One Day You'll Be Mine: Steamy Contemporary Military Romance (7 page)

Chapter 10: Rose

Thanks to last night’s conversation, I slept like a newborn baby. Ellis had clearly logged off Skype and went in to work, so I knew I wouldn’t hear from him until later on. It was early in the week, Tuesday, so I was expecting things to be a little slower than usual, not as hectic as Monday or Thursday, when everyone wanted to pick up the pace.

I shot Ellis a quick email when I got to the office:

Hey love. I was just thinking of you and wanted to tell you how much I really love you. I miss you so much, and I’m proud of you and everything you’re doing for our country, and for people you’re helping around the world.

Thank you for reminding me of our wonderful future together. I’m so happy to be Mrs. Houston, and cannot wait to be the mother of your children. I can’t wait to talk to you later; it comforts me when we talk late at night. I feel like you’re right here next to me when I’m sleeping. Let me stop gushing. I have work to do – and a skype surprise for you later. Love you TTYL

I sent my email and placed my focus on upcoming deadlines. We were getting ready to lay out our holiday issue, which was big. Most of our money was made during this time, because advertisers were trying to get the best placements ahead of time.

***

Working through lunch today wasn’t an option. It wasn’t super-hot outside, but the weather was still beautiful and I intended to enjoy every single minute of it. I was trying to make a decision between P.F. Chang’s or Chili’s when my phone alert sounded.

“Hey Natalia!”

“Rose…” The voice on the other end sounded fragile, weak. Natalia sounded like she was dying.

“Natalia, are you okay?” I pressed the phone to my ear, maximizing the volume as much as possible. “I can barely hear you.”

“Rose…” She repeated, this time a little louder, brittleness still present. “… It’s worse than I imagined.”

“What is?” I sat down at my desk, waiting for her to explain “what” was “worse” than imagined, and since when. As she started to explain, it didn’t take but a couple of minutes before I realized there was no way in hell I would make it to P.F. Chang’s for lunch. Grabbing my purse, I told her to hold on, and walked outside.

Chapter 11: Rose

There were a million things I expected to hear when I answered my sister-in-law’s phone call. I expected to hear a “hello” back, or a “hey.” I expected to hear that she’d gotten into another fight with Hollis. Part of me may have even been prepared to hear that one of them spoke of possibly filing for divorce. Things like that happened when you’re together and things get really tough.

But I did not expect to hear about Hollis having an affair, nor the scandalous, sordid details of him being involved with another
man
.

I went downstairs to the juice bar, and ordered a green drink while Natalia recounted the experience hysterically. She filled me in on the roses she thought she’d gotten from Hollis, the argument that followed when she learned he never bought her any roses, and the cold shoulder and accusations of infidelity that followed. She spoke of being at home with her friend when his lover – Presley, or something to that effect – knocked on her door somewhere close to midnight claiming to be the reason he wasn’t at home.

She even broke down his entire side of the story, and how he walked out after telling her he had fallen in love with Hollis, and wasn’t able to let him go. This was entirely too much for me.

“Oh, my Lord!” My mouth was agape at the information. I didn’t know how to process what I’d heard. That was a lot to take in – and Hollis wasn’t even my husband.

“Have you spoken to him about this?”

“I tried, but he refuses to talk to me. I asked if he was having an affair, and he exploded on me, telling me that he’s not answering my stupid questions and to find something productive to do with my life.” She sobbed. “When I brought up Presley’s name, he exploded even more.”

“Whoa.” Hearing that appalled me. “That’s completely unacceptable. Why is he talking to you like that?”

“I don’t know,” Natalia said. “But it’s been three days since that man showed up at our house, and I can’t eat. I barely sleep. I can’t think straight. Jordan’s asking what’s wrong, and all I can do is tell him ‘Mommy doesn’t feel well.’ And he asks what he can do, and…” Her voice trailed off as the sobs started up again.

I did my best to soothe her through the phone. “Shh… It’s okay, Nat. Let it out. I’m here for you.”

Looking at my watch, I realized I didn’t have a lot of time left on my lunch break. This wasn’t the type of conversation I wanted to have in the office, so I had to cut it short. I asked Natalia what she wanted to do, but she wasn’t sure. I stayed with her for a couple of minutes and told her to get a couple of ideas together. I didn’t want to throw her into a divorce or marriage counseling; she would have to figure out what she wanted to do herself. However, I did want her to start thinking about her options – whether she’d want to stay, go, or at least get some space – so she could make a clear decision for herself with certainty.

