CHESSY tensed when Jensen pulled into her and Tate’s neighborhood. Her fingers curled into tight fists and she fought the surge of tears that welled in her eyes. Kylie turned to look at Chessy over her shoulder, her eyes brimming with sympathy.
“You’ll get through this, Chessy. Jensen, Joss, Dash and I will be here for you.”
“I know,” Chessy said.
“Shit,” Jensen muttered when he made the turn into Chessy’s drive.
Chessy looked and her heart plummeted when she saw Tate’s car parked outside the garage. What was he doing home? Why?
“What should we do, Jensen?” Kylie asked anxiously.
Jensen put the car in park and turned to look at Chessy. “It’s up to you, honey. Kylie and I will go in with you, but if you’d rather come back when he isn’t here I’ll be happy to bring you another time.”
Chessy squared her shoulders resolutely and spoke with calm she didn’t quite feel. “No. I’ll do it now. I have to face him sometime. I won’t let him make me afraid to walk into my own house.”
“Okay then, let’s do it,” Jensen said, opening his door.
Chessy climbed from the backseat and started toward the door on wobbly legs. Before she was halfway up the walk, the front door flew open and Tate filled the doorway, his appearance haggard and unkempt. As if he hadn’t slept at all the night before. Relief poured from his face.
“Chessy, thank God you came back,” he said in a hoarse voice.
And then he looked beyond her as if he’d been so focused on her that he hadn’t even noticed that Jensen and Kylie were there.
“Chessy? What’s going on?” he asked quietly.
“Jensen and Kylie drove me over so I could pack more of my things,” Chessy said, proud of how steady—and firm—she sounded.
He looked as though she’d slapped him right across the face. He visibly flinched and then ran a hand through his already rumpled hair.
“You’re moving out?”
The pain in his voice made her heart clench. But she steeled herself against letting him manipulate her emotionally. This wasn’t about him. It was about her finally standing up for herself and doing what she should have done a long time ago.
Jensen walked up to stand beside Chessy, adding his silent support as he stared Tate down. There was open disgust in Jensen’s expression. Tate wouldn’t even meet Jensen’s gaze. Guilt was plastered all over Tate’s face and then resignation swamped his eyes and he stepped aside so Chessy could enter the front door.
Chessy walked by him, Kylie following behind. Jensen remained, however, and Chessy paused just inside the partially open door. Kylie looked questioningly at her, but Chessy held a finger to her lips and pointed at the door.
“What the fuck were you thinking, Tate?” Jensen demanded. “How could you have allowed your wife to get hurt while you were taking a fucking business call? Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
Chessy winced but Kylie looked as though she wanted to cheer.
“This is between me and Chessy,” Tate said in an icy tone. “I don’t need your input when it comes to my marriage.”
“Someone needs to knock some sense into your head. God only knows why she’s put up with you as long as she has. You had so many chances to make things right and you blew it big-time.”
“I love her,” Tate said. “I’ve made mistakes. I wish to hell I could undo them. But I won’t let her go. I’ll fight for her with my last breath. I’m not going to just stand back and let her walk out of my life, even if that’s what I deserve.”
Jensen made a sound of disgust. “You don’t act like a man who loves his wife. And you damn sure haven’t put her first when it comes to any part of your life.”
Chessy bowed her head, tears gathering in her eyes. She knew what Jensen was saying was true, but to hear that truth from a third party hurt. That the problems in her marriage were so obvious to others. It was humiliating.
“Come on, Chessy,” Kylie said in a low voice, taking her arm to guide her away from the doorway. “It does no good for you to stand and listen to this. It’ll only upset you even more. Let’s get your things together so we can go.”
Chessy allowed herself to be led to the bedroom and mechanically she began removing her clothing from the closet. She tossed everything onto the bed and then went through her drawers and collected all the shoe boxes from the shelves in the closet. Jensen had brought several suitcases that he would be bringing in and whatever didn’t fit would just have to be piled into the backseat.
Other than clothing, what should she take? There were mementos all over the house. Things that held special meaning. And photos. Her wedding pictures. Honeymoon pictures. Though looking at them now only brought her crushing pain, would she feel differently as time passed? Would she want those things or should she leave them here, in the past where they belonged?
