Chapter 34
Amy
I knew as soon as I pulled off that farm lane where I wanted to be and I didn't want to wait any longer to have it. I don't care if I had to rent some run-down apartment and eat macaroni and cheese. I just wanted to be able to come home and be with Conner. I loved him and it wasn't just because he saved me more than once, or promised to always keep me safe. It wasn't because sex with him was the greatest thing I'd ever experienced in my life or because looking at him made my heart pound.
When looked at Conner I saw something more.
I loved him for sacrificing his own happiness for his family. I loved him for holding his heart on his shoulder and letting me in. He was a hard worker, who loved children. A badass who always made me feel safe.
He asked me once to fall into him. I was ready to take that leap.
When I got home, I had a determined mindset. The problem was getting around Rick. Being that Shelby was finally talking to me, I used my secret phone to ask if she could meet me within the next week for lunch. I had to know how she knew.
This is Amy. We need to talk. Can you meet me this week sometime for lunch?-A
I can't. He will know I told you. -S
Please. I won't tell him and I promise to make it so you aren't involved. Shelby, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. He doesn't know I have this phone. Just think about it and tell me.-A
I will let you know. -S
It wasn't the greatest of news, but it was a start. In the meantime, when Rick left for work, I ransacked through every drawer, every cabinet and even the closets, but I couldn't find anything that would incriminate him. After getting the house back together, I felt like I was never going to find anything that would give me a way out.
It just didn't make sense. Rick was this changed man. He was nice all the time and doing everything to make me happy. Even when we were first married, he wasn't that nice.
A week went by and I still had no word from Shelby. Conner was back to stealing lunchtime kisses and back room make out sessions like we had never been threatened before. I think he was just at a point where he didn't care if the whole town knew we were having an affair. He was sick of waiting and the fastest way of having me for himself was forcing us to be caught.
I considered just letting that happen too, but I always feared that we'd have to look behind our backs all the time and I didn't want that kind of life.
With Conner being so determined, I continued to try to pry into Rick's life. The man was so squeaky clean that he looked like he was best friends with the pope. Finally, I started sending Shelby messages until she broke down and agreed to a meeting.
While I waited for the meeting to happen, I kept up with the charade at home. I would wake up in the mornings and go to work as Rick was coming in. He would sleep all day and then have dinner ready when I got home and leave around seven for his night shift again. His holiday hours allotted me a lot of time to talk to Conner. A few times I even took the chance and snuck out to see him.
The two week period had ended and we were literally a week and a half away from Christmas. Conner was begging me to just leave and spend Christmas with him and his family, but I wasn't ready for them to know like that. It was too many of them to face at once and I needed to talk to Miranda before I just showed up at her house. I know she'd offered for me to stay with her a million times, but this was different. I wouldn't be moving in just to get away from my marriage. I'd be moving in to be with her brother.
Shelby and Devon met me at a mall that was about forty five minutes from town. I didn't mind the drive to keep her safe. I didn't recognize her when she showed up. Her hair was back to brown and even though she still had her piercings, they weren't really noticeable. "You look so pretty."
She turned and looked at Devon. "That's what he said too." She grabbed a strand of hair and looked at it. "I don't know if I like the color."
"I think it's perfect, but if you need to change it, I know a great salon that would do it for free."
She smiled and sat down. "Amy, I'm sorry I was so awful to you for so long. You have to know it wasn't easy for me to live in that house with him. When you weren't around, he would take things out on me. All I wanted to do was escape."
Tears filled my eyes. "If I would have known I would have taken you out of there. You have to know that."
"I couldn't tell you, Amy. He threatened me."
"He did the same to me. For a long time I believed that he really would hurt me."
Devon reached his arm around Shelby and she leaned her head into him.
"I don't understand why you haven't left yet. I mean, you have the money to get away. Why haven't you?"
I just assumed that she was referring to the salon. "I don't make as much money as you think. Your father is in charge of the bills and after he takes everything out, I barely have enough for groceries and gas."