They couldn’t be lies.
My heart shattered in a million pieces and I collapsed onto the bed. I let the crying overwhelm me and soon I found it had been a hour’s time I lost. Without wasting another second, I walked into the kitchen and wrote a note.
It was hard to write the words; to finalize a relationship that I thought would last for the rest of our lives. As I cried through each one of them, the emotions rolled through me. I was hurt and I was lost. He’d betrayed me and that was the one thing I could never forgive. There was no way to get back what we’d had. We were over.
The ride to Bella’s school was full of more tears, but I got myself together enough to go in and sign her out early. Her father would go there to pick her up, but we’d already be long gone. I had a whole hour on him and he wouldn’t catch me. Once I was back at the ranch, Colt would keep us safe.
Ty was a fighter. He wasn’t just going to let me and the kids walk out of his life. He was going to make this ugly and as much as I was suffering, I knew it was going to kill Bella.
We no sooner got in the car, when she started asking questions. “Mommy, how come I had to leave school early? You know I have art in the afternoons and I didn’t get to finish my picture.”
“I’m sorry baby. I planned a surprise visit to see Noah.”
I could tell from the tone of her voice that she wasn’t mad at me anymore, at least not at the moment. “Really? Are we picking Daddy up next?”
I didn’t look in the rearview mirror, on account of her seeing the tears pouring down my face. “Daddy isn’t comin’ this time, Sweetie.”
“Well, can I call him to tell him I love him and I will miss him?”
“Why don’t you wait until he’s off of work. You know Daddy leaves his phone in the Jeep.” I wonder if that was really the truth. Maybe he had a separate phone that he used to make booty calls, maybe there were other girls like Heather.
The more I thought about Ty touching another woman, the more I couldn’t see to drive. I had to calm myself down. I had other lives to think about. My phone was ringing, so I pulled over and lied to Conner, saying that I just ran out to go to the store. He bought it and hung up without letting him ask any more questions. I was afraid he had seen the pictures, but he must have just seen me pulling out of the farm.
The farm was my home. It’s where I wanted to raise my children. It hurt to know that I was never going to go back there again. What was I going to tell my daughter. I couldn’t keep her from Ty, even if I wanted to. She would hate me for it.
He may have done me wrong, but he never failed that little girl. Ty was a good father. What was I going to do?
“Mommy, why are you crying?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just having one of my pregnant moments. You know it happens sometimes.”
Bella didn’t believe me. “Are you sad about something?”
“I’ll be fine. I just miss my mother, I think.” That was lame. I needed to be more creative. The questions were never going to end.
“Well, I already miss my Daddy. Why can’t he come with us? Who’s going to tuck me in?”
“Sweetie, Daddy couldn’t come this time. I will tuck you in. You’ll be fine.”
I heard her starting to cry and it was like I was being stabbed a million times. I pulled the car over again and turned to look at my daughter. “Bella, why are you crying?”
“I want my Daddy.” Of course, she wanted him. Whenever I got upset, he would take her and keep her mind off of things. This was her natural reaction.
I was too big to turn all the way around, so I reached my hand to touch her leg. “Bella, I promise that I will tuck you in and keep you safe. Everything will be okay.” I was lying to my child. It was never going to be okay. She was not going to be okay with being so many hours away from the only father she ever knew.
She continued to cry in the backseat. “Please let me call him.”
“My phone is dead. We can call when we get there.” I lied. I didn’t know what to do. I hadn’t taken the time to figure out what to say or what I was doing, I just left.
What was the family going to say when they found out? What were they going to do to Ty?
They’d never forgive him for this.
His family would sever ties and never speak.
Why had he done this to us?
To our children?
How could he choose his dick over his family?
Why did Heather choose today to show up and ruin my life? Did she get off on making me suffer? Did Ty say he wanted her? Was this his plan to get rid of me?
I hate him!
Chapter 18
Ty
My day at work was busy as shit. As much as I wanted to call and check in on Miranda, I never even got to break for lunch. By the time I clocked out, I had ten minutes to get to Izzy’s school. As I hopped in my Jeep, I grabbed my phone and dialed Miranda.