Oh God, should she be consulting an attorney? Was she truly going to go through with a divorce? Her heart seized and panic scuttled up her spine and rolled her stomach into one big vicious knot.
“What’s wrong, Chessy?”
Kylie’s concerned voice cut through her haze of dismay.
“I need a lawyer,” Chessy said faintly. “Or at least I think I do. Shouldn’t I file for divorce?”
Kylie’s arms came around her and she hugged Chessy fiercely. “Let’s not worry about that right now, sweetie. You have plenty of time to think of that. For now let’s just get your stuff packed and you settled into my house. You’re still in shock and you shouldn’t be making any life-altering decisions in your current emotional state.”
Chessy sighed. “I know, I know. You’re right. It’s just that I never thought I’d be standing in my bedroom thinking about hiring a divorce lawyer.”
The reality of the situation came crashing down and she completely lost it. She dissolved into heart-wrenching sobs.
“Chessy?”
Tate’s hoarse exclamation from the doorway made her flinch. And then suddenly he was there, his arms around her, holding her tightly as she heaved huge sobs.
His mouth was pressed against her hair and his arms were like iron around her, his strength radiating outward. For a moment she felt … safe. Like nothing bad had ever happened. Like she’d dreamed the entire thing and she wasn’t in her bedroom packing her things to walk out on her marriage.
“Please don’t cry, baby,” Tate murmured. “It will be okay. I swear it. You don’t have to do this. Please stay so we can work this out. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I swear on my life. I love you.”
She shook her head, prying herself from his grasp. She took a step backward, still trying to get her emotions under control.
“I can’t stay,” she whispered. “You made your choice, Tate. And it wasn’t me. If the others hadn’t intervened when they did, I could have been seriously hurt. I was hurt,” she amended. “You’ve broken your promises time and time again. I won’t continue to allow myself to be a doormat. I owe myself that much at least.”
“I won’t let you walk out that door,” Tate said fiercely.
“That’s enough, Tate.”
Jensen’s voice was a warning, his tone openly hostile.
“You need to back off and back off now. Let her finish packing or I’ll call the police and have you forcibly removed so she can finish.”
Tate went white and then a flush of red crawled over his cheeks as anger replaced his earlier entreating words.
“You need to stay the fuck out of this,” he growled at Jensen.
“If you love her then you won’t make it so hard for her to do this,” Jensen persisted. “You say one thing but your actions don’t back up your words. If you want to win her back, this isn’t the way to go about it. Trying to manipulate her and then making threats won’t do anything but drive her farther away. Use your head, man. Now isn’t the time to push. She’s at her breaking point. Anyone with eyes can see that. Give her time. And then you need to start crawling and begging her forgiveness.”
His words seemed to finally register with Tate. Tate dropped his gaze, embarrassment and the knowledge that Jensen was dead-on reflected on his face.
“I’m sorry, Chess,” he said in a sincere voice. “I’ll leave so you can finish what you’re doing. But there are two things you need to understand. One, I love you. I’ll never love anyone else. And two, I’m not giving up on us. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back and to earn your trust and forgiveness, even if it takes forever.”
The conviction in his statement was undeniable. Before Chessy could respond, Tate turned and slowly walked out the door. A moment later, the front door slammed and then she heard the engine start up in his car.
Kylie pulled one of the slats down in the blinds of the bedroom window and peered out.
“He’s gone,” she said in a low voice.
Chessy should have been relieved, but the only reaction she could summon was overwhelming sadness.
Jensen pulled her into his arms and gave her a huge hug. “Chin up, honey. We’ll get you through this. I know I can speak for Joss and Dash as well, and we’ll all do whatever we can to help you.”
Chessy gave him a watery smile. “Thank you. I appreciate y’all. You’re the best friends I could ever ask for.”
“I’ll start taking your stuff out to the car while you and Kylie finish up packing. Joss is coming over as soon as we get back to the house and I’ll cook dinner for us.”
“If you don’t stop, I’m going to cry again,” Chessy said with a sniffle. “I can see why Kylie loves you so much. You’re so sweet and thoughtful, Jensen.”
