All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Seven

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Later that day, Isabella was resting comfortably on the sofa in front of the television as she went over sketches she either needed to finish or approve of before they went to production when she heard the bell at her front door buzz.

Isabella swung her feet to the floor and stood up, walking to the door, startled to find Chantal and Stacey standing at her door. They were the last two people she expected to see at her apartment. Sure, since she had been welcomed back into Tyler's life, she had begun to strike up a friendship between the women who were also friends with her ex boyfriend and other close friend. But she hadn't thought she was at a level with them where they'd want to visit her. She wasn't even remotely sure if they even liked her. She just figured that they were friends with Adrienne.

"We heard that you were sick so we bring you lunch," Chantal said with a grin, holding up a bag filled with Thai food.

Isabella stood there, her hands on the door, gob smacked at the sudden gesture in front of her.

"So are you going to let us in?" asked Stacey, knocking Isabella out of her trance.

"Oh, right." Isabella stepped aside, opening the door farther as Chantal and Stacey walked into the apartment.

When Isabella closed the door, she gently moved aside her sketches and motioned for Stacey and Chantal to take a seat on the couch, assuming they were also staying to have lunch with her. She figured Tyler had been in contact with them, asking to take lunch to her so that they could also check up on her.

"Tyler told you to come and check up on me, didn't he?"

Chantal and Stacey looked at each other. "I don't know what you mean," Chantal said. "We just heard you're sick and so I seized the opportunity to bring you Thai food from my favourite Thai restaurant on 44th Street."

Isabella stared at her, knowing she didn't believe a word that came out of her mouth. She looked at Stacey. "Tyler asked you to bring me lunch, didn't he?"

Stacey gulped, swallowing a mouthful of food. "You know him too well and apparently he knows you too well. He thought you'd try to go into work. So have you?"

Isabella shook her head, sitting down beside Chantal and taking the contained of food as she passed it to her. "No and I am extremely proud of myself to think that I haven't attempted to go into work considering the amount of work that I have to do."

She opened her take out box of food, stirring around the fork that had been supplied into the food. "Thanks for bringing lunch to me. I know that we're not that close friends yet so I appreciate all that you've done to make me feel welcome in your lives."

Chantal swayed her fork. "Don't mention it."

"Any friend of Tyler and Adam is a friend of ours," Stacey added.

For a while the trio sat in complete silence with the exception of the television as the only source of noise in the room as they sat watching one of those day time soaps while they ate lunch.

Seconds later, a buzz at the door was sounded throughout the apartment. Isabella, Chantal and Stacey all looked at each other. Who else could be here to see her? Who else would or knew that she was home sick today? Isabella figured that she wouldn't put it past Tyler to swing by her place during his shift.

"Adrienne!" Isabella shrieked after she opened the door and found Tyler's fiancée standing opposite her, showing one of the grim smiles she was used to seeing when she saw Adrienne. What was with this woman? No, she didn't need to answer that question. She knew what was wrong with her-it was her. Adrienne obviously didn't like her very much. Isabella assumed that Adrienne felt threatened by her sudden reappearance in her fiancée's life because she's the high school ex girlfriend who stole his heart first. She was his first love and now the mother of his son.

But Isabella still wasn't sure why Adrienne would feel threatened by her. She knew and understood the boundaries. Sure, she had feelings for Tyler but she probably always would. He was the first boy she ever really loved. He was her first real boyfriend. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she'd always harbour feelings for him, only this time was different. It was different because the feelings that she had for him would never be reciprocated. She knew that and as much as it hurt to know she had lost any form of a chance to be with her ex outside of high school, she also respected the girlfriend of her former flame and what it meant to be the ex girlfriend rather than find a way to get him back. She wasn't the type of girl to go after someone else's boyfriend-fiancée. She never was.

Chantal and Stacey dropped their utensils, gaping in utter shock at the sound of Isabella mentioning Adrienne's name.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her in no subtle tone. She wasn't going to deny it. She didn't have a clue as to why Adrienne would show up at her apartment. She hadn't realised she knew where she lived, unless of course, Tyler had given her the address.

Isabella wouldn't put it past him to let it slip to her. But what was she doing here? Did she have a change of heart and suddenly want to be friends with her fiancée's ex girlfriend? Isabella didn't do friends with the new girlfriend. She had watched One Tree Hill last season and she had been team Peyton all the way.

