“Yeah, I’ll have an iced tea,” Trent answered, looking the menu over.
I glared at the waiter. “I’ll have the same, and I would appreciate it if you stopped checking out my sister,” I added. I heard Trent chuckle next to me.
Addie glared at me then turned to our waiter with a sweet smile on her face. “Ignore him, he’s just a big jerk. I’ll take a Diet Pepsi.” As soon as the waiter left, she asked, “Was that really necessary?”
I just shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t step in when she dated Brad, even though I knew he wasn’t good enough for her. I should have protected her and not let her get tangled up with him. Instead, I’d let her do what she wanted—and look how that turned out. I would never fail in my brotherly duties again.
After we got our drinks and ordered, Trent cleared his throat. “So, what time are you guys coming over for the party tomorrow?” he asked in an effort to stop an argument from starting. It worked like a charm.
“Do you think Mom needs any help getting things ready?” Addie asked. We’d been referring to Jim and Marla as Dad and Mom since we were kids. It felt natural at this point, even if Addie hadn’t talked to them much in the last two years.
“Probably,” Trent said, after some consideration. “We plan on eating at one so why don’t you guys get there around eleven. Mom would never ask for help, but I know she would appreciate it.”
Marla loved to cook. I couldn’t remember any get-together at their house where she hadn’t cooked the meal herself. She reminded me a little bit of a 1950s housewife you would see on TV; the main difference was how Jim treated her. He viewed her as an equal and was always appreciative of all the effort she made to create a comfortable home for them. He never acted like it was expected. The love they had for each was evident to all those around them.
“We’ll be there,” I responded. Addie nodded in agreement, but quickly looked away, keeping her eyes on the pedestrian traffic. I knew what she was thinking.
While I was excited to share in Jim’s special day, I was also expecting Brad to find some way to ruin it. And I wasn’t sure how Addie and Simone would deal with seeing each other. I took a sip of my tea, hoping Jim’s celebration didn’t end up being a complete disaster.
Chapter 3
Simone
The bed dipped down as Brad climbed in, rousing me from my sleep. I glanced briefly at the clock where the huge red numbers informed me that it was two in the morning. Since that night a couple weeks ago, Brad had been spending even less time at home, often not coming home at all. The first few times, I’d texted him, worried that something bad had happened to him. He took that opportunity to accuse me of trying to control him. He reminded me that he was an adult and didn’t answer to anyone. So even though I had been genuinely concerned, I stopped texting him after that. I really didn’t mind when he wasn’t home because it meant I was able to relax and not worry that I would inadvertently piss him off.
“Hey, are you just getting in?” I asked sleepily.
Brad huffed in irritation. “Yeah, I went out with some friends after work. Is there a problem?” he asked, while arranging his pillows.
Why he continually sounded angry when I asked him anything had always been baffling but now it was starting to grate on me. I constantly felt on edge around him and I was wondering why I even bothered anymore. A thought I had been having a lot lately.
A couple weeks ago, he’d told me that I had no right asking him where he was or who he was hanging out with. When I’d reminded him that I was his wife and that most married couples shared basic information with each other, he’d laughed and then left the apartment and didn’t come back for two days.
Brad treated his parents the same way. If they said anything to him that he perceived as negative he would stop talking to them. Even though he treated them poorly, they continued to do everything in their power to help us out. And while I didn’t know for sure, I suspected they had recently started giving Brad money since ours seemed to never last as long as it should. I hoped he wasn’t wasting his paycheck on going out with the boys instead of paying for his part of the bills.
I rolled away from him, wanting to go back to sleep. “I don’t have a problem, I was just asking,” I said, tiredly. It was obvious he was wound up and I didn’t have the energy or desire to engage with him.
“Well, why don’t you come over here and put your mouth to better use instead of asking me questions,” he taunted.
The idea of sex with him held no appeal whatsoever. The thought of Brad ever touching me again made me want to run away from this room, from him.
