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“Teresa is being an absolute bitch,” he slurred, his voice indicating he’d self-medicated with alcohol, which he’d been doing a lot of lately.“Won’t stop hounding me—I can’t fucking sleep at night—she’s driving me insane!”
“What did you do now?”
Alex swore.“What makes you thinkIdid something?”
He was too damn defensive, but I’d been on edge with him myself since the whole “forgetting” his cell phone thing.
“Did you?”I asked, allowing him the chance to prove my thoughts otherwise.
“She’s so damn needy all.The.Time!Keeps saying I’m notemotionally availableto her anymore,” he mocked.“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Empathy for his wife for having the same feeling about Alex radiated through my chest.“When did you do something for her last?”I asked.
“Fucking…seriously, JJ?”He sounded incredulous along with being drunk.“I work myassoff to keep that roof over her head and put food on the table.”
“You would be slaving away to pay your bills regardless of having a family, Alex,” I stated not unkindly.“What have you done for her specifically?Flowers?Sent her to the bathroom with a glass of wine to soak in the tub while you put the boys to bed?Got her a gift certificate for a spa?Took her out to dinner, just the two of you?”
Alex didn’t speak for a few seconds as he stewed over my words.
“You’re busy,” I said.“I get it, but you’ve got to invest in your relationship regardless of having an open marriage, Alex.Ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away.Bitterness will eventually grow and fester, and one night you might come home to an empty house.”My words, although the right thing to say, made my shoulders heavy, like a weight pushed me toward a silent, cold grave where I would be alone for eternity.
A part of me hated giving my lover counsel when my selfish heart longed for that very thing to happen so I could have him all to myself.
But that would never be.I wouldn’t allow it.His boys needed him in their life a hell of a lot more than I ever would.
“Alex?”I asked when the silence went on too long between us.
“Yeah.”He sniffed.
My heart softened at the knowledge I’d gotten him to think beyond himself.“Just give her—her emotions and needs—space in your busy schedule.Trust me, if she has your attention in a positive way, she’ll soak it up and treat you better too.”
I knew that from past experience, but like Teresa, I’d become annoyed with Alex’s behavior.
“Did you hear Ostroski got picked up by the Bruins?”
I blinked at the sudden change of topic, especially the one-eighty from the remorse it sounded as though he’d been feeling.“What?”
“Yeah—fucking landed a contract for eleven-point-three mil!Fuck, what I could do with that kind of cash,” he spewed the words faster than he usually spoke when drunk.
Biting my tongue, I listened to Alex prattle on about hockey when minutes earlier he’d been pissed and supposedly broken up about his wife.Talk about a damned mood swing.He seemed way too upbeat…almost manic with excitement.He had a love for the ice and pucks, but something had gotten him riled up to a point he sounded…high.
Perhaps it wasn’t alcohol he’d been downing.
Jesus fuck.
My heart rate kicked up in immediate concern.“You okay, Alex?”I asked as I pulled into my garage and shut off my car.
“Sure, sure.”He rushed his breathless answer.
I wished he stood in front of me so I could see his eyes, but a question would have to do for the time being.“You popping pills again?”
“The fuck, man!Why are you asking me that?”His tone was harder than usual.
“You just…goddamnit.”I scrubbed a hand over my face and shoved open my driver door.“Never mind.I’m fucking beat, soaked from the goddamned rain, and probably reading into shit.I know how much you love the Bruins.You just seemed really upset about Teresa one second then excited about their newest player the next.”
Alex huffed a laugh.“All good.You gave me the answer I needed.Gonna take your advice and spoil the hell out of Teresa.That’ll definitely shut her up.”
Shut her up.
