He didn’t say anything when I picked him up from school yesterday.
“Because his mama wasn’t where she belonged, and he blames me,” he mentions.
“It is your fault, Trigger!” I remind him, “You screwed my high school bully for a whole freaking year with me in the other room for Christ's sake. Pretending like she was just another clubwhore. This is your fault, you broke us.”
He chuckles darkly and mentions, “And what about your lover, Ash? The reason why you wouldn’t allow me to touch you? The reason why you showered like I was filth the four times you actually allowed me to touch you? You aren’t innocent in all this.”
He’s so adamant I slept with someone else.
I open my mouth to call him delusional, but soon clamp it shut when he says, “If you weren’t fucking someone else, then why is it when I sat outside your work several times over the past nearly two years, you didn’t show up until the evening? You said you work all day and evening because you want a purpose in life after being a mama and wife, yet you're never there during the day.”
Damn…
“It’s none of your business where I am, Trigger,” I snap, not knowing what else to say.
I get it. it looks bad, but again, he could have confronted me instead of finding a way to satisfy his needs.
“It had everything to do with me because it is what started everything off,” he growls.
The man is delusional.
“No, Trigger, what started it off was you not confronting me and deciding to sleep with someone else because you didn’t get to screw around in high school. Which again, was all down to you. You are the one who claimed me when I moved to town, you were the one who made me your old lady. I never asked, and you were the one who demanded I marry you when I gave you an outtwice. Don’t you dare try and put the fact you couldn’t keep it in your pants on my shoulders. You broke up our family, Trigger, not me.”
“Ashley Davis?” the receptionist calls, and Trigger demands, “Who in the fuck is that?!”
“None of your business,” I reply instantly and snap, “I’ll see you next week in therapy, Trigger, and you can continue to try and blame me for your actions.”
I hang up without another word before taking a deep breath, trying to ignore all the shocked eyes on me.
Great, now everyone knows my business.
Damn Tyler!
Shaking my head, I stand and walk over to the receptionist, ready to hear my fate.
I walk out of the school office half an hour later after shaking the dean's hand and stare at my veterinary license, my mouth dry.
My phone has vibrated several times, but I’ve ignored it, knowing it’s Ty, probably pissed that I hung up on him but I don’t care.
I passed, I… damn, I’m a vet.
My eyes blur as my phone rings again, and I check it to ensure it isn’t Cole’s school, but sigh, seeing who it is.
“Dirty,” I answer, “this isn’t a surprise… Let me guess, he wants you to find where I am.”
“I already know where you are, sweetheart. I looked as soon as he asked, which, by the way, is the first time he ever has,” Dirtyreplies, and I swallow hard. “I can understand why you don’t want to tell him. I also understand exactly where you’ve been every day for the past eight years and working evenings, and what I want to know: Did you pass?”
I smile slightly as a few tears fall, and I admit, “I did, I’m officially a vet and already have a job lined up.”
“Fuck, Ashley, I am so goddamn proud of you. Having Cole in high school, working full time at Clark’s, going to school full time, I am so proud of you. Why haven’t you told Trigger?” he says, pride and confusion lacing his voice.
“I was going to,” I admit, “but he canceled our date because his mama lied about being ill, and then I just, things happened that I don’t want to talk about. I pulled back from him, and he decided to believe I was cheating.”
He’s quiet for a moment as I climb into my car before he finally asks, “Ashley, if I look into the cameras at the convenience store from two years ago, from the day you went quiet on Trigger, what am I going to find?”
My bottom lip trembles, not shocked that he’s come to the realization so quickly as he has, and I plead with a tremble in my voice, “Please don’t…” not needing him to see something like that.
“Fuck.”He chokes, and I sniffle.