“Please be careful,” I added. “Protect yourself, and get tested too. One man came forward. You don’t know if there were others – and how many others there are if so.” I also prayed internally for her safety. Hollis sounded like a wild element. He clearly wasn’t playing with a full deck, and if he snapped… 

The rest of my day was spent reeling between utter shock about all I’d heard, and rage. I loved Hollis like a brother, but I knew Natalia was anything but a drama queen. She really loved him, and all she wanted was another child. To think she’d been minding her business, trying to make her marriage work, only to discover her husband was trying to make a home with someone else.

Trying to make sense of this all was impossible. I found myself scrolling through Facebook pictures of Hollis and Natalia, looking for signs of discord or strife. I found nothing. I spent another hour going through Hollis’ pictures, piece by piece, looking for any indications that he was homosexual. I don’t know who I was fooling; I knew better than to believe you could simply look at someone and know they were gay, but I couldn’t help trying to see if there was anything I’d missed.

Ellis hadn’t emailed me back during the day. I was dying to speak with him too. I wanted to know how he was, and his take on the story. Chances were he hadn’t spoken to Hollis at all; they didn’t really communicate outside of emails. Yet and still, my hope was that he would have something to help me temper the blow to Natalia’s heart.

And mine too. All I could think about was how Ellis and I were only a month into his deployment, and everything seemed to have started falling apart already.

Chapter 12: Natalia

It’d been exactly four days since Presley’s revelation about Hollis had come to the surface. Although I never heard from him again, Kelli confirmed that he did live at cul-de-sac on her street.

“Come to think of it,” she said. “He’s been there since March. I just never knew who he was until he moved in. And I thought nothing of never seeing his wife, because we both know it’s not uncommon for spouses to live apart sometimes.”

I don’t remember when I finally went to sleep that night. But I woke up on the couch, covered in a blanket, eyes puffy. Kelli left a note saying she’d taken Jordan to school and to get some rest.

I called out of work the next day, and spent its entirety staring at the wall, wondering how I got to this point in my life. I threw up several times over the course of that day. Eventually, I had made myself so sick with grief Kelli had to take me to the emergent care, and I got a sick note to stay home for several days.

“Kelli, I need the money!” I moaned. “I can’t stay home.”

“You need to get yourself together and rest,” she countered. “Money is not an issue for you right now.”

On the way back from the doctor, Kelli informed me that I was simply dealing with the grief and shock, and needed as much time as possible before I put myself back into the world.

“But even then, I don’t know how I’ll be,” I said. How could I pretend everything was okay in my life when my husband was having an affair? How could I smile and be joyful? How could I move forward?

As if she heard every thought I had, Kelli patted my arm. “Just put one foot in front of the other, and move one step at a time.”

Chapter 13: Natalia

Every day was more miserable than the last. The heat bore down so much, and I couldn’t stand to look outside. I felt like a prisoner trapped in my own home, and trapped in a life I couldn’t recognize. My headaches lasted continuously throughout the day, no matter what I took. I stopped cooking and eating; I resumed letting Jordan order whatever he wanted for dinner.

You know Hollis didn’t come home that night at all? He didn’t come home until late the next day. When Jordan asked him where he was, he claimed to have been at work the entire 24 hours.

Jordan trailed him to the bedroom, where I had been laying, hugged him and said, “Dad, I miss you, but I want to say you’re awesome! You’re my hero and I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

I smiled, wanting to be touched by that endearing father-son moment, but inwardly I was sick to my stomach. If he knew the truth about his dad’s behavior, he’d be thinking something very different. That man was anywhere but at work. Of course, this being our son, he was too young to be dragged into this, so I didn’t say anything. I just continued to be sick and allow Hollis’ reign of silence against me continue.

Hollis appeased his son with promises to shoot hoops, before telling him to give him a moment. Jordan ran off, happily. I watched TV silently, when he addressed me.

“Why are you in bed?”

“I’m sick.”

“From what?”

You, asshole.
“Some kind of stomach bug.”

He stood there for a moment, as if quietly processing what I had said. The energy between us was still tense. There was a tinge of something else accompanying it, though, a current of explosion ready to detonate at a moment’s notice. I wondered if he was going to tell me he knew why I was really sick. I wondered if Presley confronted him in any way when he returned home with my husband in his bed.