I thought about the two reasons Brad had stayed in this marriage. First, he didn’t want to look like a deadbeat dad, even though he wasn’t very involved with Stella. And second, he had easy access to sex. Not that we had sex often anymore, not like before when we both got something out of it and it’d been fun. After having Stella, my body had changed and I was curvier than I used to be when we’d first met. Brad commented on those changes often and could be rather critical of my appearance. I couldn’t deny it’d slowly eaten away at my self-confidence. I tried to ignore his negative comments and I did my best to look good for him, but my priority was our daughter, not making sure I looked like a model at all times.
All pretenses of being romantic had disappeared even before we’d gotten married. For the past year or so, he would simply tell me what he expected, and he was either happy when I complied or angry if I wasn’t in the mood.
“Not tonight, Brad,” I said when he prompted me again. I was already worn out by this conversation. “Stella had a rough day and I’m exhausted. I had just fallen asleep when you came in here.”
“Why do you always have to be such a bitch, Simone? When I first met you, we had sex all the time. You were a lot more fun and adventurous. Now it’s a huge production just to get a fucking blowjob,” he accused, the agitation in his voice clear.
I was ready to bring up the last time we had sex and remind him how he had treated me, but honestly, I was tired. Not just in a physical sense, but mentally as well. I didn’t know how much longer I could pretend to be okay with our relationship. Not that I could even call it a relationship. “I’m sorry you’re not happy,” I said instead.
“Yeah, well, you’re always sorry. Don’t know why I bother to come home some nights,” he responded missing the hint of sarcasm in my voice.
I didn’t want to continue this conversation with him. Especially since I knew it would just lead to a fight and nothing would be resolved.
“Hey, let’s both get some sleep, we have your dad’s birthday party tomorrow,” I said, hoping to end on that.
“I’m not going tomorrow,” he stated flatly.
I rolled back over and looked at him with surprise, now wide-awake. “Why not?”
“Because Trent’s going to be there,” he answered, rolling his eyes as though I should have already known that.
“But… it’s your dad’s birthday,” I said slowly, not hiding the disapproval from my voice or face. I wanted to add that tomorrow wasn’t about him and his issues with anybody, but I knew that would piss him off. “Don’t you think you can make peace with your brother for one day?”
“Fuck, Simone!” he shouted. “Just leave it alone, okay? I don’t want to go, end of story.”
I rolled back over, facing the wall, hoping his shouting hadn’t woken up our daughter.
I really wanted to go to Jim’s party as a family, for Jim and Marla’s sake, but I knew it wasn’t likely I’d be able to convince Brad once his mind was set on something. I was going with Stella, no matter what his final decision was because unlike him, I cared about his—my—family.
*****
I spent Saturday morning getting Stella and myself ready for the party while Brad slept in. It had taken a while for him to settle down and finally fall asleep. But all of his tossing and turning had kept me awake.
After I put Stella in a cute pink jumpsuit, I set her up with a fe
w toys in the living room so I could check on the brownies that my father-in-law had requested I bring to the party. Most people wanted to have a cake on their birthday, but Jim loved my homemade brownies and requested that I bake them for every family get-together. I think he was just being nice, but it always lifted my spirits a little.
“When are you leaving?” Brad asked, causing me to jump at his sudden appearance. His hair was sticking up at odd angles and he was still in his flannel pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. The scruff on his jaw was getting darker and thicker. His bloodshot eyes scanned the kitchen until they landed on the coffee pot. I hadn’t noticed his eyes last night, and he hadn’t appeared drunk when he came home. He looked awful now, like he’d partied all night.
When he gave me a bleary-eyed look, I realized I’d been staring. “In about thirty minutes. Are you sure you don’t want to go?” I finally asked, hoping he had changed his mind since last night. Although, if he didn’t go, I might actually get to enjoy myself instead of waiting for Brad to start an argument with every member of his family.
But, Jim was turning the big 5-0 and I was worried Brad would eventually regret missing his father’s birthday party. It was inconceivable to me that he could so easily pass up spending time with his family, who were nothing short of amazing.