Adrienne held onto the handle of her designer name handbag like she was giving it her all to stand there face to face with the ex girlfriend of her fiancée.

She pursed her lips together and spoke in no uncertain terms, determined to get her reason for being there across. "Stay away from Tyler."

Isabella wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't aware she was getting close to Tyler. How dare she come to her home and demand something of her?

"Excuse me?"

"Don't give me that crap, Isabella. You know what I'm talking about. And I won't have it. I'm getting married in three months and I won't have my wedding in turmoil by an ex girlfriend who just waltzes back into his life after four years apart. He's not yours. You had your chance. But I am marrying Tyler. He just fathered a child with you that you claim to say is his-"

"His name is Noah and if you're are trying to say that Tyler is not in fact Noah's father then you'd be mistaken because he is Noah's father and if you don't believe me, I'll happily oblige to a paternity test. I'm not hiding anything." Isabella refused to tolerate being spoken to as if she had been lying about who was Noah's father. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she didn't know who his father was. Anyone had to be an idiot to not see the resemblance between Tyler and Noah. Hadn't Adrienne spotted the similarities between father and son? She was sure she would have.

Adrienne looked out of place. She had tried to take a stand but it had gone awry in a way she hadn't expected to happen. Why was nothing going the way she wanted it to be? None of this wasn't she had planned. She hadn't wanted Tyler's ex girlfriend popping back into his life with his child in tow, especially when they were planning to marry within months. She knew that she had no right being to be there considering she had nothing to go by. But she didn't care. She had somehow just turned up here, not knowing if she could just back away and return to work. A part of her had tried to walk away but she was here now and she couldn't just let it go, knowing she had come to see Isabella for a reason and then all of a sudden chickened out.

"What are you doing here, Adrienne?" asked Stacey, appearing at the door alongside Chantal. She showed little kindness to her as she spoke.

Adrienne's face dropped in shock. She didn't expect to see both Chantal and Stacey here with Isabella when she thought they were her friends. This was just great. They had even managed to be blind sighted by Isabella. What was with her? Was she one to have everyone on her side all the time?

Adrienne glared at Stacey. "This is a private matter. It does not concern you," she then looked at Chantal. "Nor does it involve you."

"Well, I don't think any of it concerns you either. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Adrienne, but you're not Noah's mother. You don't get a say in when and how Isabella visits Tyler for the sake of her son. She's the mother," Chantal replied. She hated to be spoken in that manner. Nothing gave Adrienne the right to tell her where to go. Chantal had never let anyone talk to her or her friends this way and she wasn't about to let Adrienne get away with it. No one did, not unless it really was a no go zone and in this case, it was simply a childish thing to do.

Isabella took a deep breath. "Look, Adrienne, for the sake of my son knowing his father and having him in his life, I didn't want to have any bitter rivalry between the two of us. But you have to know, I am not after your fiancée. I am simply allowing him to have a relationship with his son. I mean neither harm nor trouble toward your relationship with Tyler and if I have then I am truly sorry. But you have no right in coming to my home, accusing me of something I have no intention to do. I am not after Tyler because I am not the type of person who'll sink their claws into someone else's boyfriend, fiancée, husband or whatever. And I will say that as many times as you need to hear it until you've realised that you have no reason to feel threatened by me. I am not after Tyler. He is my ex boyfriend. That is what the definition of ex stands for."

Adrienne stepped backwards. She had rehearsed everything she was going to say to Isabella. But she hadn't accounted for Chantal and Stacey being there. She hadn't accounted for Isabella to stand up to her in a way that compelled her to feel utterly stupid for showing up here in the first place.

"Tyler and I dated in high school. So we had an attraction but it lasted through high school. As a result, we have a son together. That's all. End of story. But Adrienne, he's marrying you. You're the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with or otherwise he wouldn't have popped the question. I'm just the girl whom he went out with in high school and then lied to him about his child. It's not me you should be demanding to stay away from your fiancée. You should be reminding yourself that Tyler loves you and would never do anything to hurt you. And if you have to question your faith in Tyler so many times, maybe you should be asking yourself if you really do have trust in your fiancée that he won't do anything to jeopardise your engagement."

