Page 70 of He Doesn't Deserve You

Emily climbed out of the car and followed him into the house, relieved that her plan had worked. She went upstairs to check on Ava and the boys. After confirming they were all asleep, she retreated to her bathroom and turned on the shower. She slowly peeled the bloody clothes off her tired body and stepped under the warm, soothing water.

After showering and drying off, she wrapped her hair in a towel and slipped into her bathrobe. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the top of her bed, not bothering to crawl under the covers. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.

37

The following day, Emily awoke to a deep ache in her entire body, feeling as if she hadn’t slept. Just as she struggled to open her eyes, Ava burst into the room, brimming with energy. She clambered onto the bed and began hopping up and down. “Wake up, Mommy!” Ava exclaimed; her voice filled with excitement.

“Ava, honey, I’m going to need you to stop jumping.”

“Okay,” Ava said and flopped down beside Emily.

“Where’s Daddy?”

“He’s downstairs.”

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Emily asked, “Are the boys up?”

“No.”

Emily pulled the towel off her head and reluctantly climbed out of bed. If she didn’t get the boys up soon, they would be late for school again. She started with Hunter’s room, lightly tapping on the door before opening it and stepping inside. Approaching his bed, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hunter, it’s time to get up,” she said softly.

His eyes flew open, and he bolted upright in bed, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “You’re okay,” he exclaimed, relief flooding his voice.

Surprised by his reaction, Emily hugged him back. “Yes, I’m fine,” she reassured him gently.

“Where’s Dad?” Hunter asked, pulling away just enough to look at her.

“He’s downstairs,” she replied with a slight smile.

Without another word, Hunter released her and leaped out of bed, dashing out of the room in search of his father.

Emily headed to Hayden’s room next, but before she could knock, the door swung open, and he stumbled out, bumping into her.

She stepped backward, and he quickly reached out to steady her. “Sorry,” he mumbled, a bit groggily.

“It’s okay. Good morning,” she replied, her voice warm.

He managed to smile. “Morning.”

Seeing his rare smile, Emily felt a surge of emotion welling inside her, misting her eyes.Will he finally be kind to me now when it might be too late?She wondered. She longed to say so much more, to bridge the gap between them, but before she could find the words, he was already gone, descending the stairs with a fleeting presence.

Emily descended the stairs and found Gabriel in the kitchen, surrounded by the boys, who were peppering him with questions about the night before. As she headed to the coffee maker to start a pot, she heard Gabriel say, “I promise I’ll explain everything after school.”

“No!” Hunter demanded answers. He had never raised his voice at his father before, and Emily quickly turned her head to gauge Gabriel’s reaction. She expected Gabriel to yell back at Hunter and put him in his place, but instead, he lowered his head and quietly walked out of the room, his shoulders heavy with unspoken burdens.

“What’s wrong with him?” Hunter pleaded as he looked to Emily for answers.

“Your father messed up. Now he is dealing with the consequences of his actions,” she said softly, placing a gentle hand on Hunter’s arm. “I know this doesn’t make sense right now, and you both deserve answers.I promise you’ll get them. But your dad needs your compassion right now. I’m worried he’s on the verge of a breakdown. We can’t push him. Please give him some time. He’ll explain everything when he’s ready.”

Both boys nodded, and Emily said, “Good, now get ready for school. I’ll take you in a few minutes.”

When Emily returned from dropping the kids off at school, she was surprised to find Gabriel in his office, dressed for the day and diligently working on something. As she entered the room, he looked up at her and quickly stashed away the documents he had been focused on.

“What are you doing?” she asked, standing beside him.

“Nothing,” he replied, locking the drawer where he had just placed the papers. He got up from the desk, put the key into his pocket, and left the office.

“Where are you going?”

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