my only one (COMPLETED)

chapter 46

Chapter 46:

Eventually the voices quietened down and I heard someone running up the stairs. ‘C’mon Hanley we’re getting out of this house and we’re never returning’ Alex burst in causing max to jump and start to cry. ‘Alex! Let’s discuss this when we get home and get Max to bed’ I picked max up trying to comfort him, but he continued to cry into my shoulder.

‘There’s nothing to discuss!’ Alex laughed. ‘We’re not coming back here. Ok. No more Uncle Jack! Now let’s go!’ Alex ran back down the stairs before I could reply. I sighed to myself. ‘No more Uncle Jack?’ Max whimpered. ‘Shush honey, don’t worry you’ll see Uncle Jack soon ok?’ Max calmed down and wriggled out of my arms. ‘Max, get back here!’ I chased after him down the stairs and saw him run into Jack’s arms.

‘Alex is in the car, you better go before he comes back in’ I looked around and saw Zack looking as angry as ever on the couch, Rian was trying to calm him down. I nearly burst into tears, all of this was too much, things could never be simple could they? ‘C’mon maxie’ Jack said handing max over to me.

Max began to cry again. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll come see Uncle Jack again soon, I promise’ I tried to speak over Max’s cries. I turned to leave and heard Jack behind me. ‘Hanley, don’t make promises you can’t keep’ I looked back and saw tears running down Jack’s cheek. Alex was controlling us all, I couldn’t let this happen. ‘I don’t’ I smiled and Jack smiled back.

Alex started viciously beeping at us so I quickly took Max into the car and we made our way home. Max fell asleep in the back seat as me and Alex sat in silence. Eventually we arrived home and I lay Max down in his bed where he remained asleep. I kissed him gently on the forehead and closed the door behind me to see Alex.

‘We need to talk’ I sighed. He nodded and we both made our way to the living room and sat down. ‘You can’t stop Max from seeing jack’ I began. ‘Why not? I’m his father!’ He interrupted. ‘But Jack is his Uncle. Alex listen, you are the father and Max loves you. A lot. Do you know much he missed you? Even when Jack was here! He just got very close to Jack and wasn’t used to him being here everyday’ Alex looked down, ashamed. ‘That’s all I have to say’ I waited for him to reply. ‘I’m sorry. I was so wound up about what Max said, I didn’t realize’ he sighed.

‘Can we forget this whole thing happened?’ I dared to ask. Alex grunted and looked at me ‘Maybe. I’ll sleep on it’ he stood up. I didn’t reply, just followed him to the bedroom were we both fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

The next day I woke up to see Alex had gone. I immediately grabbed my phone and rang him, but he didn’t answer. I ran to check on max. He was still fast asleep at 10 am, which was kind of surprising. However, I wasn’t complaining. I made a cup of tea and sat on the couch waiting for something to happen.

I thought about ringing Jack, would it be a good idea to call him though? I sipped my tea and thought. What if Jack came over and Alex returned? That would be the end of it. I sighed and put my head down on the couch. It wasn’t an easy lifestyle I had picked out for myself. I wish Alex could be chill about things and not get so jealous and wound up about stupid things.

I nearly drifted off but the sound of my phone ringing woke me up. I didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but it did look somewhat familiar. I answered the phone cautiously. ‘Hello?’ ‘Hey’ a quiet voice on the end replied. I immediately knew who it was. ‘Hey Zack! What’s up?’ ‘Nothing much, just checking to see if you’re ok’ he didn’t sound mad at all, considering he’d just found out that I’d not only slept with Alex but his best friend too. ‘I’m fine’ I sighed. ‘Really?’ ‘Well, no not really’ ‘Didn’t think so’ Zack replied.

‘If you want, I could come over? As a friend’ he added. I paused and began to think of what damage this could cause. Alex could get the wrong idea if he saw us together. That’s all I could come up with. But Alex and Zack are friends now, I think. So all should be fine. ‘Sure’ I finally answered. ‘Ok, see you in a few!’ ‘Bye’ I hung up and smiled to myself. I hadn’t had a proper conversation with Zack in ages.

I saw Zack’s car pull up and that’s when I heard banging from upstairs. ‘Maxie?’ I shouted. ‘Yes mummy?’ his small voice replied. ‘Are you ok?’ ‘Yeah, just playing with my toys’ ‘Oh ok then’ I shouted back. And heard Zack knocking on the door.

I opened the door and Zack looked at me and smiled. ‘Hey’ I smiled back at him. ‘Hi’ he replied. I let him through and closed the door. ‘So, how’ve you been?’ I asked sitting down next to him on the couch. ‘Urm, I’ve been better’ he laughed. I smiled in slight confusion, how could he be taking all this drama so well? ‘Yeah, me too’.

‘Where’s Alex?’ He looked around in wonder. ‘He’s urm, well, I don’t know’ ‘Oh’ he breathed. ‘He just wasn’t there when I woke up’ I looked at the floor. ‘I see, how was he last night?’ ‘He was ok, a bit angry still but he knows he kind of took things too far’ ‘that’s good’. Zack and I continued random small talk with long awkward silences in between.

It wasn’t long before Zack’s real character broke out and had me in stitches. He was a funny guy once you get to know him. I even let a tear out, I was laughing so much. Zack stopped laughing and smiled at me as he wiped the tear from my cheek. I gave a quick smile.  After a few moments of staring into his eyes and his hand now just stoking my cheek he leaned in and closed his eyes.

Somewhere in my mind I knew that what was about to happen was wrong. But that knowledge didn’t stop me. I met him halfway and our lips connected. There was a spark between us and all the memories of being with Zack began to play in my mind. I’d forgotten what an amazing kisser he is. And what an amazing boyfriend he was.

He backed off and I saw his fright in his eyes. ‘I’m, s-so sorry!’ He stuttered. ‘It’s fine!’ I smiled, but I was lying. ‘Really?’ he voice was shaking. I nodded and he settled down a bit. ‘But, if you tell Alex’ he began. ‘Believe me I won’t’ I laughed. Zack smiled and the awkward silence returned. ‘You should go’ I sighed. ‘But’ he looked at me. But I turned my attention towards to the door. I heard a small sigh and he stood up to leave.

I stood up too and he began to run his hands through my hair. I looked down, I didn’t know what was going on or what I was feeling. ‘Bye’ he whispered and kissed me on the cheek. ‘Yeah, bye’ I sighed as he closed the door. I didn’t want him to leave, but who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t. Anyway, know one had to know. I may have felt something back there, but maybe he didn’t? I would have broken down into tears if max hadn’t run down the stairs. ‘Mummy I’m hungry!’ he said. I quickly wiped my eyes and turned around. ‘Ok, let’s get you some food then’ I smiled and headed to the kitchen when suddenly I heard a noise behind me.

It was a song of some sort; I think it was Alex’s phone. I reached into Alex’s coat pocket and there it was. No wonder he didn’t pick up the phone before. I went to place the phone back into the coat pocket when suddenly I caught a glimpse of the name on the screen. My heart thudded and I felt my stomach whirl as I read the name ‘Zack’.