She inched the door close. "Now, I am afraid you are going to have to leave my apartment. Goodbye."

And without any other word, she closed the door as Stacey and Chantal waved goodbye to Adrienne, flicking theirs hands before she was left standing in front of a closed door.

Isabella twirled around, making her way back to the living room. She didn't know what to make of Adrienne's surprise visit. She was in shock. "Why would she come to me, telling me to stay away from Tyler? What is that going to do besides gain some sense of control to make herself feel big?"

"Don't you see it?" Stacey asked, sitting back down.

Isabella was confused. "See what?"

"She's jealous of you."

Isabella didn't understand. "Why would she be jealous of me? I'm not marrying Tyler. She is."

Stacey nods her head and tosses her golden brown hair over her shoulder. "Yes, but you had him first. You were with him before she was. She knows that you were his first love and in most cases, she probably knows you never really get over your first love so she's waiting for the moment when Tyler realises he's still in love with you."

"Whoa, what? Tyler's not in love with me. Why would he be? I kept the fact that he has a son from him for three years. And you think he's in love with me. Like I said, he asked Adrienne to marry her-not me. So I don't know why she'd be jealous of me."

Chantal splayed her hands in the air before resting them in her lap. "Think about it," she said, taking over from Stacey. "You and Tyler dated in high school. The two of you were together first." She emphasized, hoping to have Isabella know what she really meant. "I'm guessing that Adrienne is unimpressed by the fact that her fiancée's ex girlfriend has walked back into his life with his child and all of a sudden, he wants to play happy family to make up for the years he had already missed. And Adrienne just assumed she'd be the one to give Tyler a family. She didn't expect he'd find one in an old high school girlfriend."

Now she understood. Isabella didn't know why Chantal and Stacey had to be so smart.

"You mean Noah?"

Stacey and Chantal looked at each other and chuckled. "Now she gets it."

"Well, I can't help it if Tyler wants to get to know his son. He does have a right to spend time with someone who shares half of his DNA. But that doesn't mean I am interested in Tyler. Tyler and I went out in high school, but high school was over four years ago and with that came the end of our relationship. Four years later, what's the big deal?"

Chantal picked at a piece of food with her fork. "Haven't you seen the way he looks at you when you enter a room?"

Isabella shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. How could she have been so blind? If Tyler had been watching her like she used to remember he did when they were in high school then why couldn't she have seen it now? She had always spotted him watching her four years ago. Why was she so blind now?

No, her friends had to have been wrong. There was no way he would look at her like that when he was marrying someone else.

"No, that can't be true. I mean, once, he did look at me in that way but we were in high school and we were a couple. We're not a couple now and he's with Adrienne...Adrienne-he's marrying Adrienne. It has to be a mistake."

Chantal shook her head. "Believe me, it's no mistake."

"Yeah, I've seen the way he looks at you as well. It's as if his whole world lights up when you enter a room. You can see a sparkle in his eyes," Stacey added.

"And maybe he's watching Adrienne enter a room," Isabella said.

Chantal shrugged. "Maybe so, but I've never see his eyes light up as much as they do when you're around him."

Isabella stood there speechless. She hadn't wanted to believe the words coming from their mouths but it was proving too hard to not believe. She had wanted to think she would be with Tyler again but when she had discovered that he was engaged, she knew she'd never stand another chance with him. So they had to be wrong, didn't they?

"I...no that can't be right," she muttered half-heartedly. Even she was having trouble believing the words she was trying to say. Why couldn't she just admit she liked him and move on? She knew why. She had made a life for herself and for Noah. It was a life without Tyler and although she had welcomed him into Noah's life, for the sake of her own heart breaking all over again, she refused to admit to anyone that she still loved him. It would only end badly on her part in the long run.

"Well, you don't have to believe us, but you should because it is true. We'd never lie about the matters of the heart," Stacey said, standing up from her seat and walking over to where Isabella was standing. She brushed her hands along the front of her black jeans. "And I'm guessing Adrienne has seen Tyler watching you too. Why else would she be so jealous of you? She knows there's still some kind of spark between the two of you and she's trying to dismantle any chance of it reigniting."

