“I know. I know. It’s not what I want either, but unfortunately, I must go. There have been some new developments in their custody battle, and well, they are counting on me to help them.” He walked over and placed his hands on my shoulders, trying to pull me into him.
I didn’t know what to say, so it was best I said nothing at all, and I didn’t want to cry either, so I pulled out of his touch and started packing things up. As I went to walk past Carter to get to the suitcase, he reached for me, grabbing me by the arm. Again, I shook out of his hold and continued grabbing the few things I had unpacked. “It’s best if we just get going, Carter. I don’t want you to be traveling too late.”
Chapter Four
Hope
Isat in the car, watchingthe houses go by as we drove home. Once it had started to rain, I kept my mind focused on the droning hum of the windshield wipers. It kept me from crying and focusing on disappointment. We hadn’t said anything to one another since we had left the hotel. He was visibly upset; he had never missed our anniversary weekend, no matter what he had been working on, so I knew this night was just as important to him as it was to me. However, this specific anniversary felt a little more important to me.
I continued looking out the window while Carter was on the phone with his secretary and assistant. “Text me the flight information and see if you can get the hotel to extend my reservation, even if I have to switch the room I have, oh and tell Alicia to have my files ready before she leaves the office tonight. I’ll swing by in an hour or so to pick them up on my way to the airport.”
He ended the call just as we pulled into the driveway. I didn’t wait; I got out of the car and headed toward the door. Once we were inside, Carter dropped his phone and keys by the door and carried our suitcase up the stairs to the bedroom. I followed quietly. “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll call Alicia and have her purchase another ticket. Call your mom and dad and ask them to keep the girls for a few days extra. We’ll go into New York, see a show, have dinner. During the day you can shop, take in some sights, and relax at the spa while I am working.”
“No, it’s okay. You’re going to be busy. The last thing you will need is me there in the way.” I grabbed my T-shirt and sweatpants off the end of the bed and took them into the bathroom to get changed.
“Why would you say something like that? You are exactly what I need.” Carter stopped undressing and looked at me.
“Don’t worry about it, Carter. It’s fine.” I walked toward the bedroom door, and without looking back, I mumbled, “I’ll go down and make you something to eat before you leave. Don’t be too long or you will miss your flight.”
When I hit the bottom of the stairs, Carter’s phone was going off like crazy. I picked it up and swiped the screen to see Felice’s name again—this time it wasn’t just text messages; there were two missed calls from her as well. I felt a rush of saliva to my mouth and threw his phone down. I didn’t want to know what they said. I had never wanted to see her name plastered over his phone screen ever again after the summer we had gotten back together, and I certainly didn’t want him to meet with her for any reason. She was the only reason that we had never seen Mike again after their wedding.
I stormed my way to the kitchen, slapped together a sandwich, and went to the living room to lie down and wait for him to come down. As I lay there, I listened to the familiar sound of his footsteps above me, and my thoughts went to the unborn child I was carrying—our unborn child. I still didn’t know how to tell him. We had decided that two was enough. He was so busy with the firm, and in the next few years, he wanted to pull back the reins and travel more. Now with this business trip and seeing her name splashed across his phone, along with the messages from earlier, I was doubting our relationship and his reasons for not wanting any more babies. He had been so withdrawn lately.
Tears were streaming down my face as I watched him carry his suitcase, briefcase, and suit bag to the door. “Princess, you sure you don’t want to come with me? I’m sure your parents would jump at the chance to watch the girls a little bit longer. Or even Autumn and Hunter. Let me call Alicia.” He reached for his phone.
“It’s fine, Carter, please,” I said, wiping the tears from my face. I wanted to pretend that I was fine, but my hormones had gotten the best of me, and honestly, I was crushed.
“It’s not fine, look at you.” He reached out, placed his hand on my waist, and pulled me against his strong chest. “Aside from me having to leave and ruin this weekend, what has gotten you so upset? This isn’t like you.”
I shrugged. Instead of telling him the truth, I mumbled, “I was just really looking forward to some private time with you. I miss you.”
“Then come with me.” He smiled, pressing his forehead to mine. “Don’t make me beg.”
Kissing the tip of his nose, I pulled away from the comfort of his arms and together we walked into the kitchen. “Just come eat, you’re going to be late.” I placed the sandwich I had made for him in front of him and poured him a glass of milk. I sat beside him while he ate.
Soon we stood together at the front door, and as he stepped out of the house, he turned, setting everything down on the stoop, and quickly grabbed me, wrapping his arms around me. “You do know I love you, right? That you and the girls are my world, and I really wish you would get on this plane with me?” I nodded, he was going to make me cry if he kept this up. “I love you, Hope. I’ll be back as soon as I can. We will celebrate this anniversary.” He leaned in, his lips crashing down onto mine, consuming every inch of my body. I was lost in his kiss, in his arms, but then all that flashed before my closed eyes was her, waiting for him in that damn restaurant. I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck, whispering “I love you” into his ear. He kissed me harder and then he pulled away, leaving me wanting more.
I watched as he climbed into his car and reversed out of the driveway. I did my best to hold it all together as I waved goodbye. I locked the door and went back to the couch, flipping on the television. Soon I found myself in tears; my stomach hurt, my eyes burned, and I wondered at that moment why I had let him go without bringing up my concerns about the texts I had seen. Instead, I was going to torture myself until he came back. Suddenly, my cell phone rang. I grabbed it from the table, my parents’ number flashing on the screen. I sucked in a deep breath and answered. “Hello?”
“Mommy!” I heard the girls shout. “Happy Anniversary!”
“Thank you, my loves. Why aren’t you both in bed?” I glanced at the clock; it was almost eight-thirty.
“Grandma made pie, and we had some. We aren’t tired.” I laughed.
“Are you being good?”
“Yes, Mommy, we called to say good night to you and Daddy.” I looked around the room. “Can we say ‘night to him?”
“Sorry, girls, Daddy had to run to the store. How about if I wish you a good night from both of us?”
“Okay, Mommy.” I knew the girls were disappointed. I could hear it in their little voices, but I would have to do.
“Girls, can you put Grandpa or Grandma on the phone?”
I heard the girls run away laughing and yelling for my Dad. Finally, he picked up. “Hey, Angel.”
“Hi, Dad. Listen, if need be, could the girls stay with you for a couple extra days?”