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“God, when did you become such a nag?” He walks away, but I am not letting him get away with that.
“A nag? A fucking nag? You let a kid take on your responsibilities, and you think that’s okay, Denton? Well, it’s not. If you can’t take care of Ty, get a weekend nanny too because you’re not gonna mess up Justin’s childhood because you’re too busy wallowing.”
“Get the fuck out of my house. What the fuck do you know about being a parent?” He shouts.
Those words rock me to the core. I lunge at him, slapping him in the face. “Go to fucking hell. I am sick of you!”
I walk out of there, promising myself that I will never, ever let him humiliate me like that again. I’ve been a spineless fool, running to his rescue whenever he needs it, and that is the kind of disrespect I get in return. Denton Duke can go fuck himself for all I care. I sit in the car and cry my eyes out for what feels like forever. Everything in me hurts, and I just want the pain to end. I know that the only way it will be is if I remove Denton from my life completely.
19
Denton
The demons of my past play havoc on my mind whenever I close my eyes. I think about how I’ve been treating Brianna, and I know it’s because I am so pissed off at myself. I hate that I want her and that no matter what I do or how much time passes, I will never deserve her. What we had was not just an affair, and that is the problem. She has always been more than that, and she still is. I hate seeing her picking up the broken shards of my life, but instead of thanking her for being there, I let her walk all over it, cutting herself in the process. I feel like shit for what I said to her.
I pack the dishwasher and clean the kitchen. I proceed to do the same in the living room, throwing away whiskey bottles and clearing away glasses.
I open the door to Justin’s room, and he’s fast asleep, one hand hanging off the bed. I walk over to Ty’s crib and smile down at him. I place a kiss on his head.
I open the door to my bedroom after months, and her scent cuts through the dust. I sit on the bed, looking around the room. We had some good times, Savanna and I, but we had some hard times too. I guess every marriage does. I chose to seek solace in another woman, and that is on me. I like to justify it by saying that I loved Bre long before I fell in love with Savanna, but when you choose someone, you’re in it for the long haul. I think that's why her death hit me so hard.
“I’ve been an asshole, Savanna, the worst,” I say out loud. I stand and look around the room. It’s time to make amends.
I wake up early and start on breakfast: Bacon, eggs, pancakes, just the way Savanna used to. When Justin comes downstairs, Ty in his arms, he’s taken aback.
“Good morning, boys. I figured we’d have a feast today.” I walk over to my son and take Ty in my arms. “Hey, buddy.”
We sit at the table, but Justin still has a shocked expression on his face. “You cooked and cleaned?” He places some bacon and eggs on his plate, looking around the room.
Sarah walks in, and her eyes widen. “Mr. Duke, Justin. I’m not late, am I?”
“Of course not,” I assure her. She reaches for Ty, and I hand him over. “Feel free to join us, though.”
“Oh, I’m alright.” She flushes, hurrying away.
“So, any plans for the night?” I ask Justin.
“Not really.” He says, digging into his meal.
“It’s Friday night. At your age, the last thing I wanted to do was hang at home on the weekend.”
“Yeah, well, you and I grew up in two different worlds, Dad.” The weight of his words sink in.
“I’m sorry for the last few months,” I say, and our eyes meet across the table. “You shouldn’t have had to step up. That was my job.”
His gaze lowers to his food.
“Make plans tonight with Katelyn or someone. That is her name, right?”
He nods, a small smile on his lips. “You sure you’re gonna be okay with Ty?”
“I’m sure.”
That seems to please him, and for the first time in months, my son and I actually talk the way we used to.
I get home at six, and Justin grins widely. I promised I’d be home early.
“You’re sure?” he asks, and I grin.