Isabella stared at the two of them for a moment, wondering why they were being so nice to her. She thought they were friends with Adrienne. Was it all an act?

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she couldn't help but ask. "Don't get me wrong. I appreciate you being nice to me but I just thought you-"

"Were friends with Adrienne?" Stacey finished, looking in Isabella's direction,

"Well, yeah."

"No, I mean, she's alright if you can get past her initial side of being kind of unfriendly but I wouldn't call us friends. I'm not she's even friend material."

"Yeah, well, I'm not as kind as Stacey. I've never liked her," Chantal replied. "And I think she's knows it too."

"Well, she does now," Stacey said, and together the three of them laugh about how they despise Adrienne, even coming up with a club name if they were to start a 'We hate Adrienne' club. But of course they were too mature to go and do something like that.

But it wasn't the initial idea of having these girls become her friends because of their disliking Adrienne together. It was the facts that as they sat back down to eat; Stacey had made a comment as to how she assumed the wedding would eventually be called off and that she was rooting for her to steal back Tyler's heart rather than Adrienne becoming his wife. And it had stuck in her head as something she just couldn't get out of her mind. Adrienne obviously had her reasons to be jealous of her. What if Tyler had been watching her? Why hadn't she seen it before?

Why would Adrienne claim he still had feelings for me?

And would she be right? Would Stacey and Chantal be right? Did Tyler still feel the same way about her as he did when they were in high school? She just assumed he'd be over her since he was marrying someone else, but she saw no harm in telling him how she had had an unwelcome visitor today. After all, she respected the fact that the man she loved was in love with some other woman. There had to be some kind of misconception. Adrienne was gorgeous. There was no way she'd be jealous of her. Was there?

Almost two hours after Stacey and Chantal had left following their lunch together, Noah ran into the apartment with Tyler in tow following their day together at the zoo.

"Mummy, mummy, daddy took me to the zoo and I saw the elephants and tigers," Noah exclaimed, running towards his mother who was sitting on the sofa. His face showed a huge smile and she knew his smile and excitement of the day he had would last long to the next few days. He was on a high and she knew it'd take some effort in getting him to bed tonight.

She hugged him back and rose to her feet, scuffing his hair. "That's great, baby. How 'bout you wash your hands for dinner?"

"OK." He let out a big sigh and then ran toward the bathroom, disappearing around the corner.

"And use soap," she called out after her three year old son, knowing that if she didn't remind him to use soap, he'd only run his hands under water and still be dirty.

Isabella turned back to Tyler, crossing her arms over her chest. She needed to talk to him. She had been going over what she'd say to him in her head since Stacey and Chantal had left.

Tyler dropped Noah's bag onto the floor beside the side table and noticed the way Isabella was watching him. He guessed she had some visitors and was looking for an explanation as to why he had asked them to see her. He figured that she knew he had been the one behind their spontaneous visit.

"So I take it you know I was behind your surprise visitors today." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He knew he shouldn't have gone and arranged his friends to check up on her like he did but he had known Isabella for too long to know she'd not miss out on work because she was sick. Being sick was nothing to her.

Isabella pursed her lips together. "Yes, I knew you'd something like that. You'd never take my word that I'd stay home rather than go to work and I'm glad you did plan to have them come and see me because I enjoyed their company that we're going to have lunch together on Friday. But that's not why I'm disappointed. I'm frustrated because your fiancée had the nerve to see me today, demanding that I stay away from you."

"She what?" asked Tyler in disbelief. He didn't want to believe what Isabella was accusing Adrienne of doing.

"She doesn't want me to be around you despite you wanting to know your son. She even had the decency to think I was lying about you being Noah's father."

Isabella knew that she was tattling but she didn't care. She figured Tyler had a right to know how his fiancée felt about her. After all, she was going to be connected to Tyler for the rest of her life so Adrienne had better get used to it.

"No, there has to be some kind of mistake. Maybe you misinterpreted whatever Adrienne was trying to say and it was construed in another way. Adrienne would never say that."

"Well, she did and believe me, I'm none more surprised than you are. Stacey and Chantal were both here at the time. They heard every word she said. I knew that she despised me but to say she wants me to stay out of your life, that is just not logical. Stacey thinks she's jealous of me."

