Come Together by Jessica Hawkins

forcefully and positioning himself between us.
    “You,” Bill snarled. “Don’t tell me that I can’t touch my wife!”
    “She’s not yours anymore.”
    “Oh, yeah?” Bill asked, striding up to him. “And what happens when you get tired of her? Then she’ll just be a washed-up divorcée nobody wants.”
    “Bill, please, I know you don’t mean that,” I said, trying to get between them.
    “Get back,” David said softly. He pushed me behind him with obvious restraint.
    “You’re just a phase,” Bill said to David, “and that phase is over. Move. I’m taking her home.”
    “Just try me,” David said evenly.
    “You think you’re a real big shot, don’t you?” Bill asked. “You bought her a house ? Do you think she’s some sort of whore?”
    David lunged forward and grabbed Bill by the shirt. “Watch your mouth, motherfucker. I just need an excuse to level you,” he said with another shove.
    “Come home with me, Liv,” Bill said, unruffled. “Let’s fix this. He can’t make you happy.” His tone softened. “You know he can’t.”
    David’s body tensed even more next to mine, and I refrained from touching him. “I’m sorry, Bill. Please leave David out of this. It’s not his fault.”
    I watched Bill’s face change and his breathing deepen. His lips curled back, and he looked at David with disgust. “Not his fault? Does he have you brainwashed?”
    I looked between them as they stared each other down. I tried a tentative step forward, but David’s arm shot out to catch my shoulder. I continued to move as far forward as he would let me. “Bill, please. We can talk next week, and I’ll explain everything about the house.”
    “Come home now, Olivia. I’m not messing around.”
    I bit the inside of my cheek as David’s hand tightened on my shoulder. It tugged at my heart to say the words, but I knew David needed to hear them just as much as Bill. “I’m sorry,” I said, “but I’m not going with you. That’s not my home anymore.”
    Bill’s eyes locked on David behind me. “You son of a bitch,” Bill said, his voice cracking. “You stole my wife. You stole my wife!” he cried and threw his palms into David’s rigid body. I jumped back, tripped over my dress and grasped at air as I fell. David whirled to catch me, and I watched in horror as Bill threw a fist into his side.
    “David!” I screamed. He threw up an arm to block Bill’s next blow. David reared back and landed an easy right hook into Bill’s nose. Bill, with great effort, pummeled him to the ground, where David flipped him over and gained the upper hand within seconds.
    David stood and pulled Bill’s torso off the ground by his shirt. “Stay away,” he said with a hard shake. “This is your only warning.”
    “Yeah, you can have her, trashy slut,” Bill responded, grimacing as he sniffed. He looked over at me as I struggled to stand. “On your knees where you belong.”
    “Get up,” David said, hauling him to his feet.
    “David, please,” I cried as his face blackened. He was beyond control, and I was terrified of what he might do. “He doesn’t mean it!”
    “I should fucking destroy you for that comment.” David raised his fist and went to hit him but stopped short as Bill flinched. “Ever speak to her like that again, I will. And if you ever touch her like that again, you’re good as dead, motherfucker.” He released him with a forceful push. Bill vaulted forward, but Brian and Greg pushed in between both of them. Greg held Bill back a few feet, restraining him while he cursed at us.
    Gretchen squatted and extended her hand to me, but not before David swooped down to help me onto my feet.
    Bill wiped blood from his nose. “I’m done with this shit, Olivia,” he said. I felt the need to run and comfort him, but David’s powerful hands grasped my shoulders. “Divorce is on, and you aren’t getting shit, do you hear me? Screw you! All of you!”
    He turned and stalked off, leaving the