Truly Mine

by Amy Roe

  Tyler: I know you can. Every last inch.

  A face-splitting smile spreads across my face, and I nearly spit my wine down the front of my shirt. I try to come up with something witty, but I’m terribly frustrated at the moment.

  Me: With pleasure.

  Tyler: Keep it up, woman, and I’ll be on a plane to New York.

  Me: You wouldn’t.

  Tyler: You’d be shocked what I would consider doing for you.

  He’s so fucking sweet. Being just minutes away from him is killing me. I want to be in his bed tonight.

  Me: Call me when you get time.

  Immediately, my phone rings, and Tyler’s name flashes on the display.

  “Hi.” My voice is small and quiet. I feel guilty for lying to him.

  “Hi, babe. How was your day?”

  I suck in a deep breath, thinking back to all that has happened today. “It was shitty. Really, really shitty. But it’s all good now.”

  “I’m sorry. If I were there with you, I would make it all better.”

  “Just talking to you makes it better.”

  “Yeah? Well, I’m glad.”

  “But since you mentioned it, what would you do to make me feel better if you were here?”

  “Hmm.” He ponders for a moment as I curl into my pillow and pull a blanket over my legs. “I’d like to say that I’d run you a candlelit bath and massage your back. But, in all honesty, I would probably throw you over my shoulder and take you to your bed where I’d lie you facedown. I’d press myself on top of you, take a handful of your beautiful long hair, and pull it hard while I kiss your neck. Then, I’d sink my cock deep inside you. I’d slam into you hard because I know that’s how you like it. And I’d make sure you were screaming, releasing all that pent-up frustration, before I finished with you.”

  My mouth is hanging open while I listen to his detailed explanation of the stellar fucking that he would deliver. If only he knew that I was just across town. What the fuck is wrong with me? “Oh, wow. I like. A lot.”

  Any right-minded person would come clean and pray the punishment was harsh.

  I dig my nails into my forearm before I realize what I’m even doing. “Can I collect on that when I see you?”

  “Yes. I’m counting on it.” We’re silent for a few seconds before Tyler says it…again, “I love you.”

  “It’s been a month, Tyler.” It’s all I can think of to argue.

  “It’s been thirty years, Truly.”

  There’s no argument. He’s correct. We’ve known each other nearly our entire lives. Growing up together in this small town, he’s in every memory that’s worth remembering.

  Lissa and I spend the next day cleaning out my mother’s office and her bedrooms. She doesn’t have a ton of useless shit like I do. She seems to have kept things quite simple and surprisingly clean. What a difference that is from when she was raising me.

  Earlier in the day, I talked to Ali, and we settled on a dinner date for this evening. Lissa argued that she wanted to go wander around town since nobody knows who she is anyway. So, she took off in my mother’s old Buick to explore.

  Ali has brought takeout, thankfully. Frozen dinners are growing old after only two days.

  “I don’t have much to drink. Wine and water are the only choices I can offer.”

  Ali and I both laugh as we make our way into the kitchen.

  “Wine is perfect. Thank you.”

  I pour us each a glass of wine, and we move to the dining room.

  The dining table is dark wood with white place mats and a centerpiece of fake flowers that somehow don’t come off as tacky. My mother’s home is quite cozy really.

  Ali and I sit across from each other and enjoy the takeout as we talk about growing up and all the crazy antics we pulled.

  As we clean our dinner mess, the conversation shifts.

  “I didn’t tell Cory about seeing you, so don’t worry.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.” I take a sip of my wine as I look outside at the beautiful day. If I were in New York, I would be outside on my balcony.

  From my last visit, I remember the swing that sits under the tree. I saw it as I drove away.

  “There’s a swing outside. Would you like to go out there and talk?”

  “Sure,” she agrees.

  We take our wine and settle in side by side on the swing.

  I turn toward Ali and ask her forthright, “How are things with you and Cory?”