“I told you last night I wasn’t going, so just drop it already,” he snapped, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“Well, what should I tell your parents? They know you have the day off.” I was worried I was going to be forced to lie to them and I really didn’t want to do that. Not only did it make me feel bad, but I was also a terrible liar.
“Just tell them I’m not feeling well,” he muttered.
He moved into the living room, plopped down on the couch, and turned on the television. He set his mug down on the coffee table so he could dig into his pocket and pull out his cell phone. For the last month, he was on that damn thing all the time. He gave it more attention than he gave to me and Stella combined. It was just one more thing that was making me revaluate my life—but then I thought about Stella and how our situation could turn bad in an instant. I hated how I talked myself off the ledge, but this wasn’t just about me. It never had been, which is how I got into this mess.
“Fine,” I agreed, even though I hated the idea of being dishonest with his family. I also didn’t need us to get into another fight before I left. When the timer went off, I put on my oven mitts and took the brownies out to cool. I glanced over at Brad. “Can you keep an eye on Stella for a couple minutes while I finish getting ready?”
“I guess,” he responded without moving his eyes away from the TV.
I moved Stella to her playpen so at least she wouldn’t be able to leave the living room. I wasn’t convinced Brad would actually pay attention to her. I desperately wanted him to be an involved father, but she was one-and-a-half years old now and he still didn’t seem interested in taking his fatherly responsibilities seriously. I had thought throughout the pregnancy and birth that he’d bond with her, but he never had. He’d also never really put in any effort. I’d tried to get him to interact with her more, but that seemed to push him further away. I didn’t want to nag so I stopped and hoped he’d come around on his own. But that hadn’t happened yet either. He remained distant and aloof with her, like she wasn’t even there. It hurt that he had no interest in his own daughter. The family I’d wanted—that I had—was in appearance only, and finally accepting that was painful. With Brad mostly gone these last couple weeks, my old fears and insecurities had begun to haunt me. Having seen this same sort of dysfunction all throughout my childhood, I felt that my future and my daughter’s future was barely hanging on by a thread.
I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on getting ready. Seeing my in-laws always made me happy and I was looking forward to getting over there. I rushed to our bedroom to grab my sandals, made sure my dress wasn’t too wrinkled from holding Stella, and touched up my makeup. I tried to finish quickly, not wanting to upset Brad any more by taking too long. I put up my long hair since the weather forecast for today said it could get a little warm.
I went to the kitchen, put a lid on the brownies, then set all the stuff I’d need to take with me on the kitchen counter. I moved to the living room to pick Stella up, who made it very clear she didn’t want to leave her toys, but I got her to cooperate eventually. I tried to balance a grumpy toddler, a container of brownies, and a diaper bag while Brad continued to sit on the couch flipping through the channels with one hand and texting on his phone with the other. I attempted to open the front door, but it was proving to be impossible since my hands were already full.
“Brad, can you come help me get everything out to the car?” I asked.
I was only a few feet away since our apartment wasn’t very big, but Brad continued on like I hadn’t said anything. Realizing he had no intention of helping me, I sighed loudly, and transferred the diaper bag to the same hand that was already balancing the brownies and turned the knob.
Somehow, we made it out to the car in one trip and I was able to get everything loaded in the trunk, then I buckled up Stella in her car seat.
“Go bye bye?” Stella asked as I started to back out.
“We’re going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house; it’s Grandpa’s birthday today,” I explained, while looking at her in the rearview mirror.
Stella absolutely adored her grandparents and the feeling was definitely mutual. Where Brad was often absent, Jim and Marla Thompson made their granddaughter a priority in their life. To be honest, I don’t know how I would have made it through the first few months of Stella’s life if it hadn’t been for my in-laws. They were such kind people and I thanked my lucky stars every day that they were there for the two of us.
“Unky Twent?” Stella asked, in her cute baby talk.
