Page 118 of Kept in the Dark

As fate would have it, they would meet again. He had been at a hotel out of town on business and she happened to be there with her boyfriend. They hadn’t seen each other in five years and he wasn’t prepared for the rage that had filled him upon seeing her kiss another man.

Nicole had found herself in his hotel room, though, destiny drawing them together once again. They had spent the rest of the trip entangled under the sheets. He had even missed all of his meetings for that one last fling.

Over the years, they would find themselves in the same place at the same time, fate beckoning them together and they would fall in love all over again. Always believing it would be the last time they would see each other.

That had been a few years ago, and they had continued their affair on and off ever since. She just didn't know about Hannah…his recent ex-girlfriend.

He sounded like a pig but he didn’t care. Morgan understood. She might have claimed to leave if he was with Nicole, but she laid her ego aside and understood he was a man with needs she couldn't fill and allowed him to do so in whatever way he wanted.

Hannah was never anything serious, though she thought so. She was simply a means to an end. Initially, he had thought things would be fine, that she would never expect him to be anything more than a fling. But she quickly became too needy and had believed that he’d leave Morgan for her.

Yeah, right.

If he hadn’t left Morgan for Nicole, he wouldn’t leave her for anyone else.

So, he had called things off and started seeing Nicole exclusively.

Hannah hadn’t liked that. She had started sending Morgan death threats and it was causing a rift in his already broken marriage. She had even talked about going public with the affair, but if she knew what was good for her, she would keep her mouth shut.

Honestly, though, he was becoming slightly afraid of her. She would show up at his office unannounced, threatening him. Eli caught her following Morgan and the twins, a gun in her glove box.

David had quickly realized the woman was a lunatic. He took out a restraining order and paid her off in return for her silence. Not like it did any good. She was still lurking in the shadows, even after all this time.

He sighed as he climbed out of his car and slammed the door. He had just left Nicole’s, coming home to a woman he no longer loved. He wished he could have stayed with his mistress, but Morgan was getting suspicious again.

He unlocked the door and let himself in.

Morgan was coming down the stairs, suitcases in tow. Heat radiated from her.

She knew.

She always said she’d leave him, but he didn’t think she would go through with it. Though, now that the girls were going off on their own in a few weeks, there would be nothing left for her here.

He slowly walked toward her. “Morgan…”

She stopped and forcefully put her hand up. “Don’t, David. Don't even speak to me.”

“Morgan, let me explain.”

She walked back up the stairs to retrieve another suitcase. “Explain what? That even after I let you sleep around on me, dirty our wedding vows, you still couldn’t stay away from Nicole? I let you cheat on me with whoever you wanted and you still couldn’t respect me enough to stop seeing her.”

“How did you even find out?” David caught up to her on the top floor where she knelt down to close her last suitcase.

“Are you serious? I’m leaving and you're worried about how I found out?” She stood up again and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Lauren told me. She said she saw you two together and then it all made sense: you running late again, staying at the office after-hours, late-night phone calls in the den, unnecessary business trips.

“You know, most men would give anything to have a wife that would let them have affairs anytime they wanted. But not you. Not the great David Gallagher.”

“Lauren told you?” he mustered.

She forcefully zipped the luggage closed. “Poor girl didn’t even realize what she was telling me. She mentioned a meeting from this week and low and behold, Nicole’s name came flowing from her lips.”

He felt betrayed by Lauren, though it wasn't her fault. She was still young and he hadn't thought to tell her to keep certain matters private. “Lauren is just a receptionist. She must have confused the names on my calendar,” David pleaded.

“I hate you,” she hissed.

She stood up to leave but David blocked her. “Morgan, please. Think about the girls.”

She choked out a laugh. “Do you hear yourself? Maybe you should have thought about that before having an affair and a child with a woman who isn’t your wife.” Morgan got in his face, her anger burning like a fire he could almost touch. “And let’s forgo lying. You’re not worried about the girls, you're only worried about your reputation.”

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