Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
I’m still in shock that the man I gave my heart, my body, and so much of my life was this rotten. That’s what the headlines read. Dirty Cop of Abalee a Wanted Fugitive. Yep, David is still running from the law. Seizing illegal drugs only to funnel them back to the cartel is a bit of an issue in the eyes of the law. The police chief didn’t go into too many details, seeing as how it was an open investigation. He asked if I knew his whereabouts, to work with him, which would be awesome if I did. It was the other agencies that were complete assholes. A shiver runs up my body as I remember the days that followed. David’s disappearance left me with a pile of horse shit to wade through, that’s for sure, with two girls in the throes of teenage life while not knowing how to handle how angry I am at him for putting us through this alone, plus one less income. Thankfully, we kept the first house we purchased years after we got married, so the mortgage isn’t steep. It still isn’t cheap. My car is not paid off either, and my credit is shot to shit now that things have gone haywire. Thank you, David. My credit cards were cut off, too. It was either pay them or put food on the table, which was an easy choice when two growing girls were involved.
“Fucking, fuck, fuck!” I scream into my pillow-covered face one last time before I need to put this pity party to rest. I have to throw dinner together and go do the round of pick-ups. On weekday afternoons I don’t have off, David’s parents step in. They are literal saints compared to their son. It’s not their fault; they didn’t raise him that way. They gave that man everything, and not in a spoiled kind of way either. He had a roof over his head, a loving family who supported him, and dinner around the table every night. And while I can’t do all those things now that I’m working full-time, as soon as I get them on the bus, I rush off to work at Minnie’s Nursery Center in my gas-guzzling SUV. Another thing on my to-do list: trade that beast in for something smaller as well as getting rid of the payment. That would help tremendously. A pipe dream is what it is. Did I mention David left me with all the debt—cars, house, and credit cards? If only I could plant my fist in his face right about now.
Before meeting David, I was on track to go to nursing school, a straight-A student ready to start college. That all changed, of course. When I look back, it’s okay that things evolve. I wouldn’t trade my girls for the world. I would, however, change the timing in which I had them. Alright, to be fair, we probably should have planned things differently. Me working two jobs while pregnant to put his needs before mine probably wasn’t smart, but at the time, it was different. If I had to do things over, I’d change that. David’s career to become a cop was put first, especially after an unplanned pregnancy occurred.
Here I am, nearly thirteen years later, with our two girls and doing it all on my own. While he’s where? Nowhere to be seen, literally. His phone is off, can’t even be pinged, and he’s got no social media. The only reason I’m still paying for his stupid phone line is in case the good cops catch a break. Bleeding hearts unite. I freaking swear other than that, it’s like he was never here, besides leaving three girls consumed by not understanding.
The ringing of the doorbell makes me get up from my bed before I’m actually ready to. Just because the pity party is over, doesn’t mean a woman can’t rest. “Just a minute!” I call out, grumbling while I move through the empty house.
“Hurry up, woman, it’s cold as balls out here,” I hear a man’s voice on the other side of the door. That would be David’s best friend, Phoenix, the man who seems to hate my future ex-husband as much as I do. All while being here for us every step of the way. Leaky faucet? Nix to the rescue. Rory can’t figure out her math homework, you guessed it. Nix is there to help. Emmy needs help with new ballet shoes? Nix again. I seriously think I fell in love with the wrong guy, because all of a sudden, the feelings I have for David’s friend, well, they aren’t so friendly anymore.
2
NIX
I shouldn’t be on her doorstep, yet here I fucking am, bags of groceries in hand. Rory sent me a text asking if I could make them dinner tonight, something I don’t get to do a lot of, seeing as how I’m working six days a week at my auto repair shop. Usually, it’s the other way round. Leigh is making me dinner as a thank-you for picking up where Douchebag David fucked up.