Status: Complete
Past Lives
53
As I pulled into the driveway after the drive home from the airport, I saw Brooks’ car already there.
I sighed and grabbed my suitcase from the back and walked into the house.
After I left my suitcase in the laundry room, I walked into the living room to see Brooks sitting there watching Sportscenter.
As I entered the room, he looked up and turned off the TV.
“Hey babe. How was work?”
I sighed and walked over to the couch. “It was a long day.”
“Interesting. Cause I stopped by the hospital on my way back here to surprise you, and they said you hadn’t been there since three days ago.”
I stopped in my tracks and stared at him.
Oh shit
He got off the couch and walked passed me to the kitchen. “So Jamie is right, you are hiding something.”
“That isn’t fair Brooks!”
“No what isn’t fair is you not telling me the real reason why you couldn’t go on this road trip. What is it Ads? Hate supporting your boyfriend and his teammates? Or is it something more?”
“Brooks I swear, if I could have been there I would have but-“
He slammed a glass down on the counter, shattering it. “But what? What is the excuse Ads? Hmm?”
I looked down at the floor, feeling the tears come to my eyes. “I had a conference out of town for work I had to go to.”
“I don’t believe you.” Brooks said.
“It’s the truth!” I said as the tears fell. “Why can’t you believe me?”
“Because I have a feeling this isn’t the only time you have been hiding something from me. How many more lies have you been hiding? Still fucking Max behind my back?”
“What the fuck Brooks? I would never do that to you! And I am not hiding anything from you!”
“I am calling you on your bullshit.” He said as he grabbed his keys.
“Where are you going?”
He turned to me before walking out the door. “Anywhere but here. Call me when you finally decide to quit lying.”
As he slammed the door behind him, I sat down at the counter and let the tears run down my cheeks.
This job is going to be the end of our relationship.
---
I didn’t get any sleep at all, considering I sat on the couch waiting, and hoping, for Brooks to come home.
He never did.
This situation was a lose-lose situation for me.
On one hand, I should have just told him the truth, but it would have torn him apart.
And then now, he was hurt because he knows I lied to him.
I didn’t move from my spot where I was curled up on the couch until I remembered I was supposed to meet Jamie for lunch.
I looked at my phone and realized that she sent me a message telling me to meet her at Fathead’s at one. I looked at the clock, 12:30.
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair and looked at what I was wearing.
I didn’t have time for a shower, but I guess I could throw on something better than sweats and one of Brooks’ old t-shirts.
Fifteen minutes later, I dragged myself out of the house and drove down to Southside to meet my friend for lunch.
When I finally got there, I walked in to see Jamie sitting at a table near the bar. As I walked up, she looked up from her phone and looked me over.
“Damn Ads, you look like shit.”
I rolled my eyes and sat down. “I don’t even want to talk about it. By chance, not saying this means anything, have you heard from Brooks today?”
She gave me a smile. “So you and Brooks had a bad fight. What was it about?”
I gave the waitress my order and told her to bring me two shots of vodka stat. “He went by the hospital to surprise me last night on his way home, and I wasn’t there.”
“Oh so now he believes me. Perfect.”
I downed the shots as soon as the waitress brought them to me. “Why do you two think you guys always have to be right on everything?”
She gave me a look. “I thought you wanted to make peace?”
I sighed. “I do, just… if I tell you the truth, can you keep it a secret? I really, and I mean really, do not want Brooks to find out, it will cause even more problems between us.”
“Oh my god, you are cheating on him aren’t you?”
I shook my head. “I would never do that to him, you should know that.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Then what is it Ads? What don’t you want Brooks to find out?”
I took a minute to figure out how to say the truth. “I was in Boston for a job interview. I got offered the Nursing Director position at the Children’s Hospital.”
I sighed and grabbed my suitcase from the back and walked into the house.
After I left my suitcase in the laundry room, I walked into the living room to see Brooks sitting there watching Sportscenter.
As I entered the room, he looked up and turned off the TV.
“Hey babe. How was work?”
I sighed and walked over to the couch. “It was a long day.”
“Interesting. Cause I stopped by the hospital on my way back here to surprise you, and they said you hadn’t been there since three days ago.”
I stopped in my tracks and stared at him.
Oh shit
He got off the couch and walked passed me to the kitchen. “So Jamie is right, you are hiding something.”
“That isn’t fair Brooks!”
“No what isn’t fair is you not telling me the real reason why you couldn’t go on this road trip. What is it Ads? Hate supporting your boyfriend and his teammates? Or is it something more?”
“Brooks I swear, if I could have been there I would have but-“
He slammed a glass down on the counter, shattering it. “But what? What is the excuse Ads? Hmm?”
I looked down at the floor, feeling the tears come to my eyes. “I had a conference out of town for work I had to go to.”
“I don’t believe you.” Brooks said.
“It’s the truth!” I said as the tears fell. “Why can’t you believe me?”
“Because I have a feeling this isn’t the only time you have been hiding something from me. How many more lies have you been hiding? Still fucking Max behind my back?”
“What the fuck Brooks? I would never do that to you! And I am not hiding anything from you!”
“I am calling you on your bullshit.” He said as he grabbed his keys.
“Where are you going?”
He turned to me before walking out the door. “Anywhere but here. Call me when you finally decide to quit lying.”
As he slammed the door behind him, I sat down at the counter and let the tears run down my cheeks.
This job is going to be the end of our relationship.
---
I didn’t get any sleep at all, considering I sat on the couch waiting, and hoping, for Brooks to come home.
He never did.
This situation was a lose-lose situation for me.
On one hand, I should have just told him the truth, but it would have torn him apart.
And then now, he was hurt because he knows I lied to him.
I didn’t move from my spot where I was curled up on the couch until I remembered I was supposed to meet Jamie for lunch.
I looked at my phone and realized that she sent me a message telling me to meet her at Fathead’s at one. I looked at the clock, 12:30.
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair and looked at what I was wearing.
I didn’t have time for a shower, but I guess I could throw on something better than sweats and one of Brooks’ old t-shirts.
Fifteen minutes later, I dragged myself out of the house and drove down to Southside to meet my friend for lunch.
When I finally got there, I walked in to see Jamie sitting at a table near the bar. As I walked up, she looked up from her phone and looked me over.
“Damn Ads, you look like shit.”
I rolled my eyes and sat down. “I don’t even want to talk about it. By chance, not saying this means anything, have you heard from Brooks today?”
She gave me a smile. “So you and Brooks had a bad fight. What was it about?”
I gave the waitress my order and told her to bring me two shots of vodka stat. “He went by the hospital to surprise me last night on his way home, and I wasn’t there.”
“Oh so now he believes me. Perfect.”
I downed the shots as soon as the waitress brought them to me. “Why do you two think you guys always have to be right on everything?”
She gave me a look. “I thought you wanted to make peace?”
I sighed. “I do, just… if I tell you the truth, can you keep it a secret? I really, and I mean really, do not want Brooks to find out, it will cause even more problems between us.”
“Oh my god, you are cheating on him aren’t you?”
I shook my head. “I would never do that to him, you should know that.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Then what is it Ads? What don’t you want Brooks to find out?”
I took a minute to figure out how to say the truth. “I was in Boston for a job interview. I got offered the Nursing Director position at the Children’s Hospital.”