I leave without a second glance. It seems Monica isn’t fucking getting it. She is now prancing around fucking naked. I swear she better be gone when I get home or I’m driving her ass back home myself.
I pull up to the arena on time and look around. I don’t see Parker’s Jeep, which isn’t strange since she always gets here two minutes before, and just thinking about her makes me smile. It makes my heart full. I can’t wait to see her. Being away from her was torture last night. We don’t have many sleepovers, but when she doesn’t have the kids she’s with me, and I look forward to that. I crave it.
I get out just in time to see Tom’s car pull up. What is he doing here?
“Hey, bud, what’s up?” I ask, grabbing my equipment bag from the trunk.
“I’m your trainer today. I thought you knew,” he says while looking at me like I have two heads.
“What are you talking about? And where the fuck is Parker?” My heart is hammering in my chest. The blood is going to my head. I’m feeling lightheaded. Fuck, maybe I’m having a heart attack. What if something happened to her and I wasn’t there?
“She called us yesterday maybe around three-ish. Told me that she’s done with her level of training, and it’s time for mine. I have to admit I was pretty surprised since she usually gives me a heads-up. Then she and Meghan went on a ‘road trip’.”
Around three. Isn’t that the time I was home in the shower and Monica was in my shirt coming back from the fucking door? I drop my bag and start pacing.
“Okay, Tom, I need to know exactly what she said, word for word.”
“Bro, chill. I didn’t even speak to her when she called Meghan. She was the one who gave me the message when she ran around the house gathering things and making plans for the twins. Is something else going on that I don’t know about?” he asks, and I see the confusion on his face.
“FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. She probably passed by the house yesterday on her way home from work and Monica answered the door in my T-shirt.” I’m pulling my hair. This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening. It’s all making sense. The unanswered texts, the calls sent straight to voice mail.
I look up and see Tom’s face filled with rage, and I know what’s coming.
“I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t give a shit who the fuck you are. If you fucked Monica last night, I’m going to knock you the fuck out. I wasn’t here when the shit with her ex went down, but from what Meghan told me it fucking gutted her, so if you are standing here telling me you were fucking around on her, I’m going to give you five seconds to get your sorry ass in that car and get the fuck out of here before I kill you.”
And I know in that moment he would. It is also in that moment I realize that I might have lost the best thing that has ever happened to me. I had found my purpose to breathe and knowing that I might never get to hold her again has my chest seizing. I have to rub my chest because, at this moment, it feels like an elephant is sitting on me.
“I swear to you and everything else I. Didn’t. Fucking. Touch. Her. She showed up out of the blue, changed into my shirt while I was in the shower. Wanted to get back together. I told her in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t going to happen. I woke up with her naked in my bed, but I told her she better be gone by the time I get home.”
I’m pale, and I need to sit down. I bend over and try to calm my breathing. “Nothing happened. I wouldn’t do that to her. I couldn’t do that to her. I love her. I love her with everything that I am. I would give up everything for her. She doesn’t know this, but I would, and I do. I need to find her. I need to fix this. I need to hold her.” In that moment, I fear I may never be able to do that again.
“I don’t know where they went. I got a call last night from Meghan telling me they arrived, but I never even thought to ask where they were. I assumed it was girl shit.”
“You need to call her and ask her where she is. I need to go to her.”
“You know she won’t want you there. I believe you that nothing happened, but I know those two. She isn’t giving her up if she doesn’t want to be found. I know this sucks, but you just have to wait for her to come back. You know she will. Her kids come back to her Friday night.” He looks at me. I see he’s apologetic, but I can’t do it without her.