  The corner of her mouth pulls up, leaving her looking regretful. “Not so good.” She looks up at the now starry sky. “Our marriage is coming to an end.”

  “Why do you say that?” I lay my hand over Ali’s when she becomes emotional.

  “Truly, you cannot tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. Not ever. It would devastate Cory.”

  “Of course not.”

  “We’re not attracted to each other anymore. It’s been over twenty years. It’s old and boring, and we don’t do it for each other. Our kids are raised. We did our job.”

  Chills cover my entire body. She is so wrong. When I talked to Cory, I heard a man who was very much in love with his wife, a man who was full of pride with her accomplishments. I can’t let her throw that away.

  I sit up tall and lean in close to her. “Um…I hate to tell you, Ali, but you are way off on this one. When I talked to Cory, he was beaming with pride at the mention of you and the girls.”

  She rolls her eyes and then exhales a heavy sigh. “Funny, because he doesn’t show that side to me.”

  Her eyes glisten with tears, and my heart breaks for her.

  “I get more attention from a stranger than I do Cory. Even when he tries to be attentive, it’s like he’s forgotten how to treat a woman. He doesn’t give me butterflies anymore. He doesn’t even make me want to spend time with him. Truly, I intentionally keep myself busy so that I am not stuck hanging out with him. The guys that I interact with at classes, at work, at the gym, and just about anywhere else actually make me feel more like a woman than my own husband does. How sad is that?”

  I turn toward her, folding my leg between us, so I can tell her to her face what I know all too well. “Ali, listen to me. Don’t chase the excitement and the drama and the romance. It doesn’t exist out there.” I swipe my arm through the air.

  “You teach Cory, the man who loves you and would die for you, what you want. Tell him! Show him! Men need a little guidance. They’re not sure how to handle us, especially as we get older. We tend to challenge them more. We become better with age, and they can be intimidated, is all. I promise you, nobody can set your heart on fire like that man. Just work with him. And when it’s done, you will find that you do love him still. Ali, love isn’t always going to be the theme of the day. You have to fall in love over and over again.” I’ve said too much and with a whole lot of passion. I’m sure Ali is wondering who the hell I think I am.

  “I don’t have the energy to teach a grown man how to treat his wife of twenty years, Tru.”

  “You don’t have the energy? Or you are enjoying the easy new love phase with some random person?”

  She doesn’t deny the accusation although I wish she would.

  “Think about this, Ali. As soon as the newness wears off, you’re going to be left with having to work at it still. Remember those days with Cory? They were scary, weren’t they? So, sure, you can go live like that with a stranger without having a clue what the future will hold, or you can go with the sure thing. The man who has had your back for over twenty years. The man who, I happen to know, loves you more than life itself.”

  “Wow. Where did all of that come from? How do you know so much about love?” Ali asks.

  “Let’s just say, I’ve studied it a little.”

  If I could only tell her what I do, she would understand.

  “Are you in love with someone back in New York?”

  “No, I don’t love someone back in New York.” I breathe deep and smile bigger than I should. “
But I do love someone all right.”

  pronunciation frey-kuhs

  (n.) an unruly commotion or fight; a brawl

  Tyler

  The first person that I want to see when I arrive in New York is Truly.

  I texted her this morning, and she said she would have a long day in the office.

  With two-dozen red and white roses in my hand, I board the elevator, headed for the eighth floor.

  I enter the lobby and realize there is no reception window. I guess it would make sense that there isn’t one if the girls only use this as office space for the design business. I’m sure everyone is seen on an appointment-only basis.

  There’s a gentleman waiting in one of the chairs. I decide to wait a few minutes and see if one of the girls comes to greet him soon.

  “Hi. How are you?” I politely greet him as I sit across from him.

  Not appearing very friendly at all, he only nods.

  A moment later, the door opens, and Marie appears. She’s surprised to find me here. While I love the look of surprise, I wish it were Truly who had come through the door.

