She handed the book to Alex and said, “Take over for a minute, honey. I have to talk to your mom.”
Alex took the book and began reading to Colt. I loved seeing the two of them snuggled together on the sofa. They were not fighting for once.
Grace took my arm and led me into the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”
I smiled. “Nothing. Colt just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
My cell phone went off, and I grabbed it from my purse.
Gunner: Baby, I’m so very sorry. I’m trying to get out of here. It’s probably gonna be another hour at least.
I felt my heart drop, and my hands started shaking.
Me: Forget about going out. It will be too late.
Gunner: We can still go out to eat in town.
Me: Where, Gunner? The local diner? No, thanks. Don’t worry about it. Take care of Karen and her needs. Clearly, she is more important.
Gunner: Ellie, don’t do this. Please. I’m really sorry.
Me: So am I, Gunner. More than you know.
Gunner: What does that mean?
Me: Go to dinner with Karen because I’m done.
I turned off my phone and looked at Grace. I didn’t even care that tears were now spilling from my eyes. “He’s not going to be home for at least another hour. Do you mind watching the kids until I can call my mother?”
Grace looked confused. “Why do you need to call your mother?”
I swallowed hard. “I have to get away, Grace. I feel like I’m losing my damn mind. I need a few days to clear my head.”
Grace began shaking her head. “Ellie, no. Don’t do this.”
I looked her in the eyes. “I remember a story you told me once. You left Jack. Do you remember telling me that story, Grace?”
She slowly nodded. “I do.”
“I’m not leaving my husband or my children, Grace. I just need to get out of here. I need time to think.”
“Don’t worry about calling your mother. Jack and I will stay with the kids, and I’ll call her in the morning to let her know what’s going on. I’m pretty sure she is working at the hospital tonight anyway.”
Shit. I forgot she picked up a shift tonight.
I smiled weakly. “I need this, Grace. I just need some time to understand things, like why I feel the way I do.”
“Honey, I think what you need is to talk to Gunner. You both need to talk this through.”
“I’ve tried, Grace. Something about him is off. He doesn’t want to listen. He just keeps blowing off my concerns.”
“Ellie, he loves you so much. You have to know that he would never do anything to hurt you.”
I nodded my head and wiped away my tears. “I’m going to change and head out.”
I walked past her and glanced at Alex and Colt. I began crying harder, so I picked up my pace and practically ran to my bedroom.
I packed a small overnight bag. I just needed one night to clear my head and be alone with my thoughts.
Just one night.
I shut the door to the hotel room and leaned against it. I smiled as I looked at the same room Gunner and I had stayed in before. I closed my eyes, and I could almost feel his lips on my skin. Then, I started crying again.
What in the hell is wrong with me?
I exhaled a deep breath and made my way over to the bed. I sat down and looked around. “Why did I decide to stay here?”
I reached for the phone and dialed Ari’s phone number.
“Hello?”
“Ari, it’s me.”
“Oh, yes. Hold on just one minute, please.”
I heard Ari telling Jeff that she was stepping outside to take a call.
“Jesus H. Christ, Ellie. Where are you?”
My mouth dropped open, and I went to talk, but Ari cut me off.
“Gunner has flipped out. I mean, he has flipped out.”
“What? How do you know?”
“I know because his ass is standing in my kitchen. He’s been begging Jeff and me to tell him where you are.”
I looked at the clock. I’d only been gone for around two hours. “What did Grace tell him?”
Ari let out a sigh. “She told him that you said you needed some time to clear your head and think. I’m telling you, Ellie, I’ve never in my life seen Gunner so freaked out. If I wasn’t worried he might have heart failure, I’d use this opportunity to screw with him.”
“Good. He should be freaked out. He hasn’t seemed to care where or what I’ve been doing for the last few weeks.”
“Ellie, I don’t want to be dragged into this, and I’m not saying who is right. All I am saying is, don’t you think you should have maybe stayed and talked to him? Maybe he doesn’t realize how badly he has been ignoring you and the kids.”
I swallowed hard. “He knows, Ari. I’ve tried talking to him, and he blew me off. He just said he wanted this one opportunity to design something big. The fact that he withheld his late-night meetings were with a female client doesn’t sit well with me. Why did he feel the need to keep that a secret? If he had told me, I’d be okay. All I’m doing now is wondering why he hid it. If he hid that, what else is he hiding?”
Ari covered the phone and said something to someone else. “Ellie, I think Jeff knows I’m talking to you. What do I do? What do I say?”
“I’m sorry I put y’all in the middle of it.”
“Ellie, do you honestly think Gunner would ever cheat on you?”
I looked down at the floor and closed my eyes. “If you asked me that same question two weeks ago, I would have said never. Last night, when he came home from a meeting with Karen and Bill, he was standing on the porch, talking to her on the phone. I was on the other side of the door. I was going to open it, but then he started talking to her. Why was he talking to her that late at night when they just left each other?”
“What was he saying?”
“He told her that he understood why she was being picky and that he would do whatever it takes to make her happy with the design.”
“Ellie, you are reading way too much into this.”
Then, I heard Gunner’s voice. Shit.
“Ah hell, get ready to grab the phone,” Ari said.
“Ellie? My God, what are you doing? Where are you?”
The sound of Gunner’s panicked voice caused my heart to drop, but a part of me was glad he was worried. It served him right.
“I, um…I’m fine, Gunner. May I please speak with Ari?”
“Baby, please come back home. I swear to you, Ellie, I would never do anything to hurt you or the kids. Y’all are my life. Please…just stop acting like this, and come home.”