Becoming a Woman

Chapter 16

Weeks had flown by in the Neilson's household with no means of communication whatsoever. Usually when Avery and Tommy fought, after a couple of days they'd cool down and things would slowly go back to normal. But this time was different. At first, Avery didn't believe she was the one in the wrong so she made no effort to talk things through with her husband. However, over time the distance between them began to drive Avery up a wall.

The energy in the house this time felt different. Tommy wouldn't even look at her. They'd been sleeping in separate rooms and actively avoiding each other. As Avery thought back to their fight two weeks ago, she began to ponder if she went overboard. Tommy's reaction before he left the house replayed in her head causing her to feel a little guilty for saying what she said. After all, Tommy wasn't totally at fault that day.

Avery could admit that lunch with her parents could have gone way worse. Tommy's mouth was reckless and the fact that he held his tongue for her showed just how much he cared about her feelings. She should have given him credit for that.

Avery pulled herself out of bed feeling extra sluggish. She had been feeling so out of it since she and Tommy had been at odds. She dragged to the bathroom, rubbing her eye as she flopped down on the toilet. Her stomach was crampy, her head was throbbing, and her mouth had this weird taste in it that made her stomach twist.

Avery released her bladder and then hopped into the shower. She washed herself up with a quickness, feeling the need to go lie back down for another twenty minutes before work. After washing up, she brushed her teeth then made her way back into her bedroom.

Tommy was in their bedroom picking out an outfit. Avery changed into her undergarments then sat on the middle of the bed, watching her husband. He held his phone in his hand, one hand texting, the other sifting through his clothes. Avery picked up her cell phone, checking the day. I thought he was off today, she thought to herself.

Tommy threw a pair of cargo pants and a white polo shirt onto the bed along with his phone before leaving the room. Avery chewed on her lip as she eyed his phone. She wasn't one to go through her husband's belongings... but she was curious as to what her husband had been up to.

As if the universe was tempting her, his phone lit up. She peeked over seeing a text message pop up across his screen. Avery twisted at her hands as she debated on picking up the phone. When she heard the shower start in the distance, she couldn't fight the urge anymore.

Avery used her fingerprint to unlock his phone. Her stomach began to churn again as she read the message thread between Tommy and a Dior.

Dior: Are you still coming?

Tommy: On my way!

Dior: I thought you changed your mind lol

Avery's face frowned up as she read those messages. That was from two nights ago, it was nine at night. Avery bit her lip, her heart racing as she read their messages from a few minutes ago. There weren't any in depth conversations via text between the two.

Dior: I just got here. I'm by the bar.

Tommy: Ok

Avery left the text messages and went to Tommy's call log. Her heart sank to her stomach when she saw they had quite a few calls between them. Their phone calls usually lasted from thirty minutes to an hour. When did they talk on the phone? Did he wait until she was sleeping to have these long conversations with her? Or did he wait until he wasn't around her?

Insecurities attacked Avery full speed. Tommy had never given her a reason to suspect that he would cheat—she hoped she was just overreacting. Either way, she wasn't comfortable with her husband having late night phone calls and meeting up with some woman she had never heard of before.