by Claire Adams
But aside from all those things, something deep inside of me believed in her. She would never leave us. I put my trust in her whole heartedly because I didn’t have a choice. I was already too far gone where she was concerned anyway. I was hers…forever.
*
After I had finished up the large pile of paperwork on my desk, I walked back up front to see a regular customer to the store, a guy who loved guns and visited for gun range practice at the back all the time.
“Hello, Mr. Jackson. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around.”
He’d changed from the last time he visited the gun shop. It seemed like he had lost some weight. Also, the unshaved, dirty beard around his jaw. Despite his changed look, he remained friendly as always. “Good to see you again, Hunter. Things have been quite rough for me these past few months. It’s just now that I found the time to visit and get to practice at the range.” Despite his jolly expression, Mr. Jackson’s eyes were sullen. He seemed like he had been going through something in his life.
“I hope things get better for you. How about Mrs. Jackson? Is she not joining you today?” Upon hearing my question, the man frowned. His expression showed what he really was feeling inside. I bit my lip, guilty of the tactless question I had asked. “Sorry, Mr. Jackson. I did not mean to ask.”
He looked up and offered a sad smile. The gloom behind his eyes reflected whatever pain he had been suffering. “It’s okay, Hunter. I have already moved on.” He looked at me as he forced a smile. “It was difficult to accept, but I finally realized things. By the way, Mrs. Jackson’s no longer with me. We’re officially divorced.”
I pursed my lips, hating myself for getting us into such a depressing conversation. How was it even possible? They were one of the few couples I knew who got along so well. I could still picture how sweet they were every time they visited my shop. I had always idolized them for being a strong, successful couple who had great kids.
“How in the hell did that happen?” My voice was almost a murmur. I was speaking to myself, but my voice was audible enough for him to hear.
“I still don’t know how to answer that question myself. I thought we were happy. Everything was perfect. But one day, she left and never returned again. I could not find her anywhere. It was difficult to find someone who did not want to be found.” He leaned his hand on the case, seeking support to maintain his stance. His voice was shaky and emotional.
I could almost feel the torment he had gone through.
“The next day, she called home, and my son answered. When he gave the phone to me, she told me that we needed to end things. I asked her why, trying my best to make things right. She said nothing and dropped the call instead. She’s never showed up since then. Instead, a package came in that week. When I opened it, it had our divorce papers waiting for my signature.” Mr. Jackson let out a sigh. Still, he managed to show a strong front and forced another weak smile.
“Sorry about that, Mr. Jackson. I shouldn’t have asked. Forgive me?” I reached out and squeezed the older man’s shoulder.
“No, it’s fine, Hunter. I’m already okay with it. It’s just so difficult to think of the reason why she left. The worst part about it is how my little boy is going through the process. He’s been asking for his mother long enough until he got tired of asking. He is heartbroken to bits, and as a father, seeing your son in such despair is the most painful thing ever.” He grasped his gun case tighter, the pressure of his emotions evident on his grip. “Sorry for taking your time, Hunter. I just wish you all the best in life. I hope this won’t happen to you.” He excused himself and proceeded to the gun range.
I watched Mr. Jackson as he left, my head messed up with memories. He hoped it wouldn’t happen? Fuck, it already had. The only concern I had was the chance of it happening again. I wouldn’t survive it.
As I returned to my table and checked on things I had left unfinished, I saw my phone vibrating. I grabbed it from the table to look who it was. Kylie’s name flashed on the screen, plus ten missed calls, all from her. My heart started to beat loudly when I pressed the green button.
Kylie’s voice filled my ears. She sounded like she was worried sick. “Hunter, come to the hospital as soon as you can. We rushed Vince in minutes ago. Please hurry.”
Chapter Thirty
Kylie
Seeing Vince faint felt like the most terrifying moment of my life. The kid had been strong and healthy for the past few weeks since we learned about him having diabetes. It was the first time that I saw him down on the floor, unconscious. I almost lost my mind thinking about how I neglected the kid.
