Page 53 of Forgotten Pieces

“What was what all about?” she asks as I pull on to the road that leads to the highway back to Towson.

I slam my hand against the steering wheel, letting my anger get the best of me. She jumps a little at my action, but I don’t regret it. I’m fucking pissed. “We didn’t need to get your car tonight.”

“Yes, we did.”

I groan at her response. I’m tired of her not giving me actual answers. I think back to her conversation on the phone this morning. I don’t want to bring it up but I need to. “This have to do with your call this morning?”

She twists the phone sitting in her hand then looks out the window.

“Come on, Shell. I was standing there. It sure as shit sounded like you agreed to go somewhere.”

She twists in her seat to look at me. “I don’t have a choice.”

“What do you mean you don’t have a choice? I thought you were in charge now.”

She bites her lip before answering, something I used to find adorable but now find annoying. “Well, there are stipulations to the promotion.”

I grip the steering wheel, knuckles turning white. “What kind of stipulations?”

“I-ugh-I am in charge but the team I was put in charge of isn’t based out of Atlanta.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I ask.

She flips the phone over in her hand. “The team is based out of our California office. I can still work from home and oversee them but there are some HR issues and they want me to be present for the decisions.”

I restrain myself as best I can. This wasn’t the plan. She was supposed to be promoted for a team in Atlanta so she could still live this dream she chose, out here in a town I would have rather never returned to. “So what? You going to have to go there for a few days?”

“I’m sorry, Ry. But yes, they need me there. It should only be until the end of the week. Then I can come home and unpack with you.”

“I am gonna need some of that shit before you get back.”

“I know and I am so sorry. I just have to do this, it’s my job.” She places her hand on my forearm but I shake it off.

“And when were you gonna tell me this promotion you got was based out of California?”

“It didn’t seem important. It wasn’t supposed to affect anything.”

“Well, it fucking did,” I growl as I turn my attention back to the road. I know my attitude is foul, but she left out necessary details to her job. Things that affect us both.

We drive in silence the rest of the way to Towson. When we get to the rental, I throw the car in park but don’t make a move to get out.

“Did you want to do a final walk-through?”

I stare at the street ahead of me, not bothering to turn and look at my fiancée. “We have the rental for another week. I’ll come back later this week.”

I can tell she is frowning at me from my peripheral vision, but I make no move to look at her. She slams the door to the SUV and I peel out before she even makes it to her car.

The thoughts that were swirling through my head this morning find themselves right back at the forefront of my mind. Tacoma’s words on love ringing through my head. And no matter what I do, I can’t get them to fade.

When I get back to the house, the pizza is half gone. I can’t even be pissed. I ended up driving around for an extra half hour trying to cool the rage in my head.

I stopped at the liquor store to buy margaritas for Rae and she thanks me as she mixes one for both of us. I slam it down before finally asking where Shelley is. Mac tells me she had a migraine and went to sleep. I nod and let it go. I don’t want to bring down everyone’s attitude. They all did us a favor by moving us here.

I drink enough to get shit faced and black out. The last thing I remember is passing out next to Shelley on our unmade bed in our unmade home.

* * *

My head is pounding when I wake up. But it’s not from the alcohol that causes my head to ache or the light of day forcing my eyes open.

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