Wanting More(63)

I kissed her softly on the lips. “I don’t want to ever hurt you again, darlin’.”

“I’m afraid of losing you. I’m so afraid that if we stay away from each other, you’re going to find someone else or go back to your life in Kentucky.” More tears fell down her cheeks. I reached down and turned off the water.

After I climbed out, I grabbed her a towel and wrapped it around her shivering body. When we got back into the bedroom area, I sat her down and kneeled in front of her. “First off, you’re not goin’ to lose me and second, my life is wherever you are, so I won’t be goin’ back to Kentucky unless you’re with me.”

“Promise?”

I kissed both of her hands. “I swear it. I hate this idea of yours, but you stuck by me and let me do what I needed to do. I respect your decision and I’ll give you the time to get your life straight. I can’t ask you to leave everything, because I know you wouldn’t be happy in the long run. I want what you want, so I will wait.”

She finally smiled that beautiful smile that I’d been waiting to see. I didn’t want to have to wait any longer, but taking away what she loved just wasn’t fair. I would be okay with her plan, until he tried to lay a hand on her and then I was going to take matters into my own hands, with or without her approval.





Chapter 28

Amy

I’d like to say that the next couple months went by fast but they didn’t. The morning I dropped Conner off at his truck after his devastating night with Heather, I went home to find Rick waiting for me. Of all the freaking times he never came home early, he picked the one damn time I didn’t come home.

Conner and I had come up with a good plan and we promised to stick to it, so calling him on my secret phone wasn’t an option. I didn’t want to be in this marriage with this awful cheating, abuser. I wanted to be with Conner.

I walked into the house ready to face him. I didn’t back down or hesitate as I entered the house. Rick was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. A plate was sitting across from him and he even smiled when I approached. “We need to talk.”

Honestly, I really thought he was going to tell me that he was going to let me leave. Perhaps he and his whore Heather wanted to be together and I was the only thing standing in the way. I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. He offered me orange juice and even got up to make me a plate of food. “I’m listening.”

“Where were you last night?”

With shaking hands I took a drink of juice. I sat it back down and played with the rim of the glass. “I was honestly helping my friend who had too much to drink.”

“Did you fuck this friend?” His question wasn’t shocking.

“No, I didn’t.” It was the truth. I wanted to be with Conner, but it just wasn’t that kind of night.

“Do you love him?” He took another bite of his food and stared at me.

“Rick, why are you asking me these questions?”

“Do you remember when you used to love me?” It was a long time ago. Back when I thought that he was a kind and gentle man who only wanted to be with me and nobody else.

“Yes, I remember.”

He shocked me when he reached across the table and grabbed my hand. I started to pull away, but was petrified how he would react. “I want a fresh start, Amy. I want us to work on our marriage and be happy again.”

Flabbergasted.

That’s all I could come up with.

Then he started to cry. He plopped down on the ground and fell to his knees in front of me. “I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done to you. Please don’t leave me, baby. I will go to counseling, I will quit drinking, just please tell me that you’ll give me another chance. I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

Still nothing.

This had to be a dream.

Maybe I was still at the hotel and just hadn’t woke up yet. Maybe he shot me when I came in the door and this was just my own purgatory.

Rick laid against my knees balling his eyes out, while I just sat there speechless. I hated this man. He’d taken everything I had and turned it to shit. He’d cheated on me. He’d beaten me. There was never going to be a second chance. Not even if Hell froze over.

Then I started really thinking.

I believe that everyone has one moment in their life where they have the opportunity to change their path. A chance to undo the wrong and take everything into a whole different direction.

For months I’d looked for a way out. So many sleepless nights of both praying and begging God to help me out of my miserable situation.

This cold, awful man was at my feet begging me for forgiveness and I saw my way out. I was going to use his vulnerability to my advantage. I was going to use him far worse than he’d done to me. I was going to make him sorry he ever laid a damn hand on me. I would bury him.