  “Hi, Marie,” I greet her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Tyler.” Her tone concerns me. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to see Truly, of course.” I nod toward the flowers and frown.

  “I’ll be right back. I’m sorry.”

  She calls for her client, and they disappear behind the door that leads to the offices while I stand, waiting. Marie did not appear pleased at all to see me.

  Several minutes, ten minutes at least, pass before Marie reappears. No Truly though.

  “Tyler, I’m sorry, but Truly is out of town right now.”

  “That’s odd. She told me she would have a long day in the office.” My thoughts are flying in every direction.

  “Oh, yes, she is in the office. We have another office in New Jersey. She’s in meetings all day though. I’m so sorry you’ve come all this way.”

  “I was here to visit with my son actually. When do you expect her back?”

  “I really have no clue. She’s dealing with an urgent issue that was critical. It was sudden.”

  “Oh. Okay then.” I can sense she is not telling me the truth. At least not the whole truth.

  I hold the flowers out and offer them to her. “Would you please enjoy these flowers since she won’t be able to?”

  The look on her face is pure empathy. She tips her head to the side and walks to me. “I would love to. Thank you. They are stunning, Tyler.” Marie takes the flowers in one arm and wraps the other around my neck.

  It’s so obvious she is feeling guilty. About what I don’t know.

  Laying her chin on my shoulder, she whispers in my ear, “She’s hard, but she’s worth it, Tyler. It won’t be long now. Please wait for her.” She kisses my cheek and disappears.

  Oh, I’m waiting. I’m not going anywhere, except back to Fallport.

  I leave the office. On one hand, I feel defeated and lied to, and on the other, I’m hopeful for whatever Marie was vaguely hinting at was about to happen.

  The day is nearly over before I get a text from Truly. I can’t help but wonder if this is once again the end. I don’t know why she would go as far as she did to tell me her feelings if it was just to string me along for no good reason. Truly doesn’t open up easily, so I have to take it as genuine. The text seems to back up Marie’s story, but something is not right.

  I continue texting her through my weekend visit with Rion. He includes me in his plans with the guys. He and his fraternity buddies ease some of this tension with their crazy college antics. They make me feel young even if only for the weekend. Rion is not the least bit embarrassed by his old man. It’s quite the opposite. I’ve raised a good kid.

  By the end of the weekend, Rion decides to ride back to Fallport with me. Except for his online courses, the next two weeks, he’s on hiatus. We arrive in Fallport on Sunday night, and Cory’s truck is in my driveway. He’s leaning against the tailgate, and it’s very obvious that he’s upset.

  I slide out of my truck and walk toward Cory. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  He meets me half way, apparently not able to stand still. “Get back in your truck, Tyler,” Cory snaps.

  I’m not sure who Cory thinks he is while talking to me like this. “Excuse me?”

  I shoot him daggers as he turns and walks back to his own truck where Rion standing and watching our interaction.

  “How was your visit with your girl?” His tone is sarcastic and pisses me off.

  I snap my head in his direction. “What?”

  I walk to the driver’s side, following him. He opens the door and slides in.

  I grab hold of his door before he’s able to close it. “What the fuck is going on, Cory?”

  “Tell me, Ty. How was your visit with Truly?” Cory’s voice is cracking and panicked.

  “She was out of town, dealing with business shit. I didn’t get to see her.” I hold his door open, not going anywhere until he tells me what the hell is going on.

  “Yeah, bullshit,” Cory barks.

  Okay, what the fuck is going on with this asshole?

  “What? Man, you’d better start talking. You’re pissing me off.”

  Cory looks me in the eyes and finally spills it, “Your girl…is with my girl…at the fucking bar.” His tone of voice is serious as a heart attack and with a hell of a lot of anger mixed in.

  I only stare as he continues. Furiously, he fills me in on what he’s observed over the past few days. I knew something was off, but I had no idea.

