her. You can’t stop someone from cheating, as you well know.”
James took a sip of wine and reached across the table to take my hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He then pushed his wine to the side and took my other hand in his. “You’ll stay here until we get this figured out, okay?”
A worried look spread across his face, making him look like a hollow shell. Something about what he said didn’t sit right with me, either.
… until we get this figured out?
What exactly was there to figure out? I was pregnant with his child, and I had just been kicked out of my home. Nothing about that was going to change anytime soon. At least not for another eight months. I should have been invited to stay.
I slowly pulled my hands out of his grip.
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
“Aud? You alright?” James asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just really tired all of a sudden. Can I just go lie down?”
“Sure, sweetheart. Let me go and see if the guest room is presentable.”
Guest room? Was he for real?
James stood up and pushed his seat from under the table. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been in there in a while. Not exactly sure what state it’s in,” he added, his voice carrying down the long hall as he walked away.
I sat at the table, confused. What would possess James to put me in the guest room? Unless he thought that’s what I would have wanted. Of course! That must be it. He probably figured I had a guilty conscience and would simply be more comfortable in there.
“James?” I hollered up the stairs. When he didn’t answer, I walked up there and caught him getting a few extra pillows out of the hallway closet.
“Hey,” I said. “You don’t have to put me in the guest room.” I grabbed the pillows from James and shoved them back on the shelf. “I’ll stay with you, silly.”
James wrinkled his face at me.
“You can’t, Audrey.”
“What? Why not?” I asked.
“Because.”
When I stared blankly at him, he placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Sweetheart, it’s Kristin. She doesn’t know about you yet.”
Well that bitch was getting ready to find out. Really fucking fast.
“ L et me handle Kristin , and you just focus on keeping my clients happy.”
I brushed past James in the kitchen and mumbled an acknowledgment that I had at least heard what he said.
But I wasn’t happy.
I hardly slept the night before, still angry about the fact that James never bothered to mention to his estranged ex-wife—who incidentally was cheating on him for months—that we were together and that I was pregnant.
He had tried explaining that he didn’t want to upset her into doing something stupid so soon after agreeing to their arrangement. She was a recovering alcoholic, but I wasn’t convinced that he still felt some obligation to protect her too.
“You know, this isn’t easy for me either, Audrey,” James snapped.
I jerked my head in his direction, feeling momentarily bad that I had been so insensitive. I’m sure that he had his own ways of dealing with all of this, but I should have been his priority, especially after everything that Kristin had put him through.
“I know it’s not easy for you, James. But she needs to know about us.” I tossed down the rag I had been using to wipe the counter after my breakfast. James was just getting started with his day.
“And like I said, I will tell her. Today as a matter of fact.” He sat down at the breakfast table and popped his paper open. “There’s no need for you to be upset. These things need to be handled delicately, so let me do that.”
I sighed, realizing that he was right. I was being pushy and assumptive. It hadn’t been but a little over a week since we found out I was pregnant. Most people don’t tell anyone that soon. This was turning into a bombshell for everyone involved.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess I’m just anxious about everything, especially after getting kicked out of my house last night.”
James gave me a
James took a sip of wine and reached across the table to take my hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He then pushed his wine to the side and took my other hand in his. “You’ll stay here until we get this figured out, okay?”
A worried look spread across his face, making him look like a hollow shell. Something about what he said didn’t sit right with me, either.
… until we get this figured out?
What exactly was there to figure out? I was pregnant with his child, and I had just been kicked out of my home. Nothing about that was going to change anytime soon. At least not for another eight months. I should have been invited to stay.
I slowly pulled my hands out of his grip.
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
“Aud? You alright?” James asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just really tired all of a sudden. Can I just go lie down?”
“Sure, sweetheart. Let me go and see if the guest room is presentable.”
Guest room? Was he for real?
James stood up and pushed his seat from under the table. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been in there in a while. Not exactly sure what state it’s in,” he added, his voice carrying down the long hall as he walked away.
I sat at the table, confused. What would possess James to put me in the guest room? Unless he thought that’s what I would have wanted. Of course! That must be it. He probably figured I had a guilty conscience and would simply be more comfortable in there.
“James?” I hollered up the stairs. When he didn’t answer, I walked up there and caught him getting a few extra pillows out of the hallway closet.
“Hey,” I said. “You don’t have to put me in the guest room.” I grabbed the pillows from James and shoved them back on the shelf. “I’ll stay with you, silly.”
James wrinkled his face at me.
“You can’t, Audrey.”
“What? Why not?” I asked.
“Because.”
When I stared blankly at him, he placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Sweetheart, it’s Kristin. She doesn’t know about you yet.”
Well that bitch was getting ready to find out. Really fucking fast.
“ L et me handle Kristin , and you just focus on keeping my clients happy.”
I brushed past James in the kitchen and mumbled an acknowledgment that I had at least heard what he said.
But I wasn’t happy.
I hardly slept the night before, still angry about the fact that James never bothered to mention to his estranged ex-wife—who incidentally was cheating on him for months—that we were together and that I was pregnant.
He had tried explaining that he didn’t want to upset her into doing something stupid so soon after agreeing to their arrangement. She was a recovering alcoholic, but I wasn’t convinced that he still felt some obligation to protect her too.
“You know, this isn’t easy for me either, Audrey,” James snapped.
I jerked my head in his direction, feeling momentarily bad that I had been so insensitive. I’m sure that he had his own ways of dealing with all of this, but I should have been his priority, especially after everything that Kristin had put him through.
“I know it’s not easy for you, James. But she needs to know about us.” I tossed down the rag I had been using to wipe the counter after my breakfast. James was just getting started with his day.
“And like I said, I will tell her. Today as a matter of fact.” He sat down at the breakfast table and popped his paper open. “There’s no need for you to be upset. These things need to be handled delicately, so let me do that.”
I sighed, realizing that he was right. I was being pushy and assumptive. It hadn’t been but a little over a week since we found out I was pregnant. Most people don’t tell anyone that soon. This was turning into a bombshell for everyone involved.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess I’m just anxious about everything, especially after getting kicked out of my house last night.”
James gave me a
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