“Your boyfriend broke up with you?” Maybe if I give in, she’ll leave sooner.
She nods frantically as she continues to cry. Maybe I’m heartless, but I really don’t want to deal with her tonight. I’m supposed to be on the phone with Avery right now.
“Yes. I called him on the way up to my room, and he told me that he doesn’t want a long-distance relationship. I wanted to marry him, but I need this job.”
I sigh before standing up and taking the seat next to her on the bed. As soon as I do, I regret it, but I pat her on the back. I feel like an idiot, because she takes that as an invitation to move closer to me, and then she lays her damn head on my shoulder. I’m now patting her shoulder awkwardly.
I try to stand from the bed, but she latches on to me like a damn leech.
“Please, don’t go,” she looks up at me, and then the next thing I know, she’s leaning into me.
I fly off the bed like my ass is on fire.
“You should probably go back to your room. We have an early morning,” I say sternly.
“Please don’t make me stay by myself,” she says in an extremely seductive voice, that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. I fucking hate the position she’s put me in. Flynn will be finding out about this, and I don’t give a damn if it puts me at risk of losing my job.
I shake my head. “Mallory, please leave. I need to call my wife.”
“But Evan.” She sobs, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. “What does that bitch have that I don’t?” Oh. My. Fucking. God. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
“Out!” I roar, and I’d be surprised if the people in the next room over didn’t just hear my outburst.
She stands from the bed and then pulls her shirt off and is now standing in front of me in only her bra and skirt. Fuck my life.
I turn on my heels and slam the door behind me.
I can’t hear myself think over the ringing in my ears. I didn’t even do anything wrong, but I know that Avery would be pissed if she knew what just happened. Not that I plan on keeping it a secret from her, but who the hell wants to tell their wife that a woman she envies was just half naked in his hotel room? Not me. That’s for sure.
I push the buttons on the elevator, willing it to open so I can get the fuck away from her. Once it finally arrives, I press the button to the main floor. Looks like I’ll be getting another room.
“Can I help you, sir?” The blonde behind the front desk asks. I just hope that I can find another room this late.
“Yeah, I need a room.”
She eyes me skeptically, probably confused as to why I don’t have any luggage with me.
“Uh, yeah sure.” She looks at her computer screen. “You’re in luck because I have one more room on the tenth floor.”
I slam my hand on the counter. “Perfect, I’ll take it.”
I give her my ID and credit card, and then after she hands me my new keycard, I make my way to the tenth floor.
When I get to my room, I go to the bathroom and then use some of the complementary mouthwash. I need to call Avery still.
I reach into my pocket and then realize that I left my phone in my other room. Fuck.
I pick up the hotel phone and quickly dial her, desperately wanting to hear my wife’s voice. I decide against telling her about Mallory’s stunt tonight. I don’t think that’s something I should tell her over the phone.
The call goes straight to voicemail, which is strange because her phone is never off. She must have let her battery die.
I click the TV on and watch a mindless reality show and then decide to try Avery one more time before I go to bed. I’m so damn tired but want to talk to her before I go to sleep.
I dial her, but then once again, get no response. I’m starting to worry that something is wrong with her or Zoey.
26
Avery
I still haven’t heard from Evan, but I’m not surprised after he told me it would probably be late. When I put Zoey to bed, I sat on the couch and watched reruns of Friends on Netflix, and then when I got bored with that, I finished the smutty romance book I’d been reading for the last few days. I hate being in this big house by myself, but I’m glad that he’ll only be gone for a couple nights.
I’m guessing the three of them are still at the bar having drinks, so I decide to take a bubble bath. As soon as I strip out of my clothes, I feel the water with my foot and then sink down into the massive claw tub. Evan had this put in for me when we moved here. I don’t know why, but I’d always wanted one, so he made it happen. But this isn’t your average claw tub. No, this one is big enough to comfortably fit four people. Of course, it’s only ever been used for me and him, but it’s heavenly. I never thought I’d be a fan of bathtub sex, but this thing makes it doable.
As soon as my ass hits the bottom of the tub, I relax into the lavender scented bubbles. I can feel the stress of the last few weeks wash away. Maybe I gave into Evan too easily last week when I agreed to go to Dallas, because frankly, I don’t want to leave, but I want him to be happy. I want us both to be happy, and maybe this is the answer. I just want to be wherever our marriage is going to be alright. Our relationship has continued to stay strong throughout the years. We endured infertility, for Christ’s sake. Surely, we can get through a cross-country move.
My husband and daughter are the two most important people in my life, and as long as I have them, I’m convinced that everything will be just fine.
I rinse the bubbles from my naked form and then wrap myself in a towel. I’d do just about anything for a glass of wine right now, but since I’m still nursing, I head to the kitchen for a Dr. Pepper. Not as wonderful as alcohol, but probably better since I have to be coherent for Zo in the morning.
Once I’m dressed and lying in bed, I grab my phone off the end table, but then realize it’s dead, so I plug it in.