Trent was another person that I was thankful for. He would often take his niece out for his famous “Trent and Stella Dates,” giving me an occasional break. He was the complete opposite of his brother. He never acted like Stella was an inconvenience or burden and seemed truly happy to spend time with her. The thought of them playing together made me smile.
“Yes, Uncle Trent will be there too, baby,” I told her.
For the rest of the car ride she chattered on and on about all the things she was going to do with Trent. Even though I couldn’t make out everything she said, it sounded like he was going to have a busy day keeping up with his niece.
I arrived at the house about an hour early since I’d promised Marla I would help set everything up for the party. I noticed that Trent’s truck was already parked in the driveway along with a fancy BMW that looked vaguely familiar. The Thompsons’ ranch-style house was more inland but still a short drive to the ocean. I wondered if we’d spend some time in their backyard pool, which Stella loved to play in. I had packed our suits in her diaper bag, just in case.
I walked in through the front door, having been told early on in my relationship with my in-laws that family and friends don’t have to knock at the Thompsons’ door. From stories I’d heard, all of their sons’ friends treated their home as their own. Kids had been constantly been coming and going and Marla had absolutely loved it. Many of their friends still called Marla and Jim ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. I had a hard time calling them that and usually used their first names. I could tell that they wished I would call them mom and dad, but they never pushed.
“Hello?” I called out as I entered the house with Stella on my hip.
The living room was large and inviting but currently empty. There were leather couches in a U-shape around a square glass coffee table, pictures on the wall, and knickknacks from their travels lined the built-in shelves. Walking in I could feel my whole being just… relax. This was how a home was supposed to feel. Stella’s eyes took in everything, even though she knew this place well.
A gust of wind blew the door shut behind me. The loud bang caused me to jump a little.
“Is that my favorite daughter-in-law and granddaughter I hear?” Marla’s sweet voice called as I walked toward the kitchen.
As soon as Stella heard her grandmother she wiggled to free herself from my arms. I set her down and she started running toward her Grandma the moment her feet touched the ground.
“Gramma!” I heard her shout as she went.
As I rounded the corner to the large, open kitchen, I saw Marla, in a navy blue A-line skirt and off-white blouse. Her short, blonde hair framed her pretty and still youthful face. She always looked put together yet still approachable. Her eyes lit up when she spotted me. She had Stella in her arms giving her a giant hug while Jim leaned over and peppered the side of Stella’s face with kisses. Jim was in tan slacks, and a golf shirt, his robust, tall frame almost overpowering Marla’s more petite stature. I took a second, enjoying the three of them together.
“The only birthday gift I need,” Jim stated, grinning at me. “And my brownies, of course.” He winked, and then gave both Stella and Marla a bear hug. I smiled fondly at Stella, who was grinning from ear to ear, and I was really glad I’d decided to come. Even though they babysat Stella several days a week they always acted like the last time they saw her had been ages ago. I loved that about them. They were the image of happiness as they held Stella, who was giggling and happy with all attention. Then my eyes took in the rest of the kitchen and my stomach dropped.
Sitting at the island was Trent, his friends Kyle and Erik, and someone I hadn’t seen in two years—Kyle’s younger sister, Addison. There were a lot of windows, all of them open, but all the light from the late morning sun seemed to shine directly on her.
The only interaction I’d ever had with her was when I had showed up at her house looking for Brad so I could inform him that I was pregnant. Seeing her staring back at me with her own frozen, tense expression made me re-live that day. And I knew she was going through the same thing. I felt clammy all over, my stomach rolled with tension, and I felt a little nauseous. I figured, at some point, our paths would cross. How could they not, considering the complicated relationships of everyone involved? And if anyone had told me she’d be here, I probably would have used Brad’s excuse and avoided this moment. But we were both here now and I reminded myself that Addison had a longer history with this family than I did and she’d been the one hurt. If she had things to say to me, I’d take it, but I hoped it wouldn’t turn ugly.
Falling for the Unexpected (Life Unexpected Book 1) Page 5
