AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I thought we’d done an adequate job of shielding all of this from Eve. Every night after our video games, Riley goes down the hall to read. I’ve acted like Riley and I are still sleeping in the same room, but after Eve goes to bed, I’m forced out here on the damn couch. I do it because I don’t want to wake up with my eyes scratched out.
But I also can’tnotbe in the same home as my wife.
“Ladybug, are you almost done? We need to leave soon,” Riley comes up the hall to ask, not even throwing a look my way.
People sayI’mcold. They obviously haven’t met my wife when she’s pissed. Riley’s downright frigid.
“Yup. I have to wash the dish.”
“Leave it,” I tell her. “I’ll put them all in the wash.”
Again, Riley doesn’t acknowledge me as she and Eve head out of the door.
“Bye.” Eve waves.
“C’mon,” Riley tells her before she can finish saying good-bye to me.
“Dammit!” I growl, feeling stuck and not knowing what to fucking do. The flowers aren’t working. Neither is showing up at her office every day, or the many apologies.
I need something else.
Visit your parents.The dream I had months ago suddenly comes back to me. The one from Emma.
So, once I finish putting the dishes in the dishwasher, I grab my keys and head over to the people I trust the most in this world.
* * *
“A friend toldme to come visit you guys,” I tell my parents as they sit on the couch in the living room.
My eyes meet my father’s. A knowing look comes over him. He nods and then knocks me on my ass with three words.
“You fucked up.”
“Aaron,” my mother admonishes.
“Thanks, Mom,” I say.
“Don’t thank me. You did fuck up,” she counters. “I wanted to be the one to say it first. Your father’s right.”
A rare smile creases my father’s face. “Thanks, sweetness.” He leans in and kisses her cheek.
I grumble, “Can you two cut the PDA out for two minutes to focus on me?”
My father grunts. “I thought you said once they’re out of the house, we’ll have more time alone?” he says to my mother.
“Later.” She swats his arm.
I roll my eyes. “Back to me. Look, I’ve already admitted what I did with Brendan was messed up—”
“So much,” my mother interrupts. “You’re lucky all she did was smack you. Why on earth would you do something ridiculous like that?” She tsks and shakes her head.
My father nods in agreement. He leans forward, looking me in the eye. “I thought I told you to be better than me.”
Pain squeezes my chest.
The last thing I ever want is for either of my parents to be disappointed in me. But it’s their disappointment coupled with the haunted look I keep seeing in Riley’s eyes that causes the real agony. She thinks I don’t love her. That I only want her for what I can gain from her. To use her.
Like her piece of shit father.
