Page 85 of Forty and Fighting Dirty
With my papers safely folded into my purse, I took the scenic route back to the house, trying not to think about the fact that my boys would be heartbroken about leaving the town that they’d already fallen in love with.
Once I made it inside the house, I took off my outdoor gear and wandered to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I stirred in a splash of milk and then sat on my gorgeous yellow sofa, looking at the unlit Christmas tree as I prepared myself for the task I was dreading today. The new screen on my phone already had a few finger smudges on it, but it unlocked easily as I swiped.
My sister answered on the third ring, her face appearing on my screen. “Hello hello!” she answered brightly. “Look who decided to finally call her poor old sister.”
I tried to laugh, and it came out as a sad huff. “Hi, Georgia.”
Her tone changed as her brows slammed together. “What’s wrong?”
My bottom lip trembled, but I didn’t want to cry. I was so sick of crying over men who didn’t deserve my tears and problems that were my own fault. Still, I had to press my fingertips into my eyes and take a deep breath to stop tears from rollingdown my cheeks. I’d known this would happen as soon as I saw my sister’s face. The strength that got me through all the pragmatic tasks that needed to be done in order to save myself from this vulnerable, terrifying situation crumbled. I angled the phone away from my face so my sister wouldn’t see. “I messed up, Georgia,” I whispered.
“Do you need me to come to you? I can get there by tomorrow morning.”
“No,” I said automatically, even though the thought of my big sister coming to my rescue was something I wanted very, very badly. I took a breath and turned the screen so she could see me again. “No, I’m okay.”
“Tell me.”
I didn’t know where to start, so I started at the end. “Jacob showed up on Saturday without warning.”
“What an inconsiderate asshole!”
I slumped against the couch’s arm and tugged a throw blanket over my legs. “He spent the day with the boys yesterday.”
“And then you had to deal with the heartbreak when he left,” she guessed.
I nodded.
“Something tells me that’s not everything.”
I bit my lip. “I think I might be the stupidest woman on the planet,” I admitted.
“You’ve had your moments, but I doubt it,” Georgia said, and I huffed through quivering lips.
Might as well just come out and say it: “I’ve been sleeping with Rhett.”
Her jaw dropped, but her eyes didn’t convey surprise. “This is me looking shocked,” she said.
This time, my laugh was a little more genuine. Then I sighed and told her all about Rhett showing up at my doorstep, and the argument we had before he drove off. “I’ve written up my letter of resignation and printed it,” I said when I was done. “I’m quitting tomorrow.”
“Oh, Piper.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said. “I’m okay. I just…” This was the hard part. Even though I loved my sister and I knew she loved me, it was so hard to ask for help. Especially when I was the one who kept messing up and getting myself into these situations. “Would it be okay if the boys and I stayed with you again? Just for a little while, until I get a place to stay. I have to see if the elementary school will even take them, and?—”
“Yes,” she said, interrupting me. “Of course. Anything you need.”
My lip trembled uncontrollably, and a sob snuck through my best defenses. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Anything you need, Piper,” she repeated.
We talked for a while longer, and when I finally hung up, I was able to take my first deep breath in two days. I had a plan. I would start over—again.
And I would survive.
Tomorrow, I would tackle the most difficult part of my plan: I’d finally face Rhett and take back the power I’d so carelessly thrown away.
THIRTY-FOUR
RHETT
