Page 64 of The Biggest Secret
“How about me? Call me, Adam.”
“I sent you a text. You were with my sister. I didn’t want you to have to come home. So, I handled it.”
“No, Adam, you didn’t handle it. You pushed your responsibility off to someone else and went to do something you wanted to do.”
“I didn’t want to do it! I had to go. I have to work, Chelsea.”
“You alwayshaveto work.”
My heart rate skyrockets and my hands clench. “Are you kidding me with this bullshit right now?”
“Bullshit? Areyoukiddingme?” She throws her hands up and stomps toward me. “Just when I thought I was getting Adam, the doting father and caring boyfriend, selfish Adam shows up.”
“Selfish? I work my ass off for you! For him! What the fuck, CJ, we just had this conversation. Aren’t we on the same page? I told you, everything I do is for you two.”
“Everything but stay.”
My blood runs ice cold. I swallow down my anger and pain. “Where am I going Chelsea?”
“You can go home. We’re staying here.”
I stalk closer to her. I don’t like her tone or the threatening words she isn’t saying. “Don’t you dare leave again, Chelsea.”
She stares right back at me, crossing her arms in front of her, essentially cutting me off from her world. “Or what? It’s not like you came looking for me last time.”
I take a breath trying to calm my nerves before I say something I regret. I gather the words I’ve been burying deep, the words I’ve been afraid to ask, afraid to hear an answer to. “I didn’t go looking for you because there was no way I would have been able to hear you tell me you didn’t want me, to my face. You moved out of your home to get away from me. Refused my phone calls and I was supposed to go find you? So, what? So you could look me in the eye when you told me to go to hell?”I spit the words, my anger from the past rising to the surface.
“You’re right. You didn’t need to hear that. I’m sure Grace filled you in anyway.”
“What the fuck does that mean? Grace means shit to me, Chelsea!” I bellow out and then I hear a baby cry. “Fuck.” I go to move towards his room, but she puts her hand up.
“Just go, Adam. You’ve shown tonight you won’t ever put us first, no matter how much youtry to convince me.”
“Chelsea, don’t.”
“But it’s my fault too, I believed you when you said it, so shame on me.” She hesitates for a moment then turns her back and walks down the hall to where Dom is crying. I stand there shell shocked. I can’t believe how this day unfolded. Adley is standing quietly in the kitchen having watched the shitshow happen. I look at her, just shaking my head, I have no words.
“I sent the text.” It’s all I can say as I turn toward the door when a flash catches my eye. On the entryway table is a bowl that holds keys when you walk in. I look closely at what’s sparkling and I notice the love knot ring I gave her all those years ago, sitting in the middle of the bowl.
And just like that, our home sweet home was turned upside down once again.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
ADAM
I head for Moose’s. I don’t want to be at home. Everything there reminds me of them, and I miss them already. I just need a break for a night. She’s got to cool off, and so do I. I can’t believe we’re having the same fight again.
Walking in, I head to the corner of the bar, closest to the television. Thank God there’s a game on tonight. I can drown my brain in tequila and basketball.
“Hello, Mr. Casanova.”
“Come on Al, that’s my father’s name.” The bartender, Al Gargulo has owned this place for years. He used to chase my brothers and I out of here when we were barely eighteen, trying to sneak in with fake ID’s. Not sure how we thought we’d get away with it, completely oblivious to how small this town really was back then.
He wipes the space down in front of me. “What can I get you?”
“Hit me with a beer and a shot.”
He nods and taps the bar with his knuckles. I pull out my phone, laying it on the bar next to me. I don’t think she’ll call, but just in case. I’ve had enough trouble with my phone today, better to keep it close. I stare at the game on the television, but my mind is elsewhere. It takes Al two times of calling my name before I realize he’s standing in front of me.
