Part Time Lovers.

Chapter 2

"So daddy doesn't love us anymore? That's why he's going away?" Amari asked. His little lips were quivering, his bright brown eyes were beginning to water, and it was breaking my heart.

"Baby boy, sometimes mommies and daddies don't live together alright? But..."

"So I won't see him again? If maybe I score more goals than Ethan daddy won't leave?" My heart dropped in my stomach while my baby boy cried on my stomach.

Analeigh was going to be okay. She might need a little adjusting, but my Annie Sophia was a tough cookie. She was happy to get double presents for Christmas. Amari on the other hand, he was sensitive.

"You are the best person on your soccer team, okay baby? And this is not your fault at all, alright? When you grow up a little more then you'll understand. Your daddy loves you more than life itself Amari." I told him, then kissed his forehead.

I walked him into my room and let him watch cartoons in my bed while I tidied up and waited for Nathaniel.

"You were supposed to be here 8 hours ago." I spat when Nate came in at 11:45. He reached out to give me a hug and kiss, but I moved out the way. He seemed like he was high.

"Why are you acting like this, I'm your husband." Nate complained.

"Now you're my husband. Whatever Nate, you're a joke." I sighed.

"Yeah, jokes on me for marrying such an uptight whore. Shut up and stop complaining. God I can't even come home to peace and quiet." He ranted.

"I'm going to bed. Fuck you Nate." I turned to walk away when Nate grabbed my arm.

"Who do you think you're talking to like that? Who do you think you're divorcing? I'm tired of your shit Imani. You're not leaving." Nathaniel hissed, tightening his grip on my wrist.

"Get off of me, you're gonna leave a bruise." I mumbled. He let go and walked away, and I went in my room holding back tears. I rubbed my wrist and thought about all the nights like tonight. All the nights he'd get home late, either high, drunk or both, if he even came home at all. It was a rare night when Nate actually came home sober. If I called him out about it, then I became the bitch, the whore or the thot.

I was about to rub ice on my wrist when Nate came in my room. "You already know what I want." Nate grumbled. I rolled my eyes, pulled down my sweats and thought about anything except for Nathaniel on top of me. After seven minutes of terrible thrusting, he rolled over and fell asleep.

I took a hot shower and scrubbed Nathaniel's scent off of me, then I cried. We used to be so in love, I didn't know where we went wrong. I got out, dried off and tried to go to sleep on the edge of the bed. After an hour of trying, I gave up and scrolled through Twitter.

Amari came in a few minutes later and I could tell he'd been crying. "Mama, can I sleep with you?" He asked shyly. I nodded yes and let him slip in between me and Nathaniel. He started crying softly, and I guess that woke up his father.

"Man up. You're 8 years old, stop crying and climbing in bed with your mom like a little girl." Nate barked.

"Sorry dad." Amari sobbed, then started silently crying. "I love you mommy, I love you daddy." Amari said quietly, still crying.

"I love you more little guy." I told him, and fell asleep. When we woke up the next morning, Nathaniel was long gone.

I got Amari ready for school, then dropped him off, went home and got ready for my friend Courtney to come over.

"Hey gorgeous." She greeted me when she walked in. 

"Hey beautiful. I made lemon meringue pie and iced tea for us." I told her as we sat.

"Bringing out the big guns? What happened?"

I enjoy our talks. Courtney is a really good friend and she's been married for like 12 years, but every time you see her and Chris, it's like they're still newlyweds.   I sighed, then started. "I finally caught him cheating and I asked for a divorce. He was supposed to come by yesterday around 3, he didn't come until midnight. He told Amari to stop acting like a little girl and man up, then he left."

"Alright, you finally caught him?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a fork full of pie.

"I thought he had been cheating for years, but every single time I'd confront him about it, he'd make me seem like I was being paranoid, or he'd flip it on me, saying I was cheating. He'd tell me I was imagining another woman's scent on him, or that was a bruise from work, not a hickey. I thought I was going crazy Court. I honestly thought I was going crazy." I leaned over and cried on her shoulder. "To actually catch him, it was a relief. Hold on, let me get us some more pie." I grabbed our plates and saw a knowing look pass over Courtney's face.

"How'd you get that bruise?" She asked gently.

"Must be from my bracelet yesterday, I knew I put it on too tightly. Silly me." I replied, faking a smile and giving Courtney back her plate. "He doesn't hit me Court." She gave a quick nod and ate more pie when someone knocked on the door. I got up to answer it, and I started getting angry all over again.

"I swear I hate his stupid bitch ass!" I yelled, looking down at the papers taped to my door.

"What's wrong honey bun?" Court asked when I sat back down.

"Nathaniel filed for divorce and full custody." I mused.