I wanted to confront him, ask him how Presley was doing, and tell him I knew everything. But my head pounded severely, beating me into paralysis, and earlier, in one of my saner moments, I promised myself that I would not make a scene or trigger that man while Jordan was around. That I’d confront him in a more logical manner once I could control my emotions.

Hollis said nothing more as he changed out of his clothes and into some joggers and a tank top. For someone who hadn’t showered in 24 hours, he certainly didn’t seem to worry about running into the bathroom to wash up. That was another indication he was lying, because Lord knows Hollis was a hygiene freak.

Does he have his own toiletries at Presley’s house? Did he buy them, or did Presley? Do they take showers together and make out like we used to? Did Presley make him breakfast this morning?

***

I mustered the strength to get out of bed on Sunday. The library was closed, so I didn’t need to work. Hollis and Jordan were at Kelli and Kristophe’s.

Kelli called earlier; she’d be finishing up the food and then she’d be on her way over. I warned her this place was a wreck. The house looked a mess compared to our usual standards – or should I say Hollis’s – but I didn’t care due to being in so much grief.

Over the past few days, as shock dissipated anger surged in its place, swirling around in the random caverns, filling any empty space in my soul. If it weren’t for the Ambien Kelli slipped me, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night next to Hollis. I still hadn’t the faintest idea how to confront him; I just knew it needed to be done.

I started up my Audible app on my phone, turned on my Bluetooth speaker and continued listening to Rachel Vincent’s
Menagerie
. It was a moving story about a woman named Delilah in an alternate reality where human mutants existed – only to be hated and treated inhumanely. The story is dark, moving, grotesque, yet so eloquently scripted and narrated that you feel like a character inside the book.

Starting with the kitchen, I cleaned the dirty dishes in the sink. There weren’t many, considering Jordan ate out all week, but the residue on the plates was caked on, and they needed a good soaking. I had to clean by hand because there weren’t enough to justify running the dishwasher.

The heat of the water was semi-soothing through my dish gloves. I struggled to remember the last time I treated myself to a spa day, or even a bubble bath. It had been a little rough getting those things done when I had Jordan all summer. I’d also been trying to chase after Hollis and get him to make love. But clearly, that wasn’t on the menu.

Cleaning out the fridge was easy. I had two packages of meat that needed to be cooked, and some produce that went bad. Since the shelves and pantries had been organized last month, they were okay. Before mopping, I set the meat on the counter as a reminder to come back to it after the floors were dry.

I was working my way through the bathroom when the audiobook stopped. Kelli’s ringtone started to play, informing me she was at the door. She had probably knocked a couple of times before calling; I didn’t hear because of the story’s volume.

“Hello, hello.” She stepped in, a fresh breeze of warm air flowing in behind her, thinning out the congestion I hadn’t realized existed in the house.

I stepped behind the door, refusing to look into the blinding brightness of outside. From the little I could see, I’m sure it was a lovely day, but I wanted no parts of it. If I could have my way, partly cloudy with a chance of “Fuck this Shit” would do. As the story continued, she made a face. “What are you listening to?”

“A story called
Menagerie
. Rachel Vincent book. Pretty good.”

She nodded in understanding. Her tanned legs were shown off in form fitting shorts, with a tank top. Her long blonde hair was in a bun at the top of her head. She looked like a SoCal Barbie, military MILF edition. Tiffany & Co. Shades pushed up on her forehead accessorized her look without effort.

Kelli didn’t speak much. She simply joined in and helped me finish cleaning the bathroom, and then the bedrooms. After pulling the laundry to the front, I started separating loads, and she began setting up the washer, filling it with the whites. Most people thought it weird or odd to touch another’s laundry, but Kelli and I had done it on many occasions. It was just not a big deal to us.

The living room needed a vacuum. Kelli turned off the AC, and turned on the fan. She explained as she opened the windows. “You need to breathe; it’s stuffy in here. Let the air circulate. You’ve been marinating in this congested environment for days.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“You’ve been wearing the same clothes for four days. Have you even showered?”

I lifted my arm and wrinkled at the funk punching my nose. “Point taken.”

“Get in the shower.”

“But I have to cook. Don’t you see the meat on the counter?”

She waved me off. “I’ll handle it. I’ll even get your clothes.” Pushing me into the bathroom, she repeated, “Get in the shower.”

***

I emerged no earlier than twenty minutes later from the bathroom. Kelli laid out a sundress and shoes she wanted me to wear, but I revolted and put on a pair of shorts and a tank top also. My washed hair had revived some of its waves from the volumizing conditioner I used, so I added mousse. Despite the treatment, it still lacked the proper lustre I was used to.