I don’t know if he tried calling while I was in the tub, but if he did, he’s probably worried. His overprotectiveness drives me bat shit sometimes, but I love him for it.
After getting up to feed Zoey and then changing her before putting her back to bed, I check my phone, and it’s fully charged. I’m guessing he’s just now getting back to his room, so I dial him.
“Hello?” A woman. Is that fucking Mallory? Why is Mallory answering his phone? They must still be at the bar. He probably left his phone to go to the bathroom or to get another drink. But it’s awfully quiet for them being in a noisy restaurant.
“Mallory?”
She doesn’t respond right away, and I hear movement in the background.
“Avery? Oh, hey. Did you need something?” she asks in a drowsy voice. Was she fucking sleeping? Why does she have his phone?
Has this bitch lost her mind? She’s answering my husband’s phone, and she’s asking me if I need something.
“Where’s Evan?”
“I think he’s in the shower.”
What. The. Fuck?
“Why the fuck are you in my husband’s hotel room? Let me talk to him. Now!” Maybe I’m being irrational, but I lost all rationality as soon as she answered my husband’s phone.
“Sweetheart, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but he doesn’t want you. He took this job because he knew you didn’t want to come to Dallas with him.”
“Put him on the phone.” I seethe.
“I told you he’s in the shower.” She pauses. “Oh, my God! That man has a magical tongue. If I would have known that, I would have fucked him a lot sooner.” She chuckles.
“You’re a lying bitch.” I can barely contain my rage at this point. I know I shouldn’t give into her, but I want to know what the hell is going on.
I hang up the phone and then quickly Google the phone number to the hotel. Evan gave me his room number when he got in earlier.
The phone rings twice before it’s answered.
“Hello?”
My world spins. I can’t see straight, and I think I’m about to throw up. Did he sleep with
her? What the fuck? No, he wouldn’t do that to me. Would he?
“Hello?” Mallory says again.
“Where is my husband?” I growl into the phone and then hear a door open in the background.
“There you are.” She coos.
“Who are you talking to?” I hear Evan, and now I have my answer.
I drop my phone on the floor without ending the call and sprint to the bathroom. Everything I ate comes up once I’m hovering over the toilet. I know that there’s been a lot of tension between us lately, but I didn’t realize it was so bad that he would run to someone else. Another woman.
This explains why he always blew me off when I got pissed about her advances. He was fucking her and tried to make it seem like no big deal. I’ve been such an idiot.
Once I’m done throwing up, I hug the seat, and my tears drip into the bowl. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe he just threw away the last ten years of our lives. How could he do this to me? To our daughter?
It hurts. It hurts so bad. The pain in my chest is the worst I’ve ever experienced.
I pull myself from the toilet and lean my back up against the wall. Immediately, my breathing becomes rapid, and I feel like I might be having a heart attack. This must be a panic attack. I hate that I’m by myself while I’m feeling this way, since Zoey is in the other room.
Once I’m finally feeling better, I lay on the bathroom floor, my face pressed against the cold tile.
My head is pounding, and I’m still feeling sick to my stomach at the thought of my husband with that bitch, but I drift in and out of sleep until Zoey’s cries stir me awake.
27
Evan
The next morning, I wake from a restless sleep. I ended up going back to my other room last night to get my phone because I was getting worried about Avery. It’s unlike her to keep her phone dead that long. Mallory was on the hotel phone when I walked in, and she was once again acting like a flirtatious bitch, but I quickly grabbed my phone and left.
When I got back to this room, I tried calling her again, even though it was late, but still got no answer.
I look at the clock next to the bed, and it’s seven in the morning, which means it’s even earlier back home. I reach for my phone, knowing that she’s most likely up with the baby now, so I should be able to reach her.
She finally picks up.
“How could you?” She seethes, and I have no fucking clue what she’s talking about. I can tell by the crack in her voice, that she’s been crying. What the hell happened?
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t ‘baby’ me, Evan! I’m fucking done.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself because I’m trying to understand what the hell she thinks I did.
“Avery, I have no damn clue what you’re talking about, but I’ve been trying to get a hold of you since last night. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“No!” she screams and nearly blasts my eardrum. “You don’t get to put this on me! Tomorrow, when you get home, we won’t be here.”
She’s leaving me? I don’t even know what in God’s name I did.
“What?” I know she can hear the emotion in my voice. “Av, if this is about moving, I’ll turn the damn job down.” I stand from the bed and pull my laptop out of its bag. “I’m booking a flight now. Please, don’t go.”
“You know this isn’t about fucking Dallas.” I hear her disconnect the line, and I’m left wondering how the hell things got like this.
I try calling her back, but I’m sent to her voicemail.
“Hey, this is Avery….”
I hit ‘end’ and then launch my phone into the TV across the room and immediately crack the screen and most likely broke my phone too. Shit. Looks like I’ll be buying a new TV for the damn hotel.
