“Dad, I didn’t cheat on Destiny.”
“I believed you the first time you told me what happened. You don’t have to prove it to me. Prove it to Destiny. I’m already on your side and rooting for you to get the love you deserve,” he said and I could tell that Mrs. Clara was around when he added in a softer tone, “Just like I did.”
“Thanks Dad,” I said.
“Talk to you soon, Son,” Dad said.
Mrs. Clara’s voice buzzed in the background saying “hello.”
“Tell Mrs. Clara, I said hello. Talk to you guys soon.” I smiled, hung up, and the brief elation from talking to Dad faded when it dawned on me that I would be spending another night without Destiny.
Chapter Twelve
Jacob
I Belong to You
A week later…
I pulled up in front of her house and parked. Through the sheer curtains in the living room, I saw a silhouette showing the beautiful statue of my wife with her hand resting on the small bump that was our unborn child. She peaked out and closed the curtains quickly.
She saw me.
A few moments of anxiety rushed over me as I opened my car door and stood inside of it staring up at her two-story home.
The front door opened and Destiny walked out. The wind brushed her wet hair gently away from her shoulders as she strolled to the edge of the porch, her hand still resting protectively over our baby.
My slacks tightened around my groin at the sight of her radiance under the late-night moon. She wore a long, purple robe that covered way too much of her body. A month ago, I came by and we both needed each other. I made love to her, and she immediately threw me out afterwards. Since then, she has shut me out. I came by every day since I arrived from Utah, but she gave me the cold shoulder. I was fed up with missing her. I had enough. I missed too much of her pregnancy, already. I refused to go another day without her. I slammed the door to my car and stalked to her with a mission.
“You should really stop stalking me, before I file for divorce and make it official,” she threatened and folded her arms across her chest to put me at the disadvantage of hugging her.
Standing in front of her on the porch, I said, “I wouldn’t have to go to such extremes, if you would just forgive me and let’s move forward.” I turned her face to look at me. “Divorce is out of the question, okay? I won’t sign for it.”
She turned away from me again. “Jacob, why are you here?”
“Why did you come outside?” The past few times I came over, she ignored me and didn’t answer the door, or asked me to leave as soon as she saw me.
“I don’t know,” she said and ran her hands over her arms to warm them. “I guess I just wanted to let you know that I’m still pissed at you,” she said and tears welled behind her eyes, ripping my heart out of my chest.
“I know baby,” I stepped toward her and she pushed me away.
“No, don’t touch me. That’s not going to help how I feel. You betrayed me!”
“Destiny,” I ignored her protests and pulled her into an embrace.
“Jacob, you slept with her, knowing how badly she treated me. She put me in the hospital, disrespect me at every turn, and you slept with her in our house.”
“I won’t try to make my case about what actually happened. You heard my version, and you’ve chosen not to believe it. So, all I can do is try to get you to understand how much I love you and will never let anything like this happen to us again.”
“Jacob, I want to believe you.”
“Trust me then, baby, and let’s be together and love each other like we vowed to do when we got married.”
Destiny walked to the other end of the porch and stood by a swing. “Our love has driven me crazy from day one. I never understood why you were able to get me to do things no other man has been able to do.”
“That’s because we’re meant to be.” I trailed her and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. I closed my eyes and basked in the feeling of our baby bump in the palms of my hands. “You hold the key to my heart. No one has ever done that, but you.”
She spun in my arms and faced me. “I only want to be with you, but I just feel so—”