I shouldn’t have taken him to the convenience store. He shouldn’t have worked and run errands for us. The tiring and stressful day might have triggered his poor conditions, or maybe I’d misread his blood sugar tests.
Thankfully, he was feeling better now. The doctors managed to normalize his vital signs. I stroked his hair as I watched him sleep peacefully, resting in his private room.
While I was watching over him, the doctor came to visit and check on Vince again. As the nurse took his blood pressure, the doctor spoke with me about Vince’s condition.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Yonnie. Your son is fine now. He was just exhausted a while ago, plus his blood sugar level went below the normal range. But now, he’s back to normal.” He came closer to Vince, observing him as he slept in peace. “You better be careful on giving him food to eat. He’s a diabetic, and I’m certain you know all about it. Just continue keeping his sweets consumption in moderation. But sometimes, too much aversion could also cause serious problems.”
I nodded, understanding what the doctor was talking about. “Yes, Doc. Thank you.”
He left after assuring me that Vince was ready to go anytime. I let out a heavy breath, staring at the sweet little guy as he rested on the hospital bed. I walked over and pressed my hands to my eyes as tears blurred my vision. I would have died if anything had happened to him.
What had happened? I needed to pinpoint it. It was important so that I could make sure it didn’t happen ever again. At least not on my watch.
I recalled that my mother had given him some cinnamon rolls for snack time. Vince rejected them sweetly, saying that he should not eat anything sweet to maintain his blood sugar level. Instead, he requested a hot dog and water for his snack.
It was not the first time I felt worried about him totally avoiding sweets. Never did he eat anything with too many carbs lately. He always said that he was watching his blood sugar level and wanted it to keep low. He believed that the lower it got, the better for his health.
I offered him again anything from the pastry stand as a cheat treat, but he was persistent. He was eager to maintain his abstinence from the sweets. Vince always told me that he was a good boy and he wanted his father not to worry much about his health condition. He was starting to get bigger and grown up guys took their responsibilities well enough.
He even volunteered to work at the convenience store. Vince helped me in restocking the shelves, taking out the trash, meeting customers, as well as helping the customers check out. He had a bright energy, enthusiastic and ready for anything that was to challenge him for the day.
Only when he was trying to help me carry some of the light and small boxes inside did he succumb to lack of strength. While I carried two boxes behind him, I witnessed how the small box he carried fell to the ground. Upon seeing that, I dropped the two boxes in my hands and came to his rescue.
I sat back next to him, staring at Vince’s innocent face. I stroked his hair as I watched him sleep. This kid had been the sunshine of my days. He had grown close to my heart. Not just as a neighbor’s son, but rather as my own child already.
While I contemplated about how the father and son tandem had influenced my life, the door crashed open.
Hunter. He looked tense, his eyes glaring at me. Upon seeing his son, he ran toward his bed and held his son’s hand. The madness in his eyes was replaced by worry a
nd fright. He kept his eyes on him, but he asked what happened.
“Why is Vince here?” His voice was suppressed, but I could tell that he was pissed.
“Hunter.” I stood up, turning toward the bed to calm him down.
I moved to hold his shoulders and tone his temper down; he shot me a threatening look. “Just tell me exactly what happened.”
His eyes were burning in a crazed fashion. He looked frantic and furious, like he would knock out anyone who got in his way. He did not care about whether it might be a male or female. He was close to hitting me. I could almost feel it.
I backed away, scared of his dangerous temper. I had never seen him like that before. He was usually a calm, gentle man with a good heart, but everything seemed to be wrong.
“Vince was helping me do some chores at the convenience store until he lost consciousness and fell. I immediately brought him here to have him checked by the doctors. The doctor just came in and said that he was just exhausted. Plus, his blood sugar got below the normal range. He was avoiding sweets too much and that resulted in his low level. Anyway, the doctor assured me that he was okay now and he could go anytime when he wakes up.” I looked at him, waiting for his temper to cool down a little.