"Why would she be jealous of you? Aren't we a little too old to have the jealousy factor come into play?"

"That was my response as well but every point she said made sense to me. Adrienne is jealous because you and I were together first and I'm guessing she wasn't expecting to have me return to your life with your son in tow. She wanted to be the one to have your first child. She's the one marrying you yet I'm the ex girlfriend who is the mother of your son. I can see why she'd show hatred towards me."

Tyler rubbed at his forehead. He really didn't know what to say. He should have assumed that not everything would be smooth sailing between his fiancé and ex girlfriend, that there'd be tension in the air. But being Tyler, he had tried to forget the obvious strain his relationship with Adrienne had been put through as a result of spending time with Noah and Isabella. How was he to know he'd suddenly find himself a father before the wedding? And to his high school high ex girlfriend rather than to his fiancé. Tyler didn't know Isabella would show up unexpectedly as a mother-to his son.

Isabella flexed her hands out. "Look, I get that you're the most important person in her life. You are getting married-that is understandable. But I don't appreciate Adrienne coming to an apartment that I've managed to make a home in for myself and my son and threaten me with something that will never be sustained. As long as you are in Noah's life, Adrienne has to know that I will be in yours whether she likes it or not. It doesn't change anything.

She's still marrying you but my son is the most important person in my life. I'm always going to be there for him, so as long as you want to share a bond with your son, I don't want Adrienne alone with Noah. And I know that this will be hard since she'll be your wife within a few months but he is my son and as his mother, I reserve the right to allow who he spends his time with. Adrienne may not like it but I don't care. My role is to be responsible for Noah twenty fours hours, seven days a week. She will get over it but Noah is my son. I'm sorry if you don't like it but I have to do what is best for him."

Isabella watched Tyler, hoping he'd say something-anything. She half expected him to bite back with a response but instead, he said nothing. He didn't even make any form of body movement.

What was he thinking? What was he feeling? Isabella just needed to know what he was thinking like old times. She had used to know first hand what he had been thinking without even having to ask him. Had things changed so much between the two that she had lost her ability to know how he was feeling? Had four years apart already changed them?

C'mon, say something. Please tell me what you're thinking. She heard herself thinking those same words over and over again. She just needed to know.

"Okay," he muttered weakly. He didn't know how to respond. What was he to say to the mother of his son? Sure, he wasn't entirely thrilled on the idea of leaving Adrienne out of his son's life but he also didn't have any other choice. He couldn't argue with Isabella. She was Noah's mother and she always would be. It was that simple. There wasn't anything else he could do to make her change her mind. He knew all too well that when Isabella set her mind to something, there was no way of making her change it or back down to a lesser demand.

Though, he knew Adrienne wouldn't be too happy to know she had acquitted to stay out of his son's life. She'd have something to say about it.

And just like that, Tyler was gone. After saying goodbye to Noah, he had left her apartment without so much of a goodbye, making Isabella wonder where she stood with Tyler. Did he agree with her? Of course he didn't agree with her because he was marrying Adrienne, but she didn't care that Adrienne wouldn't be too happy to learn of her sudden and impulsive decision. Noah was her son and she was determined to keep him safe.

She knew that Adrienne wasn't exactly the kind of danger you'd want to keep away from your child but to her, she was and she wasn't going to have some woman marrying Tyler manoeuvre her way into Noah's life and play the mother. She was Noah's mother. There wasn't enough room to have the role of two mothers in his life. Sure, when Adrienne married Tyler, she'd become Noah's step mother and that was a title Isabella would slowly learn to grow to-if it was at all possible. But it wasn't that that bothered her. It was that Tyler had just up and left her. Would he even give reason to uphold her choice?

As Tyler opened the door to his apartment, he stepped into a room filled with the aroma of something being cooked. He smelt fresh vegetables and spices. Adrienne turned around from her spot at the kitchen counter as she stood over the stove and grinned, dressed in her typical work attire-black slacks and a creamy coloured buttoned up blouse-with an apron tied loosely around her.

"Hey," she said. "I thought I'd surprise you with dinner."

