Fighting For a Second Chance (Fighting 1)

I walk around to her desk, sit, and shake the mouse to wake the computer up. There are several webpages open, but the one that catches my eye is the top page. It’s an ad for some sleazy motels in the area. I look on the desk and find Liz’s personal credit card sitting atop it. Why the hell would she be booking one of these motels? And to top it off, she’s using the credit card she keeps for emergencies. It’s the only card that we don’t have a joint account on. The only reason she would do something like this is if she doesn’t want me to know.

My mind starts wandering to the last few weeks. She’s been nervous, but nothing that would make me believe she’s cheating or wants out. When we got back from Florida, she went out that one time and never told me where she was going, but she’s been happy since then.

The last time I assumed the worst, I made her believe I didn’t trust her. I sure as hell won’t be doing that again. This time I’m going to just come out and ask her. Liz doesn’t lie, and if something is going on, she’ll tell me.

Quickly exiting out of all the windows, I pull up my email. The shelter says I can pick up the pup today, so I shut down her computer and leave to go pick up our new puppy. Once that’s taken care of, Liz and I will talk.

I get home to Bella watching a movie in the living room and Liz in the kitchen making dinner. She doesn’t make eye contact with me so I walk over to her and turn her around to face me. When I look at her, I can tell she’s been crying.

“Baby girl, what’s wrong?”

She just shakes her head. Well, that shit isn’t going to fly.

“I can see the dried-up tears. Please tell me what’s wrong. Does it have something to do with you booking a sleazy motel with your card?” Okay, well that wasn’t how I planned to broach the subject, but now that it’s out there…

Her eyes go wide for a second, but she quickly reins her shock in. “Were you seriously going through my computer, Cooper?” Damn it, leave it to a woman to turn it around on the guy like it’s his damn fault.

“No, Liz, I wasn’t. I got on to pull up my email and it was on the front screen.”

“Oh, well no, I’m not booking a motel. It was just an ad that popped up.”

“So, why was your credit card out? The one you only use for emergencies?” I force the issue because she isn’t giving me much and something isn’t adding up.

She looks at me and then loses it. She starts bawling her eyes out. I’m talking full- on crying. I don’t even know what to think. Is she leaving me? What the fuck happened to make her cry like this?

I do the only thing I can do and move closer to hold her. She wraps her arms around me and bawls her eyes out. I can feel the snot dripping off her onto my shirt but I’m not about to say anything right now. It’s breaking my heart to see her this emotional, especially since I don’t know what’s going on or how to fix it.

Bella walks in at this moment and I can tell from her soft voice she heard her mom crying. “Mommy, Daddy. Are you okay?”

Liz sucks in her snot and picks her head up to wipe her nose, trying to get herself together. “Nothing is wrong, Angel, I promise. I’m just really tired.”

Bella looks from me to her mom and says, “When I’m so tired that I cry you always tell me to go to bed. Maybe you should go to bed.” God bless our sweet daughter. May she always stay this innocent.

Liz nods her head in agreement and says to me, “I think I’m going to go lie down. Dinner is done. Can you take it out of the oven in fifteen minutes and give some to Bella?”

One, I don’t like how she never acknowledged the issue of the credit card, and two, I definitely don’t like that my girl looks like the world has beaten her up and thrown her out in to the cold. However, now is not the time to get to the bottom of this, especially with our four-year-old in front of us. So, I agree and let her walk away from me.

When the food is ready, I dish it out, and Bella and I eat together in front of the television, finishing up her movie. It’s something her mother barely ever allows, so I know it’ll keep her entertained because she feels like she’s getting away with something.