  “I lied to Ali and told her I was going out of town, so I could watch and see what she was doing. She’s been going to Truly’s mom’s house every fucking day that I was supposed to be out of town.”

  “Wait. Truly’s not in New York at all? She’s here in Fallport?” I ask him again, not believing what I’m hearing.

  “Yes, since Friday at least.”

  “So, this evening, I watched as they got in Ali’s car, all dressed up. Oh…and there’s some blonde chick I’ve never seen before with them. They went to Perdue’s, and as of about thirty minutes ago, they were feeling damn good. I didn’t want to tell you while you were driving, so I texted Rion to find out how far away from Fallport you were. He said you just got into town, so I flew over. We’re getting played, my friend.”

  “What the fuck are they up to?” I say under my breath.

  Cory is quick to answer, “I know what Ali is up to. She’s fucking around with someone, and I’m fucking done.”

  Hearing him say that shocks me, even under the circumstances. I pause for a moment to absorb it all.

  “Listen, when we get there, don’t go storming in, throwing punches. At least give me a chance to figure out what I’m dealing with. Then, I’ll help you kick the bastard’s ass.”

  “You got it, brother. Follow me.” Cory cracks his knuckles before pulling off like a bat out of hell. I jump in my truck and follow leaving Rion behind.

  The gravel flies as I speed into the parking lot. I pull my truck into the parking place next to Cory’s truck, and we’re out and standing at the front door in seconds. Cory’s anxiety is out of control. He can’t stand still and paces nervously.

  “Let’s go in the door by the beer garden. They don’t smoke, so they won’t see us come in. I want to watch them for a minute,” I say as I turn. Then, I notice Rion approaching us. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see what was going on. Why’d you leave me?”

  “Because this is none of your concern.”

  Cory doesn’t waste a second. He takes off toward the back of the building. Rion and I follow.

  When we get to the door, I realize that I don’t want my son involved in this shit.

  I hold my hand out, stopping Rion from going into the bar. “Wait.”

  He steps back. “What?”

  I motion toward the front of the building. “Listen, Rion
, go in the front door, and don’t get involved in this mess. We’ve got it.”

  “Dad,” he argues.

  “Rion! Not now. Go!” I demand before he takes off.

  I turn back to Cory. “Keep your cool, man. Please.”

  He doesn’t pay me any attention.

  “Think about your daughters.”

  He doesn’t say anything, but I can tell by his change in demeanor that he hears me. He slows his pace and takes in a deep breath.

  We casually walk into the bar, scanning the outdoor area designated for smoking. As I expected, Truly and Ali and whoever the blonde is are not here. I avoid anyone I know and make a beeline for the door that leads inside. I walk in ahead of Cory and stand behind a group of guys to hide from the crowd. Cory peers to one side, and I look to the other, trying to locate the girls.

  He shoves me in my shoulder when he spots them. “Right there on the dance floor.” He points across the bar to a group of women dancing wildly.

  My eyes are drawn straight to Truly. I don’t want to be pissed at her. She’s so fucking beautiful. Her long legs are gorgeous, and her sweet ass is making me forget why I’m here already. One look at Cory, and I’m quickly reminded.

  We stand there and watch them for the remainder of the song. Ali looks happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen her smile like she is right now in years. The blonde has her back to me. I have no idea who she is.

  The song ends, and the girls walk off the dance floor. Truly lifts her hair, exposing her glistening neck and shoulders. I have to keep myself in check. I want to take her home before I can find out that she’s doing something that will end us for good. I look to Ali and then to the blonde.

  “What the fuck?”

  “What?” Cory stands behind me, looking at the girls and then at me.

  “That’s her friend Lissa. I don’t understand what the hell is going on here.”

  “Join the club.”

  “You said you first saw Truly here on Friday?” I question him.

  I’ve never seen Cory so aggravated. “Yes. You know what, man? I get that you’re invested in this, too, but this is my fucking marriage that is about to end.”