Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 85876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Numb, I message him back a quick Okay, when all I really want to do is rage, to tell him I know he’s a liar, to ask how he could do this to us. He knows that cheating is not something I would ever forgive, not after growing up the way I did. My childhood was filled with turmoil, heartache, and confusion, watching my mom being cheated on by my dad and her constantly taking him back, knowing he’d just do it again.
That is not the life I want for our son. I do not want him to think that kind of relationship is normal, because it’s not. And I deserve better than a man who would do that to me.
“Mommy, come push me!” Kingston shouts, and I tuck away the pain I’m feeling and head across the mulch, forcing a smile for my baby.
I have a lot of thinking to do. I’m not the only one in this situation, the only one who will be affected. And with me so dependent on Bowie, it’s going to take me some time to leave.
CHAPTER TWO
miranda
Sitting on my back deck with the baby monitor on the table so I’ll know if Kingston wakes up, I chew the inside of my cheek as my best friend Emma digests what I just showed her on Bowie’s computer.
Which is way more than I saw earlier today.
In fact, there are weeks and weeks of texts back and forth between Bowie and Naomie, the woman he’s been seeing. For at least the last two months, when Bowie told me he had to work late, he’s been with her. And last weekend, when he was supposed to be fishing with friends, he was actually at a cabin he must have rented for the two of them to get away.
“That motherfucker,” Emma whispers after a long moment, lifting her pretty green eyes off the computer screen to look at me. “How fucking stupid is he?” Like any good best friend, her outrage on my behalf doesn’t surprise me. Just like it didn’t surprise me that she knew something was off when I called her this evening while making dinner, and she told me without hesitation that she was coming over with wine as soon as I got Kingston to sleep.
“I’m guessing he doesn’t realize how stupid he is. He probably doesn’t know that his texts can be read from his computer. Or if he does know, he didn’t think about me using it, because I have my own and wouldn’t normally use his.” I take a sip of the wine.
“Who is Tucker?”
“I have no idea. Her husband or boyfriend, I guess,” My throat gets tight, wondering if he knows or if he’s going to be as blindsided as I was.
“She knows Bowie’s married.”
“I know.” She referred to me more than once, asking if he thought I suspected anything. She also asked about Kingston like she knew him and cared about his well-being. What a fricking joke. “As easy as it would be, I refuse to put the blame on her. I’m married to Bowie, not her. He should have been the one to walk away.”
“You’re a better person than me.” Her eyes go to the glass sliding door, where you can see into my living room and the family photo of Bowie, Kingston, and me that is hanging on the wall above the fireplace. A picture we took a month ago, looking at it now and the smile on Bowie’s face makes me sick to my stomach. “So, what are you going to do?”
“Leave him.”
“Good.”
“Is it?” I shake my head. “Should it be so easy to get to that answer? Shouldn’t I at least be thinking about working things out or trying to for Kingston’s sake?”
“Fuck no, M. You should not be thinking about working things out. We both know how that story ends. You confront him, he promises to never do it again, then a year or five or even just a month from now, you find out he’s screwing someone else. Fuck that!”
Closing my eyes, I lean my head back on my shoulders and scrub my fingers through my hair. “I need to get a job. I need to get an apartment or a house for Kingston and me. I need to… I have so much I need to do.”
“You know Polly always has a chair at the salon for you, and I have a client who works in real estate who I’m sure can help you get a place. You’ll be okay.” She reaches for my hand. “When are you going to tell him you know?”
“I need to get things sorted out before I confront him. You know he can be—”
“A dick?” she inserts.
“—difficult when he’s backed into a corner.” I lightly kick her, and she presses her lips together. She never liked Bowie. None of my friends or family did, but they all love me and knew I was in love with him, so they put their own feelings aside. But Bowie never liked any of them either, so there was no love lost. I just had to learn quickly to carefully juggle each relationship.