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Like two hundred fifty thousand could ever qualify as a smallish favor.
No, Lucas was her family. He was her problem. Besides, it wasn’t like she was clueless or helpless. Surviving there wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. She lived through her adolescence with her father. Rose knew how to take care of herself. Life and Warren taught her that. Surely, it wouldn’t be as hard as keeping Lucas out of trouble.
She wasn’t stupid enough to think sneaking a gun inside her suitcase was a good idea. Rose was just as adept with a knife as she was with a gun, but a stash of throwing knives would definitely set off some red flags at her new home.
Her last option was a bat. Being athletic all her life was finally going to pay off. Hitting the batting cages to work off her frustration left her with a collection of bats and a swing that was dangerous. The bat didn’t care if it was a small white ball or a kneecap. They were silent and unassuming and would fit in her suitcase. Perfect.
Rose glanced at her phone to check the time. She needed to keep moving if she was going to get her stuff repacked before morning. She grabbed the two biggest suitcases that were stuffed full of clothes. Dumping the contents on the floor, she wedged a bat in each case. They weren’t big enough to hold more than one, so one in each would have to do. Rose added a few balls to the bottom of each one to make it look less like weapons and proceeded to sort through her clothes.
The air charged a second before the door opened. She didn’t have to turn to see who it was. The same thing happened every time. It was Warren. Rose tried her best to ignore him. Her skin tingled, remembering the way his hands used to roam over her body. It felt like it was a lifetime ago. Back when he was excited to see her, not now.
Tiredness settled over her, turning into a hurt that left her feeling broken. It wasn’t the first time she compared herself to a dog waiting on his master to come home, only to get a pat on the head before they hurried away to something more important. She couldn’t keep doing this to herself.
“Your boxes are in the dining room.”
“Rose, talk to me.”
“There is nothing more to say. We have done this over and over with no resolution. It is time to change the narrative. All you have to do is sign the papers. Everything is clearly marked. There is no need to drag this out.”
She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Instead, she continued stuffing things into her suitcases. It was the first time he had bothered to come home since he received the divorce paperwork. The papers were sent almost a month ago. He didn’t even call when she listed the house or when he signed for the sale of the house. Not even a text message.
“If you want a different house, pick out the one you want. Hire a builder if it will make you happy. Just tell me what you want me to do.”
Her heart cracked in two. He acted like he had no idea why she was leaving him. Her husband of twenty years thought buying her a house would solve everything. He hadn’t listened to a word she said.
“For the millionth time, it is not about the house. I don’t want a bigger house, nor do I want one in a better location custom made to my specifications. Houses never mattered to me.”
“Petal, please don’t do this. Talk to me. Tell me how to fix this. I just need a little longer, and things will be different.”
“You don’t get to call me that anymore. It’s already done, Warren. I filed the paperwork. Do us both a favor and sign it.”
“Do you want kids? We can be later in life parents if that will make you happy.”
“We raised Lucas. After him, I am fine with not having any of my own. Besides, sooner or later, he is going to do the same thing as dear old dad did. He is going to be standing on my doorstep with his child because he isn’t responsible enough to take care of himself, let alone a kid.”
“You don’t want a different house, and you don’t want more kids. What can I do to make you stay? Name it, and it is done.”
Rose fought back the tears that threatened to fall. She couldn’t let him see her heart breaking. They had been over this time and time again. Warren didn’t understand. How one man could be so clueless was beyond her. All she wanted was time with him. A wife should be near the top of the priority list. Rose would settle for being on the list. Hell, she would be thrilled to be penciled in at the very bottom. The house, the bank account, the car, none of it mattered. She was tired of fighting for scraps.
“Warren, what is today?”
“Thursday?” He asked. “I left last week and was gone for eight days on a job that should have taken three days, so yeah, today is Thursday.”
“Exactly,” Rose whispered, barely keeping herself in check. Warren had no idea it was her birthday. Nothing says you’re important like it’s Thursday. “Sign the papers. There is nothing left to save.”
“Don’t say that, Petal. I’m not giving up on us.”
Rose got to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her hurt and turned to face him. Her heart broke a little more when she saw how awful he looked. He looked shrunken from his six foot two height. His clothes were wrinkled and messy. Not his usual look of a freshly pressed black button-down that stretched across his shoulders and pristine black pants that made his ass look delectable. Warren looked as bad as she felt. The dark spots under his eyes almost matched the black of his hair. His blue eyes were tinged with worry as he searched hers for a sign she was going to relent.
When he stepped toward her, Rose held up her hands and backed away. There was no way she could let him touch her. If she did, they would be rolling around on the floor having bone-melting, mind-numbing sex until neither one could move a muscle. They would fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, and she would wake up cold and alone because his cell phone rang with a work emergency while she was asleep. He would be gone again for who knew how long. There was only so much one woman could take. Rose had reached her limit.
“I’m moving on. I have a new place, and I am leaving.”
“I can change your mind. Let’s go somewhere, just you and me. We can talk. Find what is missing. I’ll leave my phone at home.”
It was the same old song and dance. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what was bothering her. Rose had spelled it out for him many times. Promises were great until the phone rang.
Standing straighter, she looked Warren in the eye. “You had plenty of time to change my mind, to make me a priority. I’m done waiting for you to decide you want me. The rest of your stuff is in the dining room. Leave your key on the kitchen counter on your way out.”