I hoped he had just had a bad day and he was tired from work. I wished he would return to his old self, the one who was so kind and sympathetic to care about other’s feelings.
He failed to answer me and turned to look at his son instead as his voice broke. “Hey, buddy. Daddy is here now. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? I’ll protect you from here on out.”
His words stung me as if I’d been slapped. “Hunter, I—”
Hunter raised his hand, and I thought he was going to hit me, so I closed my eyes, my heart beating out of my chest. Fear enveloped me as I stood, terrified of the man I loved with all my heart.
This was not the Hunter I knew.
When I opened my eyes, he gave me a disgusted look, grabbed my wrist, and half-dragged me into the hallway with people passing by, giving us odd looks.
“What have you done to my son? He’s a little boy, Kylie. You’re pushing him too damn hard. What’s wrong with you?” He raised his voice in front of the crowd. People had stopped and turned to watch us, seeing a couple argue about something important. My lips trembled, my heart breaking in two.
“I never wanted that to happen. I’m not pushing Vince. You know how much I love him. I would never do anything to…” My voice shook with emotion. I was mortified, numerous eyes were watching us. And the way Hunter looked at me was horrifying.
“Stop talking, for fuck’s sake. You put my son in danger! What if something else had happened to him? You should not let him work at your store! This is your fucking fault.” He was screaming at me, mocking how much I loved Vince.
I shook my head, my voice almost reduced to a whisper. “It’s not what I wanted, Hunter. I love Vince. I wanted nothing else but for him to be happy and healthy.” I kept my eyes locked on him, telling him everything inside my heart. Vince was like a son to me. He was the son of the most special person in my life.
But now, everything seemed to be melting in front of me. Desperation threatened to kick in and turn me into a blubbering idiot.
“What the hell are you talking about? You don’t know anything about being a parent. You’re not even his mother! Hell, you’re not a mother at all! You’re just a chick who lives next door to us!” Hunter was screaming at me, throwing those painful words like daggers.
I leaned against the wall as my legs wobbled. I was cold and empty on the inside as realization sunk in. I could have killed Vince because I wasn’t a mother and didn’t understand what happened. And on top of that… I was a nobody to the two people I loved most outside of my mother.
“How can you say that to me? I’ve done nothing but give up my life for both of you lately. I planned to do it forever.” I kept my eyes on the floor, my head all messed up. I couldn’t muster the courage to look up at Hunter. “Nobody loves Vince more than me besides you.” I glanced up as tears dripped down my face. “And this nobody loved you too.”
Hunter stopped talking for a moment, his eyes going wide as he sucked in a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just…I don’t know.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I think it’s best if we take a break from each other until I figure out how I feel after this.” His voice was resentful.
I couldn’t have cared less about what he felt at that moment. He’d crushed me with his abusive words. I stood up from my seat on the floor, staring at his eyes with a blank expression. “I couldn’t agree more. Tell Vince where I am when he asks. Tell him that your nobody neighbor has gone back to her own life, and not because she wanted to, but because you forced her to.”
I turned and walked out of the hospital, not daring to look back. My heart was torn in two as I pressed my hand to my lips and tried to hold back the scream beating against my teeth. Mine never was a fairy tale story with a happily ever after. Hunter wouldn’t be running and chasing me down the hall. He wouldn’t stop me from walking away from the hospital by taking me into his arms and professing his undying love for me.
That shit didn’t exist. Not for anyone I’d ever know, and certainly not for me.
My mother and Bailey had known exactly what would happen. They were right about Hunter. I should have listened to them before it was too late, but I didn’t. I gave love a chance, and she fucked me over good, turning me into a slut who got used by a man who was emotionally unavailable.
Excellent.
I turned to the parking lot and ran to my car. I got in and attempted to put the key in the ignition. For some reason I couldn’t, my hands shaking wildly. I threw the keys instead and buried my face on the steering wheel. It was not the most comfortable place to stay, but it would do for now. I could weep inside of my car without anyone seeing. I could scream and shout in pain all by myself for as long as I needed to.
