Risking Fate (Mitchell Family #4)(35)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“One thing I am sure of, is my love for you. We need to stay strong and deal with this together from now on, Ty. I forgive you and I love you for tryin’ to protect me.”

Ty still didn’t relax, even after we went to bed. He held me tight in his arms and kept waking up, which in turn, woke me up. I was off of work, so it didn’t bother me, but I knew he needed to rest to be able to function.

Bella woke us around three in the morning. She was screaming from her bedroom. Ty and I sat up and my heart felt like it jumped out of my body. Ty went running to her bedroom. I wasn’t sure what was going on, so I followed him. By the time I reached them, he had Bella in his arms. She was crying.

“Shhh, just tell Daddy what’s wrong.” He kissed her head and waited for a reply.

“You and Mommy were fighting and we had to move away like Johnny in my class.” She made no sense, so I sat on the bed for more information.

“Honey, what are you talkin’ about?” I asked.

“Johnny’s Mommy and Daddy fought and they got diborced. Now he only sees his Daddy on the weekends. I don’t want you and Daddy to fight. I don’t want Daddy to have to move.” She cried harder against Ty’s chest. The way she said divorced was cute, even though it was a cryptic conversation for a four and a half year old.

I felt bad for my daughter, but part of me wanted to laugh that she assumed that would happen. She obviously never saw Ty and I arguing and it really made her upset. Ty looked to me with worried eyes.

I sat closer to him and rubbed Bella’s back. “Sweetie, Daddy and I aren’t gettin’ a divorce. We love each other and aren’t fightin’. Mommy just got sad about somethin’ and Daddy didn’t understand at first. Everything is fine now. I promise.”

Ty kissed her little head. “Iz, I will never leave you, I promise. Daddy will never leave you.” I reached my arm inside of his as he held our daughter.

She peeked around him and looked at me, before climbing off her bed and standing in front of both of us. “Mommy, do you still love Daddy?”

Ty put his arm around me even before I could answer. I turned to him and smiled. “Yes, I love him very much. Even when he makes me mad or sad, I still love him.”

“Promise?” Her sad little voice made me want to cry.

“I promise. Now how about we try to go to bed. Princesses need sleep to be beautiful, you know.”

Ty picked Bella up and started carrying her out of the bedroom. “She’s coming with us, Mommy.”

For the first time, she started laughing, like her normal self. I totally got why Ty wanted her to sleep with us. One thing he never wanted was for that child to doubt his faithfulness to her. I followed behind them shaking my head.

A hand stopped me from walking all the way down the hall. “Hey.”

My brother stood there in the dark hallway. He was in a t-shirt and jeans and it was the middle of the night. “Did you just get in?”

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Booty call.”

I smacked him on the arm. “Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not. I didn’t drink or do anything else if that’s what you’re wondering.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

I leaned on the opposite wall and looked at my brother. He seemed really happy for some reason. “You weren’t with Brina, that much I can tell.”

“Nope.”

“So you’re not goin’ to spill are you?”

He shook his head and laughed. “It was a one-time thing, Randa. Nothin’ to worry your pretty little self over.”

“How do you even know people from around here?”

“I meet people when I go into town. This particular female works in town. I met her when I first got here.” He was being really secretive about this girl. It was making me more curious.

“Do I know this person? You didn’t meet her at AA did you?”

He creased his brow and shook his head. “Seriously? That’s kinda frowned upon. She ain’t from no meetin’.” He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “Did you and Shit Brick work things out?”

“Yeah, Shit Brick and I are better. I’m goin’ to bed.”

“Goodnight, Randa.”

My brother watched me as I walked down the hall. I was going to have to start being more nosey around him if I wanted to find out who this mystery girl was.

Ty and Bella were cuddled up into each other’s arms. It was so cute that I grabbed his phone to take a picture and make it his screensaver. When I picked up the phone, he had a text message.

If you need a place to stay tonight you know where to find me. – H

I looked over at my sleeping husband and considered waking him up and screaming at him some more for allowing this stupid bitch to have his number again. Instead, I thought back to how I used to be. An evil grin came across my face as I began typing.

I’m in bed with my wife. Where I want to be every night. Lose my number whore!

After the message sent, I quickly erased it and put his phone back down. I immediately felt like I should have told him first, but to be fair he had kept the secret from me and hurt my feelings. When I climbed in bed, I felt like I really showed her who had Ty’s love. Yes, it was immature, but it felt so damn good.

The next day I worried that Ty would get a call from Heather and he would be mad at me, but he never said a word. In fact for the next two weeks, we never heard anything from her or her brother. When we got the paperwork in the mail from the attorney, Ty started to get worried.

“Baby, it’s been two weeks. I need to call and find out what’s going on. I can’t just sit around waiting. Besides, I gave the guy a grand. He at least owes me a call back.”

I hated the idea of him having to call that bitch, but I knew that Bella’s future depended on it. “Just make the call.”

“Are you sure? You can sit right next to me. I will put it on speaker.”

Ty looked through his phone and found the number. He had never programmed it in, so it was just a random number in his phone. The ringing was loud as he turned on the speaker.

She seemed irritated. What do you want Ty?

I haven’t heard from you. I need to find out if your brother got the papers for me.

Since you called me a whore I decided we aren’t helping you.

What the f**k are you talking about Heather?

You texted me the other night. It said you were laying in bed with your wife and that I was a whore.