Chapter 105
A R I A N A
I stood in Angelo’s cold modern kitchen my whole body feeling heavy and tired from the crying that had left me empty.
I didn’t want to go home today and spending the night here was by far my only choice.
I let out a breath knowing the kids will be worried I had to call home.
I picked up my phone my finger hovered over the home intercom number. It was the number I called every day when I was at work just to check on the kids or if something was up.
I pressed the button. It rang.
“Hello?” It was Maria.
“Hi Maria. It’s Ariana. Can I please speak to the kids p>
“Of course, Ms. Russ, one moment p>
I heard shuffling then three eager voices filled the line.
“Mama p>
“Mom are you coming home soon p>
“Mummy”
Tears threatened again but I forced them back knowing I couldn’t let them sense anything.
“Hi my loves,” I said, making my voice sound bright and happy.
“Are you on your way home?” Asher asked. “Dad said he was going to get you. He came home looking for you. He said you were upset p>
My heart squeezed.
Of course, Dante went home, of course, he told them something.
“I… no baby not yet,” I said my voice cracking a little but I cleared my throat. “There’s… there’s so much work to do at the office I have a very big important project and I have to stay late. I don’t think I can come home tonight p>
There was a moment of silence before the complaints started.
“What? No!” Sophia wailed. “But you promised we could finish the movie p>
“You worked late yesterday,” Isabella said, her tone accusatory. “This is becoming a pattern p>
“Mama please come home,” Asher said his small voice so sad it broke my heart into a million pieces.
“I know I know,” I said, blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry. I promise I will make it up to you with a huge fun weekend, whateve you want to do. We’ll go to the zoo and get ice cream and watch three movies. I promise p>
“But we want you now you need to read me a bedtime story” Sophia cried.
“I know sweetie I want to be there too but a good mommy sometimes has to work very hard and that’s what I’m doing. I’m being a good mommy and working hard for you p>
It was another lie.
“Can we talk to Dad?” Isabella asked. “Maybe he can tell you to come home p>
My breath hitched. “No! No, don’t bother him. He’s… he’s very busy too, just… be good for Maria, okay? I love you all so so much more than anything in the whole world p>
I heard mumbled, sad I love you from the other end.
“We have to go now Maria is calling us for dinner,” Isabella said ever the practical one.
“Okay byemy babies. I’ll be back tomorrow p>
The call ended.
I stood there holding the silent phone to my ear as the silence in Angelo’s apartment was deafening.
I felt like the worst person in the world.
I bit my lower lip fighting back a sob that threatened to slip.
Angelo was standing in the doorway leaning against the frame watching me. I didn’t know how long he had been there.
I put my phone down on the counter. “I… I can’t go back there tonight,” I whispered. “I can’t face him p>
I looked at him feeling completely vulnerable. “Is it… is it okay if I spend the night here p>
He nodded right away. “Sure, of course you can p>
“Not in the main house,” I said quickly. “I remember… there’s a guest house out back by the pool. I’ll stay there p>
He frowned. “Ariana, that’s not necessary. You can have one of the guest rooms here. It’s more comfortable. The guest house hasn’t been used in a while p>
“No,” I said, my voice firm. “The guest house or I leave right now p>
He studied my face for a moment, he saw that I meant it. “Okay fine the guest house. I’ll have someone get it ready for you p>
“Thank you,” I said softly.
I walked towards the door he was blocking.
He didn’t move.
“This doesn’t mean anything,” I said, looking at his chest because I couldn’t meet his eyes. “Me staying here or… or me not yelling at you anymore right now It doesn’t mean we’re friends It doesn’t mean I forgive you for anything. It just means I have nowhere else to go tonight and I’m stuck here”
“I understand,” he said quietly.
And I will never forgive Dante for this, I thought as the hurt bubbling up again hot and fresh. He can’t explain that away the hug like that… it wasn’t a business hug. It was… it was intimate.
He betrayed me.
And the worst part… the part that makes me want to scream… is the kids.
They love him so much, they’ve gotten so used to him. I mean they finally have a dad. And this… this is going to break their hearts. How do I tell them? How do I explain that the family we just built is already broken? That their hero is just another man who tells lies?
I bit back the tears thay threatened to slip, I have to find a way to protect them from that pain but I don’t know how.
I hate Dante for putting me into this situation.
“Hey! Are you okay?” He tried to reach out as a lone tear slipped but I shrugged it off wiping the tear.
“I’m fine p>
He nods seeing that I didn’t want to talk about it.
“I’ll have the guest house prepared p>
I just nodded and walked past him out into the hallway feeling more lost and hurt than I ever had in my entire life.
I was in my ex husband’s house hiding from my husband and my children’s hearts were about to be shattered
And there was nothing I could do to stop it.