He smiled. “As long as Kylie recognizes what a catch I am.”
Kylie snorted. “If I don’t, I have no doubt you’ll remind me on a daily basis.”
“Damn right,” he said smugly.
Then he gathered an armload of Chessy’s clothing and walked out of the bedroom. A few moments later, he returned carrying the suitcases from the car and opened them up on the bed.
“If there’s anything in the rest of the house you know you want, tell me and I’ll start packing that stuff,” Jensen said.
“I honestly don’t know,” Chessy said softly. “I’ll do a walkthrough before we leave. I shouldn’t be but a few more minutes. There’s no point in moving so much stuff twice. Maybe after I get my own place I’ll get the rest. As it is now I don’t have anywhere to put everything.”
Kylie rubbed her hand up and down Chessy’s back comfortingly.
Her own place. How sterile and lonely it sounded. But it was something she had to face. She couldn’t impose on Kylie and Jensen forever. They were still in the beginnings of their relationship and the last thing they needed was a mopey third wheel underfoot.
Maybe a town house. Something small and homey without a lot of maintenance. There were plenty of upscale neighborhoods in the Woodlands with housing ranging from apartment complexes to duplexes and townhomes. She’d rent at first until she figured out a solid plan to support herself. No matter that she would be entitled to a settlement from Tate in the divorce, she still needed to evaluate her career options.
She had a business degree and had job experience in a marketing firm, but she hadn’t worked anywhere in the five years she and Tate had been married. In hindsight it had been incredibly stupid of her to give up everything and depend solely on her husband for support, but at the time she’d found it wildly romantic that he was so determined to provide for her every need.
Setting aside thoughts of divorce and her lack of independence, she finished packing what she wanted from the bedroom and Jensen lugged it all out to the car while she and Kylie did a sweep of the rest of the house.
On the fireplace mantel in the living room was a photo of her and Tate looking so happy that it hurt to look at it. Her hand hovered over it, wanting to take it, to be able to recapture a time in their marriage when they’d been in love and deliciously carefree. Before work had consumed all of Tate’s time and attention and she’d slipped in his priorities.
She closed her eyes. Could she really blame him for wanting to make a success of himself? Was she being selfish for not being more understanding?
No. That may have been true before the night at The House. But it was inexcusable for him to have left her at her most vulnerable when she was defenseless against another man’s actions. But then did she share in the blame for participating in a kink they both enjoyed and had shared in multiple times before the other night?
Finally making her decision, she carefully picked up the photo and stuck it under her arm before reaching for her wedding album from the built-in shelves on either side of the fireplace.
There were other photos. Vacations. Honeymoon pictures. Candid shots that had been taken in unguarded moments. She was infused with longing for those simpler times when their focus had been each other and there were no worries about jobs or careers or anything except loving and being.
“I’m done,” Chessy quietly announced as she deposited the stack of picture frames and photo albums into Jensen’s waiting hands. “We can go now.”
Kylie put her hand on Chessy’s shoulder and squeezed in silent support. “I’ll call Joss and tell her we’re on our way. She’ll probably be at the house waiting when we get there.”
“Thank you,” Chessy said softly. “Thank you both. I don’t know what I’d do without such good friends. Having to do this alone …” She closed her eyes, unable to finish her statement.
“You won’t ever have to do it alone, Chessy,” Jensen said in a determined voice. “You were there for Kylie when I was a dumbass. You were there for Joss when Dash was a dumbass. So now Tate is the one being the dumbass. It all turned out well for Joss and Kylie so maybe there’s hope yet for Tate.”
Chessy attempted a smile but failed miserably. Compared to Tate’s “fuck-up,” Dash and Jensen’s paled in comparison. There was never any doubt in Chessy’s mind that the two men adored their women, and even when they pulled their stupid male moves, she’d known that it would turn out just fine in the end.
Before the night at The House, Chessy had felt optimistic about her future with Tate. She’d truly believed that they’d incurred a minor hiccup on the way to happily ever after. But when a husband turned his back on his wife when she was at her most vulnerable to take an after-hours business call, what else was she to think other than that their marriage was well and truly over?