I looked into my eyes, and all I could see were slate colored pools of misery, surrounded by bruise colored bags under my eyes. Marriage had definitely taken its toll on me.

“Okay, little change of plans in the wardrobe, but I like it,” Kelli said. She was perched against the wall, holding my purse. “You ready?”

“Where are we going?”

“Just a nice little drive,” she quipped. Her level of cheerfulness was beyond borderline suspicious. It reeked of a plan that I was made unaware of.

“Kelli, I’m not in the mood to go out.”

“It’s been half a week. You’ve been in the house for days, to yourself, doing nothing. You have 24 hours to snap out of it. You are going back to work tomorrow.” She went in my purse and fished out my sun block. “Here. Put this on, or I’ll put it on for you.”

I sighed as I took the bottle and began applying the sunblock. This would buy me another 20 minutes of safety if I were lucky.

“What about the meat? I have to cook it this weekend.”

“It’s already seasoned, and marinating. I’m going to stop by the house on the way out. Kristophe’s going to grill it, so it will not go to waste.”

Resigned to Kelli’s plans, I stopped protesting and told myself I’d be open to what the day would bring. I silently applied my sun block while she smiled her winning smile, letting me know there would be no winning this battle. Once done, I grabbed my favorite Versace shades, a gift to myself from last summer, and pushed them over my weary eyes.

Outside was hot and sunny. The heat was still strong, but it wasn’t the intolerable kind of desert hot that would scorch your ass the minute you perched atop your car’s leather seats. Looking around, there were a few kids running around and playing, their parents playing music in their garages, drinking beer, or sitting in view to watch.

In other words, it was a typical summer Sunday in California. With September around the corner, these days would be coming to an end. I wondered if I would still be torn up by Hollis’s affair then. I’d never been so hurt in my life, and I spent nights contemplating what I did to push him away. Not just in the arms of another woman, but another man?

Did I turn my husband gay? That’s the question that triggered me daily. Trying to figure out if his change in sexual preference had anything to do with me, or something I did. Maybe that’s why he no longer wanted to have sex. Blowjobs were something a man or woman could do.

No, can’t say that. I had to exert effort to give him a blowjob. He didn’t even want
that
from me.

It’s me
, I told myself.
I turned him off so badly he felt the need to try something completely opposite of what I am.

I was still contemplating this when Kelli turned the corner to her house. Jordan and Karter were playing outside. Kristophe and Hollis were drinking beer with another guy and laughing. The closer we got, the more my heart raced. They were drinking with Presley! He was standing between the two of them.

“Are you fucking kidding me!?” I screeched. The view was insane to me. The three of them were so engrossed in their conversation, chortling and sharing gut-belly laughs that they didn’t even notice us pulling up.

Here I was, at the sickest, lowest point of my life. I couldn’t even get out of bed over this bastard, and he had the nerve to be kicking it with his Mr. Mistress – and not even sending a text to see if I’m alive. He’s enjoying all life has to offer, and I’m suffering.

Kelli’s astonished expression and speechless demeanor indicated she was just as thrown off as I was. She took her time getting out of the car, more than likely trying to gather herself. I, on the other hand, did not waste any time jumping out the passenger side and slamming the door.

Walking up, fists balled, I shoved Hollis in his chest. “You have got to be kidding me! Are you fucking serious right now, Hollis? After everything I’ve done?!”

Hollis looked at me as if I’d lost my marbles. I flashed my head toward Presley, who stepped back quietly, eyes blinking as if he was looking at a mad woman. Even then, the glint of amusement in his pretty green eyes wasn’t lost on me. This was the outburst he’d been waiting for.

Kristophe stepped up, attempting to put distance between us. “Whoa, whoa. Natalia, what’s going on?”

I snapped my shoulder back from his touch. “Don’t touch me, dammit! You were in on this too, weren’t you!?”

“On what?” He looked genuinely confused. I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to Hollis. “His affair.”

Everyone fell silent. Hollis’s eyes flashed and hardened. There was a threat in them I’d never seen before, but in that moment I didn’t care.

“You think I wasn’t going to find out? Yeah, I know all about your affair. I know you’ve been cheating. That’s the real reason I’ve been home sick. I’ve been crying and trying to figure out how to make things work with you, wondering if it was even worth it…” My nostrils flared. “And you’re out here cheating on me – right now in this very second!”

Hollis’s shoulders tensed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”