The Father

Chapter 20

*THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN TRIGGERING SEQUENCES*
____

That month has flown by surprisingly fast. She called me every single day just like she said she would and today, finally, she's on her flight back home. It'll be another six hours and somehow that feels longer than the entire month.

It's September 21st. The leaves are just now starting to change in Central Park, I stare up at the trees as I run, and bake in the sun. My mind is cluttered with every single naked picture of her body that she sent me, of how delicious she's going to taste, and how I can't wait to be so deep inside of her that I won't be able to control myself.

I smile as I tell myself to calm down, otherwise I'll get another fucking hard on. I've restrained myself despite how hard it's been with all her pictures and comments. She knows just what she's coming home to. Actually, she's coming home to Maxwell, who's picking her up from the airport. She's assured me she's going to make up some bogus excuse so they can't have sex. I didn't tell her about him mentioning he was going to propose or that he was going to ask her to move in together. Maybe tonight will be the end of their relationship when he asks her to move in with him.

I can only hope.

As I finish my run I'm drenched in sweat, panting heavily, and quickly get into my car. I've smoked more cigarettes, ran more, and spent more time in the office than I have in a long time. The last time I kept myself holed up in there was when Lena cheated. I didn't want to be anywhere near her at first, only coming home for the kids. Now I don't want to be anywhere near her again. I haven't for a while.

And I haven't even been home today, so I do go. I need a shower and I plan to sleep until her plane lands, then we can plan on how we're going to see each other. I'll likely be called into work by the time she does get back, so who knows when we'll actually get to see each other. Especially after she told me that Maxwell took off of work tonight. As long as they don't fuck I'll be fine with waiting a little longer.

The house is empty like I knew it would be. Trish is at school and Lena is at work. It's only noon. So it's quiet as I shower and then throw on some boxer briefs and climb into our made up bed. I've took to sleeping in my office again when I'm actually home at night on the off chance that Lena would attempt to touch me.

It's easier to fall asleep in our bed than it is on the couch, though, and I do it quickly. My dreams are filled with her, with lovemaking and her beautiful face the way they have been almost exclusively since she left. I've still had my nightmares, but she's taken them over pretty well.

I wake to my phone ringing, to the sun shunting brightly into the windows, and as I roll over to grab it off of my nightstand I see Lena undressing in our closet.

"Hey, sleepy head," she says with a smile.

"Hm. Hey."

I glance at the clock as I pick my phone up, surprised to see that it is almost six thirty, and stare down at her name. Not her name, really, but just the letter "K." I answer it as I slide out of the bed.

"Hello?"

"He asked me to marry him, Michael. Maxwell asked me to marry him."

I practically choke and begin to cough as I quickly go into the bathroom. My face goes hot and I cringe up as I lock the door.

"He proposed to you? What did you say?"

"I said no. What else was I supposed to say? I mean christ... he did it in front of my friends and about a hundred other people at the airport."

Dear god, he didn't. Why in the fuck would he do that? I told him it wasn't a good idea and I thought he understood that he should wait. So he decided to not only propose, but to do it in a crowded airport?