Chapter 17
AIDEN
Ihated that we had to go our separate ways. The car door shut with a sense of finality, and we walked toward the door leading to the house from the garage. We shouldn’t have come home. Should have just kept driving until we reached someplace where we could be us.
Jackson opened the door. As I walked past him, he kissed the top of my head. The little gesture made me feel a lot better. We would get through this. I wasn’t the only one suffering, and he’d promised me if his plan didn’t work, then we could elope into the sunset and live happily ever after.
The house was quiet. It was close to eleven in the night, though, so more than likely Mom was already asleep.
“Aren’t you going to bed?” Jackson asked when I hesitated in the hall.
I shook my head. “You go ahead. I need a stiff drink.”
He frowned as if he was about to reprimand me, but I walked away. He couldn’t refuse me the drink I needed to get through another night of imagining him in bed with her. Did he spoon her like he did me? Or did he let her sleep on his chest with one of her legs between his?
In the kitchen, I got out a bottle of Scotch and a glass. Ice cubes tinkled against the glass. I filled it up and took a long drink. The liquid traveled down my throat into my belly, warming my insides. I took another gulp. I would keep going until I was too numb to care.
Was she now trying to get him to sleep with her again? How foolish of her. How could she have had such a man in her bed and shunned him because of his scar tissue? The man fucked like he’d invented the Kama Sutra.
I chuckled, closing my eyes. Images popped into my head. Of the way he’d fucked me against the wall earlier. The way he’d manhandled me and threatened me if I ever slept with anyone again.
“Aiden!”
My eyes flew open. Jackson rushed into the kitchen with a piece of paper in his hand. I couldn’t read his expression.
“What is it?”
“She left.”
“What?”
“Read it.” He thrust the paper at me. I took it from him and read.
Jackson,
I tried. I really did, but the past year and a half has been the hardest of my life.
It was bad enough when you were away all the time.
But I was at least able to enjoy the simple pleasures of being alone.
Now that you’re back, I feel caged in with a man I no longer desire nor wish to spend the rest of my life with.
I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression over the past two weeks.
It was all out of guilt. You see, for a brief moment, I thought you and Aiden were not alive, and I hate to say it but I felt happy.
Not happy that you were dead, but happy that I no longer had to think about anyone else’s needs but my own for a first. Over the past couple of years, you and Aiden have made living together so unbearable.
You both drove me into the arms of the man I met and fell in love with. Arthur is kind and simple and so different from you. He makes me happy. He makes me enjoy living again, and it was always my intention to leave you and be with him.
Then you got stranded in the desert and returned okay.
I felt like a horrible person for feeling relieved when I thought you were dead, so I tried to make up for it.
I thought life had given us a second chance so we could work things out, and I tried.
I really tried, but I don’t love you anymore.
I haven’t for a long time. I didn’t want to admit it until I found out about you and Aiden.
I should have been upset about overhearing you sleeping with my son, and the fact I wasn’t revealed to me that I am actually relieved. I can walk away without feeling guilty for doing so because any man who would sleep with his own stepson isn’t worth my time.
I thought about talking to Aiden about it, but I know him well. He’s stubborn and since he has the stomach to sleep with his own mother’s husband, I must have either done something wrong in parenting him or he grew up to be a horrible son who isn’t worth my tears.
Either way, nothing changes.
If you must be with my son, then at least treat him well. His father abandoned him, and now I am, too. You’re all he has. He’s always worshipped the ground you walked on, and now he’s an adult, capable of making his own decisions, my only worry is that one day he will regret.
Please don’t let him regret this mistake, Jackson.
There’s a lot of things I’m good at but unfortunately saying goodbye isn’t one. Give my love to Aiden.
Melodie.
I had to reread the letter twice for the words to sink. My eyes wide, I stared at Jackson. She knew about us? Fuck. She’d overheard us having sex. No wonder she’d left although I would have expected her to confront us.
“She’s really gone?” I asked.
Jackson nodded. “She cleaned out the closet. All her clothes are gone.”
There was a lot she’d said in the message. She was in love and apparently happy to move on with another man, but none of that mattered. The only thing that did was—
“This means…”
“We can be together, baby.”
I squealed and threw my arms around Jackson.
“I know I should feel bad. I really should. She heard us, Jackson. But I can’t help it.
I’m so fucking happy right now. Do you know I planned to drink myself into a stupor tonight?
Couldn’t bear the thought of you in her bed when you should be in mine.
” I grabbed the front of his shirt. “You’re not hers.
You’re not anyone else’s. You hear me, Jackson? You’re mine.”
He grinned. “Is that so?”
“Fuck yes. I can’t believe it. She just left without confronting us. Didn’t even leave a forwarding address?”
“Nope. Nothing.”
I stepped back and eyed him. “Wait a minute. This wasn’t a part of your plan. Was it?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure you didn’t take my advice?” I raised my eyebrow. “Come to think of it. This is all so convenient. Why did she leave a note when she could have just disappeared? Did someone deliberately leave the note to explain her absence so no police would be involved?”
“Aiden, you have an overactive imagination. I didn’t off your mom. That was your harebrained idea. Not mine.”
“Didn’t say you pulled the trigger, but you could have paid someone to do it. Didn’t you? Will you tell me where you buried her? I kind of feel guilty and would like to take her flowers every year.”
“Aiden, I did not off your mom!”
“If you say so.”
He stood akimbo. “You think I offed your mother, and you’re so casual about it. You’re still here.”
“I know, I know. I’m bad, huh?”
“So fucking bad.” He grasped my hips and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist. “Lucky thing I know exactly how to get a rotten boy to behave.”
“Are you willing to put up with a rotten boy all your life?”
“If it’s this bratty boy, yes.”
I smiled so widely my cheeks hurt. “Good. Then take me upstairs to your bedroom. I want you to fuck me in her bed so I can make new memories for you in there. I’m going to be the best you’ve ever had in your marital bed, Daddy.”
“Fuck,” Jackson swore. “Deni, such a petty, pretty boy. What am I going to do with you?”
“Punish me.”