of me seeing your face?"

The man's emotions flickered from fear to anger, and then he closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate on the ground.