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“I’ll talk to you later Leigh.” I just hang up; I don’t wait for anything else. She’s only going to try to make me feel like shit and I won’t let that happen. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m going to find my brother. If it happens that he wants to help his sister get in with big models and photographers, well I will thank him. I sure as fuck am not about to let my mom or Leigh make me feel like shit for my decision. I’m not hurting anyone by going, I’m simply putting myself out there. No harm in that.
Chapter 2
Braden
* * *
Never in my life did I think I’d hear the words; I want a divorce. Even worse, never did I think I’d feel the relief I felt when I heard those words. Sarah and I had what I thought was the perfect marriage. We always wanted to be together, we had a ton of laughs and our sex life was amazing. I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with her. After we had our daughters, Dawn and Tiffany, I just couldn’t imagine being any happier. I had the love of three beautiful girls.
Things started going downhill after Tiffany was born. We were always fighting, over nothing and everything. She would literally start jumping down my throat as soon as I walked in the door. I was tracking dirt, I was too loud and woke the baby, I forgot to take the garbage out, I didn’t put my coffee mug in the dishwasher. I could go on and on. When we weren’t fighting, we weren’t talking. It seemed that if she wasn’t yelling at me, she wasn’t talking.
We never had sex anymore and believe me, I tried. I tried every fucking day, but she always had an excuse. She was too tired, the girls could wake up, she wasn’t in the mood. Again, the excuses went on and on. It was to the point that we were just roommates, and not even roommates who mess around, just roommates. I spent a huge amount of time with the girls, and she locked herself away in the bedroom
. For a while I thought she must be depressed, it was the only explanation I could come up with. I made the mistake of asking her one day.
“Sarah, you know things with us have been really bad lately and I’m not saying this to hurt you or to start a fight.” She crossed her arms and lifted her eyebrows. “Do you think maybe you need to go talk to someone? Like maybe you’re depressed.”
She actually had the balls to laugh. She threw her head back and laughed at what I had said. “Braden, I am far from depressed.” She went to walk out of the kitchen, and I gently grabbed her arm to get her to stay.
“Fine, you’re not depressed, then what’s wrong?” She looks back at me with a look of anger. “Maybe we need to go to marriage counseling.”
She pulls her arm out of my hand and turns to face me, crossing her arms again. “I want to go back home.” I look around the house, like where the fuck does she think we are? “Not here, home. To my parents.” Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I hate it there; her parents tolerate me about as well as I do them. Although, if getting away for a few days is what she wants, I can do that to save this marriage.
“That’s fine. We can go visit as soon as you want. How long are you thinking, like a week?” She rolls her eyes, and it makes me want to just walk away from this whole thing already. I’m already pushed to the point of breaking and every time she complains, rolls her eyes, or is a bitch, it pushes me that much closer.
“I want to move there. I hate it here, everything I love is in North Carolina. Always has been.”
I laugh without humor and cross my arms. “Considering I live here, your daughters live here, my family is here and all of our friends, I find it hard to believe everything you love is there and always has been.”
She takes a deep breath and starts walking away. “Come or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me, but I’m leaving at the end of the week and the girls will be with me.” She goes into the bedroom and closes the door.
What choice do I have? I’ll never leave my girls and I don’t want to walk away from this marriage without being able to say I tried everything I could.
Staying there didn’t help and when the shit finally hit the fan, I couldn’t get out fast enough. We’ve been divorced nearly a year now and even though I miss my girls horribly when I’m not with them, the last year has been great. I sold our house, giving her half of course, and bought myself a place on the beach like I always wanted. I’ve been able to spend time with Kallie and my mom without listening to her complain, plus I get to go out and have fun. I’ve been to every party Jax and Blake have and I’ve never been the guy to sleep around, but I have had sex with three beautiful women. I’m just enjoying life and healing from the lies and deception from Sarah.
Today, I am picking the girls up at the airport and we are going right over to Jax’s to celebrate their engagement. I am so fucking happy for Kallie; I couldn’t have found a better guy for her if I hand-picked him. He treats her exactly as any guy should; like she’s, his world. She treats him the same though and that is what makes a perfect relationship. That and trust, respect, and undying love. All of which they have.
I pull my thoughts out of their relationship and walk over to the gate where my girls will come running out of any minute now. I can’t keep the smile off of my face. I don’t get to see them every day and it kills me, so I always make sure that when they are here, we have a great time. When I told them, we were going to see everyone at the party they both screamed in the phone. They love spending time with everyone as much as I do. The bond they have with Kallie and my mom is so special and I’m grateful for it. The door opens and people start coming out, my girls come running out with the stewardess running after them. I laugh as I bend down and catch them as they run into my arms.
“Daddy,” they yell as I squeeze them and just like every time, I hold them, my empty heart is full.
“Girls I missed you so much.” I stand up with them in my arms and the stewardess smiles at me.
“I guess you must be their dad. They were very excited to get here and go swimming at their aunt’s party.” I thank her for watching over them and I carry them over to get their suitcases. Once I have them, I hold their hands as they pull the suitcases, and we leave the airport.
“Daddy, Tiffany was good on the plane and I made sure she held my hand the whole way because you always tell me to watch out for her because she is my little sister.” I need to hold back the tears at listening to Dawn.
“You are such a great big sister, isn’t she Tiffany?” I ask, looking in the rearview mirror.
She takes the sippy straw out of her mouth and smiles. “Yep, she is the bestest big sister.”
They both talk my ear off on the drive and I love every second of it. When we pull up to Jax’s they are both nearly jumping out of their seats. I open the back door and smile at them.
“I expect you both to behave. No whining and remember to say please and thank you.” They both agree so I help them out and they run to the front door. I grab their suitcases out of the trunk and meet them at the door. I open it and they run inside screaming when they see Kallie. She catches them, much like I did and it’s nothing but excited talk. Jax stands next to me and watches over them.
“They love their aunt so much,” I say watching with a smile on my face.
“Believe me, she loves them just as much,” Jax says. I look at him and grin. I know she does, she always had a special connection with my girls, and I love that.