I couldn’t believe how things had turned upside down in a blink of an eye. Everything was just fine that morning, but now there was nothing left of my beautiful budding relationship with Hunter.
Hunter was the best man I had known before this happened. I still could not believe why he had changed in an instant. He was a completely different man.
It might have been my fault. I had neglected his son, and I had to face the consequences. I’d screwed up without knowing it, and now I had to pay the price.
My chest contracted tightly as I screamed again, my world dissolving before me. It was bad enough to love and lose someone, but to feel like the center of someone world meant everything to me.
And now I’d gone from being everything to being the thing that scared me most.
Nothing to no one. A nobody.
Chapter Thirty-One
Hunter
We had to go back to the hospital the next day for observation. Something was a little off with Vince’s blood sugar, and I wasn’t taking any chances. I’d forced myself not to think about Kylie and the way I’d treated her the day before. It hurt way too much to consider what I’d done.
“Good boy, Vince. You’re doing great.” The nurse had closed the syringe and cleansed the portion where she had injected. The doctor was staring at Vince’s other test results, scrutinizing for any discrepancies and problems in his health.
Vince opened his eyes slowly as the nurse pressed a cotton ball to his arm. “All done, buddy. Great job.”
They left for a few minutes, and Vince turned his attention on me, worrying his eyes. “Dad. Where’s Kylie?”
“She’s working, little man. Nothing to be concerned about.” I forced a smile and held his hand. “We’ll see her soon. I heard you were helping her yesterday when your sugar went low.”
He smiled and nodded. “I love helping her. I would do anything for her, Dad.”
Fuck me. Thankfully, the doctor walked back into the room, saving me from the conversation.
“Vince is doing well today. We�
�ll do a three-month test to make sure he’s good unless you have a concern and need to bring him in. Don’t hesitate to do so, or just call if you need to. Diabetes takes some getting adjusted to.” The doctor extended his hand, and both Vince and I shook it before I helped my boy off the table.
“Thanks. We appreciate you.” I gave the doc a sincere nod.
“No problem.” He knelt down and looked at Vince. “Good job on taking your shot, Vince. You’re a pretty strong kid. Just start resting a little more often when you feel dizzy, okay? And make sure someone else knows that you’re not feeling so good next time. As soon as it happens.” He patted Vince’s head, applauding his superb job and cooperation to keep himself safe.
Then doctor turned his attention to me. “Your wife made the right decision. If it weren’t for her, your son would have been in terrible shape. You better thank her a lot when you take Vince back home. I know she was sick with worry. Tell her that she just needs to watch his coloring a little.” He touched his heart. “I felt horrible for her when she came in. She was crying and almost in shock.”
I crumpled my brows in confusion. Then I realized he was talking about Kylie.
He continued, pulling me from my thoughts. “She remained focused the whole time, speaking to her son while Vince was twisting in pain. I’m amazed how she managed to keep calm, which of course helped a lot. You’ve got two fighters in your family, Mr. Yonnie. You’re a very lucky man.”
“Pardon me, Doc. Kylie is not my wife. She’s just a friend.” I bit my tongue in response to his thorough explanations on what had happened. A pang of guilt pierced my heart, boring a deep, huge hole in my hollow chest. I felt so dumb speaking to her poorly out in the hallway the day before. And seeing her cry? My chest ached.
“Oh, is that so?” The doctor turned his attention on Vince. Vince looked away, his cheeks turning red. “Your son seemed to like her a lot. I must say, he wishes for her to be his mom.” The doctor was smiling at him, but Vince was avoiding our eyes altogether. “Well, enough of the chit-chat. Just keep in mind everything I have advised you to do for Vince. We better not delay if things turned for the worse. But right now, your son is doing great, and you can check him out of here in just a few minutes.”
