And then there was Andy.
Life’s unfair, he didn’t deserve to grow up without a father.
Yet somewhere over the last six months, I knew something had changed with Adriana. It slowly began to eat away at me—her resistance to share her private life.
Both Lex and I spoke about it, and he too saw a change. We both assumed she was struggling with the guilt, which is why we didn’t push her too much.
What we didn’t expect was Julian.
Last night’s revelations caused a swirl of emotions, even my normally controlled self could not handle. It all made sense—the secrecy and refusing to share with me. Though, I knew Eric was aware of what, or who was happening, it still didn’t make any sense.
My first reaction was of shock, assuming she did this to hurt Lex and me. And to add to that maybe Julian wanted back in my life somehow.
It was a selfish presumption.
When Adriana finally opened up and explained how this all unfolded, it began to make sense. And the more she poured her heart out, the more I realized how real this was for both of them.
Nothing could change the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke about him, or her remorseful expression when she told me she’d been cutting herself to deal with the pain.
I felt sick to the stomach and incredibly apologetic for not realizing the extent and damage of losing Elijah had done to her, wishing I had made more of an effort.
But again, the universe had other plans, and it happened to involve my ex-fiancé.
Yet, perhaps the biggest hurdle, roadblock, hindrance, and complicated matter in this love affair is my husband.
Lex Edwards.
Unfortunately, I’ve been privy to Lex’s rage on more than one occasion. Jealousy is an ugly trait and one he can’t seem to rid himself of, no matter how hard he tries.
After Julian saved Ava and me, I had managed to calm him down enough to be able to see the so-called bigger picture.
Without Julian—we wouldn’t have survived.
But last night, Lex’s ego took a hit of epic proportions, and his jealousy is a force to be reckoned with. He said things, uncalled for, and disrespectful about my loyalty. My temper sparked, anger shot through me like hot lava. Only when we were at Adriana’s house, did it all begin to sink in. The hard reality is that I didn’t blame him for acting this way despite my warning for him to back the hell away and stay home. This was never going to go down well, and frankly, we’re dealing with the one man who will forever be Lex’s weakness. I know that Lex knew that, yet Adriana didn’t know the extent of Lex’s insecurities when it comes to Julian.
Behind this door are the ramifications of last night.
I take a deep breath, turning the key slowly, cautious of what lies inside. As the door opens, the grand entrance is in view.
Everything is in-tact, nothing out of the ordinary.
The silence creeps across the house, not a single sound is heard. I take small steps toward the kitchen, instantly noticing the medicine cabinet open and various contents scattered across the countertop. Letting out the breath I’ve been holding, I place my purse down and decide to clean it later, my immediate thought to find Lex assuming he’s passed out in our bed.
Our bedroom remains the same—bed perfectly made and unslept in.
The kids are at Emily’s, so their rooms remain empty.
Making my way back down the staircase, I walk the long hallway toward his office.
The door is shut.
I place my ear against it—silence again.
Opening it slowly, darkness consumes me. The drapes are shut, the small lamp on his large desk is illuminating the empty bottle of whiskey and his phone. Slowly, my eyes move up until I see his face. Lex is staring at the empty glass held in his hand. His other hand is bandaged, explaining the mess in the kitchen.
I take a step in closing the door behind me, watching him not even move at the sound of my presence. With a pained stare, his eyes look withdrawn and tired from no sleep and too much liquor. I’m torn between my anger and need to reassure him everything will work out.
But I know my husband all too well—he’s hurting and needs time to process.