Read Online Friends Forever by Danielle Steel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Steel
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down her cheek.
“Get out, Larry. Now!” Something in her eyes told him she meant it. He grabbed his jacket off the bed, walked out of the bedroom, hurried down the stairs, and slammed the front door a moment later. She was shaking from head to foot, and she quietly closed her bedroom door so the kids wouldn’t see her when they came upstairs. And she burst into tears as she sat on the bed. It was over, and should have been years before.
She called Larry the next morning, before he could come home again, and told him not to come back.
“You can pick up your things next week. I’m changing the locks today. I want a divorce.” Her voice was unemotional and cold.
“You pissed me off last night. You shouldn’t have done that.” He had blamed her dozens of times before, when he slapped her, humiliated her, flirted with other women, or came home too drunk to stand up. And she had put up with it. The boys had seen her treated in ways she never should have allowed, and she suspected that he had been cheating on her for years.
“I’m done, Larry. I’m filing for divorce.”
“Don’t be insane.” He tried to brush it off. “I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll call the police if you come near this house. And I mean it.” He could hear that she did, and with that she hung up.
When she heard the boys stirring, she went downstairs to make breakfast for them. She had called the locksmith by then, and he changed the locks in less than half an hour. She asked for extra keys for the boys. She handed them their new keys after she had served them breakfast, and then she sat down at the kitchen table with them.
“Don’t give that key to your father when you see him. We’re getting a divorce.” Neither of them looked shocked when she said it. Billy looked sad, and Brian seemed relieved. His father had belittled him for years because he didn’t want to play sports.
“Because he didn’t come home last night?” Billy asked her quietly. “Maybe he was with an important client.” Billy always made excuses for his father, he was incredibly loyal.
“For all the reasons that all three of us know. His drinking, the other women, the way he treats me and Brian, and even you sometimes,” she said, looking at Billy. “I hope he deals with his drinking now, but whether he does or not, I’m done.” It had been too many years of being disrespected and abused. She had let him do it, but she just couldn’t anymore. Hitting her the night before had been the last straw. “I don’t want him back in this house. You can visit him when he gets his own place.”
“Do I have to go?” Brian asked her quietly, and she shook her head.
“You can’t just throw him out like that, Mom,” Billy said, near tears. “This is his home too. He has nowhere else to go.”
“He can afford a hotel.” And then as she turned toward him, Billy saw the thin mark on her cheek and the bruise around it, and he knew that his father had gone too far. He got up from the table and went to his room. He didn’t call Gabby, he called Izzie, and she could tell something was wrong the minute she heard his voice.
“Are you okay?” she was quick to ask him, and he started to cry as soon as she did.
“I think my dad hit my mom last night. He’s done it before. He didn’t come home for Thanksgiving dinner. They’re getting a divorce. I’m just like you now,” he said, sounding like an anguished child. But no one had struck anyone at Izzie’s house. Her parents just didn’t like each other anymore, and it had been simple and clean. But Izzie knew that no one liked Billy’s dad, he was a jerk and a drunk, he was even mean to Billy, who was crying for him. “What’s it going to be like now?” He was scared, and he felt as though all the responsibility was on him. He was the only ally his father had left.
“It’ll be better,” Izzie reassured him. “Your mom will be happier, and she won’t be so upset. And it’ll be good
“Get out, Larry. Now!” Something in her eyes told him she meant it. He grabbed his jacket off the bed, walked out of the bedroom, hurried down the stairs, and slammed the front door a moment later. She was shaking from head to foot, and she quietly closed her bedroom door so the kids wouldn’t see her when they came upstairs. And she burst into tears as she sat on the bed. It was over, and should have been years before.
She called Larry the next morning, before he could come home again, and told him not to come back.
“You can pick up your things next week. I’m changing the locks today. I want a divorce.” Her voice was unemotional and cold.
“You pissed me off last night. You shouldn’t have done that.” He had blamed her dozens of times before, when he slapped her, humiliated her, flirted with other women, or came home too drunk to stand up. And she had put up with it. The boys had seen her treated in ways she never should have allowed, and she suspected that he had been cheating on her for years.
“I’m done, Larry. I’m filing for divorce.”
“Don’t be insane.” He tried to brush it off. “I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll call the police if you come near this house. And I mean it.” He could hear that she did, and with that she hung up.
When she heard the boys stirring, she went downstairs to make breakfast for them. She had called the locksmith by then, and he changed the locks in less than half an hour. She asked for extra keys for the boys. She handed them their new keys after she had served them breakfast, and then she sat down at the kitchen table with them.
“Don’t give that key to your father when you see him. We’re getting a divorce.” Neither of them looked shocked when she said it. Billy looked sad, and Brian seemed relieved. His father had belittled him for years because he didn’t want to play sports.
“Because he didn’t come home last night?” Billy asked her quietly. “Maybe he was with an important client.” Billy always made excuses for his father, he was incredibly loyal.
“For all the reasons that all three of us know. His drinking, the other women, the way he treats me and Brian, and even you sometimes,” she said, looking at Billy. “I hope he deals with his drinking now, but whether he does or not, I’m done.” It had been too many years of being disrespected and abused. She had let him do it, but she just couldn’t anymore. Hitting her the night before had been the last straw. “I don’t want him back in this house. You can visit him when he gets his own place.”
“Do I have to go?” Brian asked her quietly, and she shook her head.
“You can’t just throw him out like that, Mom,” Billy said, near tears. “This is his home too. He has nowhere else to go.”
“He can afford a hotel.” And then as she turned toward him, Billy saw the thin mark on her cheek and the bruise around it, and he knew that his father had gone too far. He got up from the table and went to his room. He didn’t call Gabby, he called Izzie, and she could tell something was wrong the minute she heard his voice.
“Are you okay?” she was quick to ask him, and he started to cry as soon as she did.
“I think my dad hit my mom last night. He’s done it before. He didn’t come home for Thanksgiving dinner. They’re getting a divorce. I’m just like you now,” he said, sounding like an anguished child. But no one had struck anyone at Izzie’s house. Her parents just didn’t like each other anymore, and it had been simple and clean. But Izzie knew that no one liked Billy’s dad, he was a jerk and a drunk, he was even mean to Billy, who was crying for him. “What’s it going to be like now?” He was scared, and he felt as though all the responsibility was on him. He was the only ally his father had left.
“It’ll be better,” Izzie reassured him. “Your mom will be happier, and she won’t be so upset. And it’ll be good
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