Love Might Be a Hopeless Place

Ch. 1: Taken? Yes, for Granted.

You're supposed to trust the one you give your heart to. At least, that's what I would have hoped for.
Some might have considered me a bit of a flighty type in my younger years. Never settling, having passionate nights without meaning seemed the way to go. But that only gets you so far. It gets lonely.
So maybe you start hoping for more in spite of yourself; you build this perfect idea into your head after your experiences and think.. this time it'll work. This time it'll be different.
Don't get me wrong, now. I'm not naive but it's always felt as though I had a shortcoming when it came to love. That maybe I might have been doing it wrong. That previous marriage started off slow and sweet.
Two years ago, a girl approached me around Halloween. Casual talk over the cell became a night of pumpkin carving and trick or treating; she seemed kind enough. They say you never see any of it coming and they would have been right. Maybe all was really right with us in the beginning; all I could really be sure of was that I fell almost too quickly. I forgot about the caution that I had and dove head first. It came more clear to me as time went on however, that we were destined to start drifting. Little things would become an issue; if I tried addressing situations it seemed only to start fights. I would find out little secrets. I didn't know what to do to make it any better and so I learned to keep myself quiet..rather, I tried to. Don't get me wrong, like any relationship, it had its good times. It only pained me because I really thought I loved her more than anybody. Briefly, we had a beautiful period of happiness. You see, I lead a biker club known as the Sons of Anarchy. Occasionally we'll have little parties for certain celebrations or no reason at all. 
I would of course include her.
It was at one of the last large ones where we got engaged that I had had my best friend in attendance, a guy named Nick.
Of course, you don't ever want to believe anything could happen with your best friend and your lover, but I started noticing how strange she started acting. I was heart broken when connecting some dots. A girl was here with me, then a girl was there with him, then with me. Apparently they had only made love once then became distant; and all the while I recieved news that she was pregnant after we got married. You don't know how happy it is that she made me.
I guess since I lost my father so young, I've always thought of what it would be like to have a family of my own. To have some part of yourself that is pure, to love unconditionally and protect. I tried many times to find at least a way to have that so I then thought I knew a certain fulfillment. We went clothes and nursery shopping after the honeymoon of the wedding, but I was starting to see my friend becoming dejected. Being the person that I was, I checked in. Nick told me that he hardly saw the girl that he thought he loved anymore, but that she was having a baby as well. I congratulated him but then came the day that I confronted my ex, inviting the four of us on a double date. As time passed it only became obvious. though she never thought to admit it, we were seeing the same woman. It was the night that she discussed naming my kid Nathan..which was the name that Nick planned on naming his kid too.
Though I had tried helping her with the kid,  she was a stranger to me completely. Too busy for anything anymore, making excuses when I'd try to repair. It was one of the darkest times of my life and I guess one of my other friends saw that. "Cheer your ass up," he'd tell me. "Let's do something crazy and throw an open party. Invite absolutely anybody and I'll do the same. It'll be like old times, motherfucker."
How do you say no to free booze at a moment like this?

I didn't know what to expect here, but I hoped for the best. I invited my then wife and posted up invitations once I was free from work and club duties. I had everything set up and ready once people began to show. Being a host, I greeted the guests and thanked them for coming..it was starting off great and I was a few drinks in, letting loose. That was when a certain blonde woman walked in. I didn't know it yet, but fate was starting to intercept.