I pull at my hair and scream.
“Fuuuuck!”
I know things have been tense between us lately, but I thought we were okay yesterday when I left.
I pick my phone up off the ground and pull my sister’s number up.
“Evan, you better be dying if you’re calling me this early,” she says when she answers. I forgot how early it is, but I don’t care right now.
“Claire, I need you to go check on Avery.” I rush out.
“What the hell are you talking about? Is she okay?” I hear rustling in the background.
“No.” I croak out. “I don’t know. Something is going on, and she won’t tell me what, but she said that when I get home tomorrow, she and Zoey won’t be there.”
“What?” she whisper yells. “Why the fuck would she leave you?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” I slide down the wall. “I’m booking a flight home now, but please go over there.”
“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” She sighs. “Ev, I don’t know what’s going on between you two right now, but you need to make it right.”
“I know, but how can I make it right if I have no damn clue what the hell she’s mad at me for?”
“I don’t know, but you better figure it out.”
After reassuring me that she’ll check on Avery, we hang up. I quickly book my flight and then send a quick text to Flynn, letting him know that something urgent came up and that I have to leave right away.
“Hello?” I answer my phone on the first ring.
“Evan, is everything okay?” Flynn asks from the other line.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat, not wanting him to hear how upset I am. “I just need to get home.”
“Okay.” He pauses. “Get packed up, and I’ll get you an Uber to the airport.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, and Evan?”
“Yeah, Flynn?” I ask as I rush to pack up the few things I have with me.
“What do you want me to tell Gerald this morning?”
I grunt into the phone. “Tell him I’m no longer interested.”
That’s the only answer I can give them right now. I have no clue what is happening to my marriage, but I know that I can’t up and move to Dallas.
“I understand,” he says in a disappointed voice. “Good luck with everything, and I’ll see you Monday.”
28
Avery
Thank God my mom came to get Zoey this morning because I was hardly able to pull myself out of bed.
I’m wrapped in several blankets, when I hear a pounding on the front door. I have a feeling it’s Claire because knowing Evan, he sent her to check on me. I checked the flight schedule online, and his flight lands in three hours. That gives me three hours to figure out where I’m going to go. Three hours to decide where I’m going to uproot our newborn daughter. I could just tell him not to come home, but I can’t stay here. I can’t stay within these walls where all our memories lay. Right now, it’s almost unbearable to be in the bed we’ve shared. A part of me has to wonder if he ever brought someone back to our home. The home we’ve shared. The home we worked hard to buy together. The home we suffered through infertility in. The home where we brought our newborn daughter from the hospital. How long has this been going on? How many other women has my husband been screwing behind my back? The thought makes me want to vomit again, but instead, I pull my ass out of bed to answer the door. By now, the knocking is becoming more frantic.
I pull the front door open, and sure enough, Claire is standing on the front porch.
“My God, Av. Are you alright?”
I groan. “What do you want, Claire?”
She pushes past me, without being invited inside. I’m really not in the mood for this.
“Why don’t you tell me what is going on?” She raises her eyebrows at me while her hands rest on her hips. “My brother called me freaking out because you told him you’re leaving him, and he has no idea why.”
I give a manic laugh, and I know I sound like a damn psycho.
“He’s a fucking liar if he says he doesn’t know.”
“Well, I don’t know what’s goi
ng on, so why don’t you fill me in?”
I throw myself on the couch, trying to make myself comfortable because I know that she’s not going to leave until I talk to her.
She plops down in one of our recliners and stares at me. She obviously thinks this is my fault.
“He slept with Mallory,” I say pointedly.
She gasps and shakes her head. “No. No way. He’d never do that to you.”
She stands from the chair and starts pacing the length of the living room, and she’s making me a nervous wreck.
“Would you sit the hell down?”
She stops in her tracks and then pulls at her hair as she lands herself in the chair again.
“Why the hell do you think he cheated on you? And with Mallory nonetheless?”
“Claire, I’m not just making accusations. I’m not that much of a bitch.” I give her a heated stare. Of course, she would take her brother’s side in all of this. I guess I can’t really say I blame her, considering he is the only family she has.
She sighs. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She lays her head on the back of the chair. “What happened?”
“I called his phone last night, and she answered.”
“Are you sure he slept with her?” She cringes. Obviously uncomfortable discussing her brother like this.
I wipe at the tear that runs down my face, but it’s pointless because others follow close behind.
I sniff. “At first, I didn’t believe her, but when I hung up on her and called his hotel room, she answered again, and then I heard him talking in the background.”
She gasps, and her jaw nearly hits the floor.
“I’m going to kill him.”
I shake my head. “Things have been shit between us lately, but I didn’t know it had gone this far.”
She stands, and then in the next instant, I’m in her arms. I don’t know how long I cry, but when I finally lift my head from her shoulder, I’m convinced that I’m dehydrated from all the tears that have fallen over the last several hours.
Renewed: The Unexpected Series Page 12