AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He scrubs a hand over his face and uses his free hand to point to Molly through the window.
“You see that little girl in there?” he asks. “We were supposed to have that. How many times did we talk about kids in our future?”
I jerk my hand back, unable to look at him as tears swell in my eyes.
His shoulders slump. “I fucked up, and I’m sorry. Whatever you did with him, it’s in the past. We’ll start fresh and consider this a speed bump in our marriage, act like it never happened.”
I shut my eyes for a moment, an attempt to hold myself together. I can’t flip my shit with Molly watching us. “You can’t have a family with a man you don’t trust.”
He scowls and releases a spiteful laugh. “You thinkhe’llgive you a family? Where would you raise your children? In an apartment above a place filled with drunks? You’re worried about trusting me. What do you think you’ll get with the town’s biggest bachelor, huh? He lives in that bar, and we’ve both seen how well he attracts the ladies. Do you honestly think he’ll stay faithful or that he’ll evenwanta family?”
“Don’t go there.”
His words hit too close to home. That’s what happened with Maliki’s mom—she couldn’t handle being the bar owner’s wife—and the girls at the barbeque said the same about bartenders.
“I’m owning up to my fuckup and begging you. Let’s go to counseling. I’ll do whatever you want to make this work.Please.I don’t want to lose you.”
Tears fall from my eyes. “I can’t … maybe this means we weren’t meant for each other.”
He shakes his head in disdain. “You haven’t filed yet. That has to mean something.”
“I haven’t had a chance to.”
“I won’t sign.”
I retreat a step. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Drag this out.”
His eyes darken in frustration. “I’ll fight for my marriage.”
“You should’ve fought for it then!”
He abruptly stands. “You’ll never have a family with him. Think about that before throwing everything you’ve ever wanted away. You know where to find me, and I swear to God, I’ll forget anything you did with him if you come back to me.” His lips graze my forehead, and the patio door squeaks when he opens it to leave.
I fall back in his abandoned chair and wrestle with Devin’s words running through my mind. He made valid points. Maliki said his job would interfere with having children, and he couldn’t give them a stable home. I sniffle, wiping the tears from my eyes, and catch my breath.
“Are you okay?”
I inhale a breath and look over at the door where the tiny voice came from. Molly has it open a few inches, enough room for her head to poke through, and holds the handle in hesitation. She waits until I give her a head nod and opens the door all the way, stepping on the porch with me.
“I’m fine, sweetie,” I answer, fighting back sniffles.
She wraps her arms around me. “My daddy says to always hug people when they’re sad and crying. It’ll make them happy again.”
I hug her back.
Maliki is older than me and has never settled down with a woman, never mentioned living anywhere but his apartment, never seemed to want to move on from the bachelor life.
Where will our relationship be in a month?
Six weeks?
A year?
Will we even have one?