Tyler moved toward the kitchen, dropping his keys down onto the counter. "Where's Adam?" he asked. He didn't want to have a conversation with his fiancé, knowing his best friend was listening. This was a conversation he wanted to have in private. He was dreading even having it and how it would go down with her. Adrienne was only a calm person when she needed to be. The rest of the time, she took everything in at her own pace and it was why he loved her so much. She did things her way and not because she needed to lean on somebody else.

"He headed out to see a friend, assuming this friend is a girl," Adrienne answered simply. "Are you hungry? I thought I'd make us dinner since we haven't seen much of each other lately unless it has got to do with wedding plans. It'll be nice to enjoy a dinner together where we just talk about our day and not the wedding."

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Hmm..." Adrienne murmured, her eyes never leaving the food she was cooking,

There was no easy way to say it. He just needed to ask her what would be a simple question to anybody else.

"Did you tell Isabella to stay away from me?"

Adrienne looked up, her eyes darting straight at him.

"What? Did she tell you that?"

"Did you or did you not go to see Isabella today and demand that she stay away from me?" Tyler asked again. This time, he asked with a little more order to his tone of voice. He knew that she did. Isabella had no reason to lie to him. He just needed to hear it from Adrienne.

"Well, yes but it's been taken out of context. Isabella took it out of context. Did she put you up to this? Did Isabella tell you this so that she'd drive a rift between us? It's what she wants and that's what she is trying to do. Can't you see it? Wait, of course you can't see it because Isabella can't do anything wrong. She's the ex girlfriend."

Tyler had had enough of hearing his fiancé talk down Isabella. He got that she disliked his former girlfriend but to talk about her like this wasn't what he wanted to hear, especially when he shared a son with her.

He slammed his hands down on the counter to make a point. "I don't want to hear of this crap. Just admit what you did because either way, your words have made an impact on Isabella."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Tyler gazed at her, his eyes staring her in the face as she lifted her head. "That Isabella has told me she wants no where near Noah alone. She doesn't want you in his life."

"She said what? Well, I hope you didn't agree with her. She can't very well do that when you and I are getting married."

"Adrienne, she gave me no choice."

Adrienne went back to cooking, trying to forget the fact that her fiancé had not stood up for her. As of right now, she was in no mood to look at Tyler. He couldn't even stand up for her. He actually had the nerve to take Isabella's side and not even consider siding with her.

"I can't believe you are siding with her."

"I am not siding with Isabella but as I said, she did give me no choice," Tyler pointed out. He walked around the counter to where Adrienne was standing and gently hugged her to show her of his affection that he had for her. He knew that she needed to be reassured of his devotion to her and he was committed to showing her how much he wanted to be with her and how he wanted to marry her.

Adrienne was touched. She loved that Tyler showed love toward her but it still didn't change the fact that she didn't like Isabella intervening in her relationship and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She had no say in the matter. That was the part that sucked-big time. And as much as she wanted to give in to Tyler and appreciate his affection, he had to know that she wasn't at all pleased with what was going on with Isabella. She was taking a stand. She just couldn't let some ex girlfriend come in and take control of her life and relationship. It was not something she became powerless over. She'd never admit defeat to Isabella.

"Isabella is Noah's mother. I have to respect her wishes, even if I don't agree with her. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," Adrienne silently whispered. Of course she understood. No, she wasn't a mother but she knew that when she was a mother, she'd do whatever it took to always be there for her son or daughter. She would do exactly what Isabella was doing to protect Noah. She was his mother. She knew that but she just didn't understand why Isabella would come to think she was a danger to her son. Adrienne didn't want to harm her future step son. She merely wanted to make sure she still held a part in Tyler's life.

Adrienne knew what she had to do, even if it killed her to say the words.

"Fine, I suppose I can do what Isabella wants." She hated to fight with Tyler. And even if she didn't like it, she'd go along with him for the sake of keeping her fiancé argument free. "But it doesn't mean I like it. I'm going along with it because I have no other option."

"That's all I ask. Now about this dinner? Can we eat it yet?" Tyler said, his arms wrapping around her waist as he brought her to him and this time, Adrienne made no effort to push him away. So she had hit a snag when it came to getting on the good side of bonding with Noah but this still didn't change the bigger picture. She had Tyler and she was marrying him. Nothing could or would change that. And Adrienne was determined to keep it that way even if she had to stick to an agreement she did not agree with. It was as simple as that.