Page 98 of If You Stayed

“I love you, too, Tamela.”

Ava rushed over and hugged me from the side, holding her duffel bag on her arm. “Love you, Mom. Happy birthday.”

I kissed her forehead and snuggled her. “Thanks for the best party ever.”

She frowned. “Are you sure you had a good time and Dad didn’t ruin it?”

“No, baby. Everything was perfect. I promise.”

“Only the best for the best. Don’t eat all the cake, though. We can eat it together tomorrow for our book club.”

“You got it.”

The two headed out, and I was left with a messy house thatshowed the signs of a successful party. I hated that I couldn’t feel good about the situation. Because I knew what Henry had done that evening. I knew his humming wasn’t due to his love for me, but for the fact that he’d had another woman in our bedroom. Another woman who’d had her hands all over him and then had enough nerve to smile in my face.

I wanted out.

I wanted to not spend my next years in the same space with such a monster. Such a vile person who could make great toasts, then be so callous.

I hated him.

I didn’t know I had the kind of heart that could feel hate so deeply, but Henry brought that out in me.

“This place is a disaster,” Henry said as I walked past the living room to get to the kitchen so I could grab water. He was humming vibrantly as he danced around with a bottle of champagne in his grip. He walked over to me and grabbed my wrist with his free hand. “Dance with me,” he said.

Was he truly acting as if everything was okay after what had happened? How much had he actually drunk that evening?

“Henry, not now. I’m tired.”

He didn’t listen and pulled me in to him, humming against my ear. “Dance with me, my love.”

My love.

That felt like a slap in the face.

His mouth was coated in the scent of alcohol as he forced me against his body.

“Henry, stop,” I said, slightly shoving my hands against hischest. As he stumbled back, the bottle in his hand dropped to the floor. It didn’t break, but the champagne began to spill all over the rug.

“Fuck, Kierra. Look what you did.”

“Yeah, well, spills happen.”

“Clean it up,” he ordered.

I sighed. “Not tonight. I will in the morning.”

“Fine,” he agreed. “Leave the mess and dance with me now,” he offered again, reaching out toward me.

I swatted his hand away. “What’s the matter with you?”

“I’m trying to change the damn energy of this house. The energy thatyoucaused. We were having a great night, and you just had to go and ruin it with your attitude.”

“You were screwing another woman in our bedroom.”

“Yeah, and you made sure everyone had to suffer from you finding that out. Sending everyone off. Fuck, I even got punched in the damn face because of you.”

“Because ofme?” I said, stunned by his words. A part of me wanted to argue with him. A part of me wanted to try to get through that thick skull of his. But a bigger part of me, the biggest part of me, just wanted freedom. I wanted out of the jigsaw puzzle of my life with Henry Hughes where it became more and more clear that none of our pieces were from the same puzzle. “I want a divorce,” I spat out.

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