In the aftermath of a decade-long marriage, Peter contemplates divorce from Luke, driven by newfound feelings for someone else. As the two navigate the heartbreak and shared space, Luke begins to heal while Peter grapples with the realization of wha...
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"Honey, I'm home!" I sing like I do every time I get home after Peter does. Each time, without a miss and for ten years I've heard the melody of my husband's voice as he sings back "Honey, so am I!" but not today, and I'm scared.
I walk a direct line to the bedroom catching side of Peter just in time so I can pivot to the dining room. I dropped my messenger bag as if it was on fire. "Peter, babe? What's wrong? Please tell me it's not your mom."
My mother-in-law has been on and off in a fight with a terminal disease, and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Laura. It would break me as much as it would break Peter. She's been like a mother to me since I was five.
"No! Oh god, no," my heart returns to its place, "I just–I need to talk to you... something important. Please sit."
I breathe in relief for about two seconds. Something important? Peter has never looked this troubled when we have a problem. "What's going on then?" I pull a chair and sit on it. When I reach for Peter's hands he pulls them away and I get even more worried.
"Listen, there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it, but before I do, I need you to know that I love you and I always will. And regardless of what happens, I'll take care of you."
Hurry up, I silently beg. I shouldn't have. Because what he says next can't be true. He's not asking me for a divorce; he's most certainly not saying he's not in love with me anymore because no, that's impossible... except it isn't impossible. It's not because that's exactly what he's saying and he doesn't stop there.
"I met someone—" My eyes almost jump out of their sockets and I grab at my stomach worried I might lose all I've eaten today. "For fucks sake, Luke, I would never, never, cheat on you. Gabe and I have never..."
His words go away; the sound is replaced by my inner monologue. Gabe is catching up so quickly. Gabe impresses me every day- he's our best intern yet. How could I've been so stupid? Every conversation we've had about that Gabe 'kid' comes back to remind me of all the praises he's received from my husband while I listened cluelessly not realizing that that guy was stealing the other half of my heart.
"I'll continue to pay for your studies of course. I won't leave you hanging. You can stay here in any of the bedrooms, I mean, the house is also yours so obviously..."
I keep listening. My heart keeps breaking.
Our entire lives flash through my eyes. Playing as kids. Staying at Peter's house when my parents traveled. Falling in love with him then realizing he loved me too. It has all been a dream up until now.
Peter is so strong, so possessive, and so powerful. I've always been drawn to those qualities of him and how he always took care of me.
I never cared that he wanted me to be a trophy husband—staying home while he worked, tending house, studying. It had all been the life we fell into and the roles that pleased us both. Now? Now those roles are the ones forcing me to do the last thing I want, because I've never worked a day in my life and now I'll have to rely on Peter to finish my master's. I'll have to live here, with him, until god knows when because I can't live on my own.
Technically I own half of what we've built–what Peter's built. Technically I could live on my own with my part of 'our' fortune until I find a job.
Realistically? Realistically my soul is breaking, because the man who swore to love me till death do us part, just broke my heart to pieces and nothing will ever be the same.
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Author's Note: So we meet again and we do so with two new boys that I'm already in love with. Please tell me what you think of these first two chapters. I would love to know your opinion and it always makes me happy when you all comment on my stories.
