"I'm so sorry, Cariño". He looked at her pleading. She just nodded not knowing what to say. All these years and now they were going down the drain. Please say something, he thought.
Tears were going down her face as she stood in her office not wanting to believe what she had just been told. He had an affair, it was a moment of weakness. He went over to her and she put her hands up.
"Don't touch me". He backed away. "Just... who is she?"
"Rita Calhoun".
"So all those years, you told me... you promised me that you loved me. Who else knows about this?"
"Olivia. I told her right after it happened".
"Oh so she knows but I don't? Don't come home tonight".
"Cariño –"
"No, Rafael! I might be filling for divorce. I can't do this".
He walked out and she sat down at her desk trying to comprehend what she had just been told. Her heart was broken. She got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. After doing this, she went to the precinct to find Olivia.
"Jayde, is everything ok?" Olivia saw her walk in and she saw that she was upset.
Jayde swallowed her tears and anger. "Can I talk to you in private?"
Olivia nodded and they went into her office where Jayde sat down in a chair by her desk.
"What's going on?"
"Rafael told me he had an affair".
Olivia sighed and nodded. "He told me. I am so sorry. You have every right to be angry with him. I was very upset when he told me".
Tears were coming down her face. "We have two kids together and –". She sighed. "I told him I wanted a divorce. I just –". Olivia nodded understandably. She rubbed her back. "I told him not to come home tonight. What am I going to tell the kids? Daddy has to work?"
There was a knock on the door and Olivia got up to open it. On the other side Amanda told her that Rafael was wanting to talk to her. She looked back at Jayde. "It's not a good time right now. I got Jayde who is very upset". Amanda nodded and left.
Olivia came back over to her. Jayde said nothing for awhile.
Outside, Rafael was talking to Sonny and Amanda. "What's going on with Jayde", Sonny asked.
Rafael looked at the floor. "She's upset with me".
"That's what Liv said".
"I told her I had an affair".
Sonny looked at him like he wanted to rip his head off. He got up and went to the break station. Amanda shook her head not knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry".
"Don't tell me, tell your wife". She got up and went over to Sonny.
That night she decided to stay at a hotel while Rafael went to the apartment. After she got to her room and locked the door, she thought of what to do. Without thinking, she called Joe. His phone went straight to voicemail so she left him a message to call her back. In her head, she thought of everything. How could he do this to her? Why Rita? Tears went down her face and she heard her phone ringing. The caller ID said that it was Joe.
"Hey, doll. Is everything ok? I'm here with Vincent and Johnny".
"I might be getting divorced".
"Oh, honey I'm so sorry. Is it ok if I put you on speaker?"
"Yeah that's fine".
She could hear Vincent and Johnny in the background. They both said hi to her.
"What's going on", Vincent asked her.
"Rafael had an affair. He said that it was just once".
Silence as they digested what she had told them. "I'm so sorry, doll", Joe told her. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I know it's his fault but I think it's my fault. I know it's stupid".
"This is his fault, ok. You didn't do anything wrong".
She nodded as she sniffed. "I also... I ... I'm having cravings again".
Silence. "Don't do it, J. Please promise me you won't use. Do this for the kids", Johnny told her. "Is there anyone who can stay with you?"
She thought. "I could ask Fin to come over or Sonny".
"Please promise me, J", Johnny repeated.
"I promise".
After finishing talking to the guys, she hung up and called Fin. He had just got off work and he answered immediately. "Hey Jayde. What's going on?"
"I'm at a hotel. Can you come over and stay with me for awhile so I don't go find drugs?"
Silence. "Yeah, I'll be right there".
I called Fin from work. He's on his way over. – Jayde
Ten minutes later, Fin knocked on her door. When she answered it, she saw not only Fin but Sonny. "I thought you could use both of us", Fin told her.
She nodded and let them in. Sonny gave her a hug. "What's going on", Fin asked.
They sat down on the bed. "Rafael told me that he had an affair".
Fin looked at her then at Sonny who nodded. "Damn. I'm sorry. Want me to strangle him?"
Jayde smiled a little. "I was talking to Johnny and the guys and I told them that I was jonesing for drugs and they had me call you. I just texted them you were coming over".
They nodded. "Thank you for calling us, Jayde", Sonny told her.
"Want to get something to eat", Fin suggested.
She nodded. "Yeah. I'm starving". She grabbed her purse and room key.
They walked to a bar by the hotel and they went to the back where they wouldn't be bothered. Jayde ordered a beer and wings. As they waited for the food and drinks, she looked around. Sonny thought of something to distract her. "How's the kids you work with?"
"They're doing good. One of them just had her baby. The 12 year old. She had a little girl".
Fin smiled. "Cute. What'd she name the baby?"
"Jayde Elizabeth".
"That's cute".
It was then her phone went off. She saw a text from the guys. That's good. Call us tomorrow to check in. We love you. – Joe
I will. I love you all. – Jayde
Sonny saw her texting. "Is that –"
She shook her head. "No. The guys wanted me to text them when I was with Fin and they want me to check in with them tomorrow".
He nodded. "You've known them for how long?"
"Since forever. Vincent and Anthony are good friends with Johnny so I've known them since I was very young". He nodded again. "They have children that are grown up but they consider me their daughter".
Fin laughed. "So your name would be..."
"Jayde Lucy Pereira Tallarico Furnier Ramirez".
Sonny thought about this and he furrowed his brow.
"Steven Tyler's real name is Steven Tallarico, Joe Perry's real name is Anthony Pereira and Alice Cooper's real name is Vincent Furnier", Jayde explained. "That's how we got my son Steven's name: Steven Vincent Anthony".
At the end of the night, Fin and Sonny made sure she was ok before they left. As Sonny walked out, Jayde caught up with him. "I know you're angry, don't rip his head off".
Sonny nodded. "Got it".
She then went back to her room and locked her door. There was a message from Johnny asking her to call him when she had a chance so she flopped on the bed and called him back. He answered immediately. "Hey J".
"Hey, Johnny. What's up?"
"I just wanted to check on you".
"I'm doing a little better. Fin and Sonny came over and we went out for beer and wings".
"That's good. Remember we love you, J. You can get through this. You've been through worse shit than this and you always come out on top".
She nodded. "I know, thank you. I love you and the guys so much".
That next day, she went to Rafael's office. He was surprised to see her. "Jayde. I am so sorry".
She nodded. "I am still very upset and angry. I just want to tell you that I've decided to file for divorce. I don't think I can trust you anymore. I love you but I don't want to be at home with the kids and wonder if you're at work or with her".
He nodded understandably. "I get it. I'm not going to ask you for anything, except to see the kids".
"I would never keep them from you, Rafael". Again, he nodded.
Sometimes life throws you curve balls but you just have to keep playing the game. – Jayde Ramirez
