Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“I’ll never believe you. I see the way you look at her.”
“No, you see what you want to see. We’re cordial because of Noah and Mack. Nothing more.”
“Don’t you think it’s funny that Mack’s so close to Noah, but Noah’s not close to Amelie?”
“Up until recently, you were close with Noah. And Paige. Hell, the entire family and now the bond Mack and Noah have is an issue?”
Aubrey says nothing.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. “Noah and Mack have a lot in common, Aubrey. You know this. That’s it. There’s nothing going on. I’m not having an affair with anyone. Is that what this is about?”
“Is what about?”
I know Aubrey isn’t stupid, but she’s acting like she is. “Seriously? You don’t talk to me for months. You barely look at me. We haven’t—”
“Don’t you dare talk about sex with me, Nick. You don’t even sleep in the same room as me.”
“And why is that, Aubrey?”
I wait.
“Because you’ve rebuffed me for over a year. There comes a point when a man’s pride is hurt. No matter what I did, you pushed me away.” I groan and pace the kitchen. I love this woman but damn it if she doesn’t drive me batty.
“I think we should move.”
“What?”
Aubrey nods. “I think we should move.”
“Did you find a house you want to buy or something?”
She shakes her head. “No, Doctors Without Borders needs help. I mean, they always need help. I want to move back to South Africa.”
“No,” I blurt out right away. It’s no different than when Josie and I had the same conversation all those years ago and she said the same thing.
“Excuse me? You can’t tell me no.”
“You’re right. I can’t because you’re free to do whatever the hell you want, as long as it doesn’t mess up this family. There’s no way in hell we’re moving out of Beaumont. Mack’s in high school. He has a lot going for him right now. Why would you want to mess that up for him?”
“What about me?” she screams. “What about what I want?”
“What the hell do you want, Aubrey? Tell me. Do you want your husband?”
“No,” she says quietly.
It takes me a minute, but the words sink in.
“You don’t want me?”
My wife shakes her head slowly. “I hate it here. I’m bored. This small-town life, it might be good for you, being the town doctor that all the women fawn over, but I hate it. I never agreed to live here.”
“You did, when we got married,” I point out. “You encouraged me to return here and maintain a relationship with Noah.”
“Well, I was wrong. And I’m done.”
“You’re done? What does that even mean?”
Aubrey can’t look me in the eyes. I bend and lean forward, giving her no choice. I reach out to touch her and she moves away.
“Really, Aubrey?”
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
“I’ve said the same thing to you,” I point out. “Apparently, the life you’ve lived for the last eighteen years isn’t what you’ve wanted this entire time. And yet, after two kids, you’ve failed to mention this. Today alone, you’ve accused me of having an affair with one of my nurses and being in love with Josie, who I’d like to point out is your friend.”
“She’s only my friend because of you.”
“Okay? That doesn’t make her less of a friend, Aubrey. Do you mean to tell me all those shopping trips you’ve gone on with her, you did so to appease me? Because I never asked you to be friends with Josie. Or anyone else in town. I never asked you to join the PTA, to volunteer us to run the school carnival, girl scout troop, and whatever else the kids have done over the years. You did that and it certainly wasn’t to appease me.”
I pull out one of the dining room chairs, hoping she’ll do the same. When she doesn’t, I ask, “Can we please sit and talk?”
She shakes her head, but eventually sits down. Instantly, she covers her face. I’d like to think she’s crying, but she’s not.
“Aside from moving to South Africa, what can I do to get you through this funk?”
“Nothing,” she says automatically.
“Not a thing, huh? Just going to destroy our family?”
“I’m not happy, Nick.”
“All right, so let me fix it. Let’s find a happy medium that gets us through the next couple of years. We’ll go when Mack graduates.”
“That’s too long.”
“It’s two years, Aubrey. We’re not taking him out of school and ruining his chances at getting a scholarship.”
“He doesn’t need to play sports, Nick. There are so many other life lessons to learn out there. Not everything revolves around football and baseball.”
“When you’re his age, it does.”
“If you love me, you’ll do this.”
I shake my head as anger boils. “Don’t do that, Aubrey. That’s unfair.”
“It’s what I want.”