Lucy’s voice didn’t rise, didn’t change an octave as she spoke to him. When she realized that he was first gone, she had been completely and utterly broken. He’d left her, abandoned her. Three kids, a mortgage, bills, debts, everything had fallen to her. Dane had promised to take care of her. In the end, he nearly ruined her.
“What did you do with your time? What did you do with your newfound freedom?” she asked.
“I thought about you every day.”
She let out a breath. “No, you didn’t.”
“Lucy?”
“No.” She handed him a coffee. “You don’t get to sit there and pretend that you did something. If you cared, you’d have called. If you cared, you’d have given me some warning. You left me all alone, Dane. Don’t even try to tell me that you stayed faithful either. I know you too well.”
She watched as he averted his gaze, confirming her suspicions. He hadn’t been faithful to her. Dane had left her with three
kids.
“You never kept your promise to me. The least you can do is sign the damn paperwork releasing me from you.”
****
“I promise to never break your heart. To love you for all of my life. I’ll be there for you always. You don’t have to rely on anyone else. I’ll be there.”
Dane had promised Lucy that on the day he proposed. She had wanted to wait, but he’d insisted that they marry sooner rather than later. She wanted to wait for kids, but he’d knocked her up as soon as he could.
Once they had three kids, and life was on track, it had been too much for him, and he bolted.
He hadn’t been faithful to her.
There had been countless women over the past few years. Young, old, fat, thin, He hadn’t cared. He had fucked them because in that moment, he’d been single. The ring he wore had been on the necklace tied around his neck.
It had been a game to him, making up for lost time.
“I heard you found someone,” he said.
“I have. He’s a good man. I love him.”
Dane had never expected her admission to hurt. Not only did it hurt, it cut him deep.
She gripped the edge of the island that he had once installed.
“You once loved me.”
“I love the man that wouldn’t have left me. The man that wouldn’t cheat on me. You’re not that man.”
“I’m still me.”
“No. I wouldn’t even trust you anymore.”
“None of us would,” Ryan said, making them turn toward the door. Dane stared at his son, and his heart broke a little more. Ryan was no longer a little boy. He was a man, struggling with his temper, channeling his rage into his fists.
“Are you okay?” Lucy asked.
“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine. I want to know why you have him here.”
“I’m hoping he can sign the divorce papers.”
“You tell him everything now?” Dane asked.
“She’s my mom, of course she does.” Ryan went to the fridge, and Dane realized how much of an outsider he was. This was his son, his wife, and he had two other kids upstairs.