concern.
She stumbled for the words to answer, but couldn ’t find them. She paced around the room, bit her bottom lip and wrung her hands until they were sore. She stopped, turned and looked Justin in the eye. “I’ve been sleeping with Dominick.”
Justin gasped and visibly recoiled from her. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“ I don’t know how it happened. It was just one time, and I told myself it would never happen again, but . . .”
“ How long has this been going on?”
She bit her bottom lip again. “Almost four months.”
“ FOUR MONTHS!” he shouted. “HEATHER, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” He grabbed her by the upper arms. “HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?”
She cringed in his grasp. She knew he would be upset, but she didn ’t expect him to overreact. “Calm down,” she said. “I can’t talk to you if you’re gonna scream at me.”
Justin loosened his grip ever so slightly and stared deeply into her eyes. “Why have you been lying to me?”
“ Because I was afraid to tell you.”
“ What about Tyler? Has Tyler been lying to me too?”
“ No. I swear. I made Dom promise not to tell him.” She squirmed free and pulled the bottom of her shirt down in a huff. “Why are you so mad? I’m cheating on Peter, not you!”
“ Because,” he said, slowly, “I know how it feels.” Justin’s anger disappeared, and his entire body crumbled. His eyes saddened and bore anguish and despair. “I know how it feels to have someone you love betray you . . . betray your trust . . . break your heart . . . crush you.” Tears moistened his eyes and his voice cracked. “I know what it’s like to have the person you love, the person you thought you were gonna spend the rest of your life with, throw everything away.” He shook his head. “I never thought you could do that to Peter. I never thought you could hurt him like that.”
Justin was referring to David. Why couldn ’t she see it before? She was doing exactly what David did to Justin. That’s why her infidelity upset him so much. She was flooded with guilt, and she started to cry. “I don’t want to hurt Peter. I love him. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
He put his arms around her, and she sobbed softl y into the center of his chest.
“ I called Dom and broke it off this morning.” She dried her tears with the back of her hand. “I deleted his phone number and blocked his calls. Now I have no way to get in touch with him, and he can’t call me either.”
“ Good. What made you finally come to your senses?”
She hesitated and wrinkled her brow. “I thought I was pregnant – but I’m not,” she quickly added. “The test was negative.”
Justin looked like he might faint. “Oh my God, Heather.”
“ I know. I know.” She slapped her leg. “I almost fucked up my whole life! This whole thing would have blown up in my face. Peter would have left me – then what would I have done – with a baby?” She started to cry again, almost uncontrollably.
Justin held her in his arms. “You know I would have helped you, sweetie. You could have lived with me. I would have taken care of you and the baby. You never have to worry about anything. I’ll always be there for you. I’ll always take care of you.”
She clung to him and cried into his chest. What would she do without Justin? She was not an independent person. She needed someone to constantly take care of her, and that person was, and always w ould be, Justin.
Chapter Fourteen:
Heather stared out the window and into the crisp October air. She reflected on the last few weeks. It wasn’t easy for her to forget about Dominick, especially since Tyler was a constant reminder. The first time she saw Tyler after the affair ended he glared at her for a good 10 seconds without saying anything and she knew that he
She stumbled for the words to answer, but couldn ’t find them. She paced around the room, bit her bottom lip and wrung her hands until they were sore. She stopped, turned and looked Justin in the eye. “I’ve been sleeping with Dominick.”
Justin gasped and visibly recoiled from her. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“ I don’t know how it happened. It was just one time, and I told myself it would never happen again, but . . .”
“ How long has this been going on?”
She bit her bottom lip again. “Almost four months.”
“ FOUR MONTHS!” he shouted. “HEATHER, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” He grabbed her by the upper arms. “HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?”
She cringed in his grasp. She knew he would be upset, but she didn ’t expect him to overreact. “Calm down,” she said. “I can’t talk to you if you’re gonna scream at me.”
Justin loosened his grip ever so slightly and stared deeply into her eyes. “Why have you been lying to me?”
“ Because I was afraid to tell you.”
“ What about Tyler? Has Tyler been lying to me too?”
“ No. I swear. I made Dom promise not to tell him.” She squirmed free and pulled the bottom of her shirt down in a huff. “Why are you so mad? I’m cheating on Peter, not you!”
“ Because,” he said, slowly, “I know how it feels.” Justin’s anger disappeared, and his entire body crumbled. His eyes saddened and bore anguish and despair. “I know how it feels to have someone you love betray you . . . betray your trust . . . break your heart . . . crush you.” Tears moistened his eyes and his voice cracked. “I know what it’s like to have the person you love, the person you thought you were gonna spend the rest of your life with, throw everything away.” He shook his head. “I never thought you could do that to Peter. I never thought you could hurt him like that.”
Justin was referring to David. Why couldn ’t she see it before? She was doing exactly what David did to Justin. That’s why her infidelity upset him so much. She was flooded with guilt, and she started to cry. “I don’t want to hurt Peter. I love him. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
He put his arms around her, and she sobbed softl y into the center of his chest.
“ I called Dom and broke it off this morning.” She dried her tears with the back of her hand. “I deleted his phone number and blocked his calls. Now I have no way to get in touch with him, and he can’t call me either.”
“ Good. What made you finally come to your senses?”
She hesitated and wrinkled her brow. “I thought I was pregnant – but I’m not,” she quickly added. “The test was negative.”
Justin looked like he might faint. “Oh my God, Heather.”
“ I know. I know.” She slapped her leg. “I almost fucked up my whole life! This whole thing would have blown up in my face. Peter would have left me – then what would I have done – with a baby?” She started to cry again, almost uncontrollably.
Justin held her in his arms. “You know I would have helped you, sweetie. You could have lived with me. I would have taken care of you and the baby. You never have to worry about anything. I’ll always be there for you. I’ll always take care of you.”
She clung to him and cried into his chest. What would she do without Justin? She was not an independent person. She needed someone to constantly take care of her, and that person was, and always w ould be, Justin.
Chapter Fourteen:
Heather stared out the window and into the crisp October air. She reflected on the last few weeks. It wasn’t easy for her to forget about Dominick, especially since Tyler was a constant reminder. The first time she saw Tyler after the affair ended he glared at her for a good 10 seconds without saying anything and she knew that he
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