Chasing Us - Kat T.Masen

ALEX

Nine Years Ago

“Alex, you’re finally home.”

Samantha appeared out of the living room, standing inside the hallway with her arms crossed over her chest. I looked at my watch, only noticing now it was after seven. I’m not surprised she’s angry since I told her I’d be home for dinner.

This had become a regular occurrence lately, and I knew I had to start being more careful. Soon, I kept telling myself, soon.

“Sorry, I got caught up at the hospital with Dad,” I lied.

“Well, you’re here now, I guess. I have some news to tell you.” Her face brightened as she bounced around me. “Come, sit down.”

I followed her to the living room. She patted the couch where I reluctantly took a seat next to her, exhausted from the double life I was living. Samantha continued to smile, something I hadn’t seen in a while. She’s a beautiful woman. Her long golden blonde hair flowed down her back, her azul eyes sparkling as she spoke. I remembered a time when I couldn’t get enough of her. But that was before…

“Alex, I’m pregnant.”

She was what?

Each word was like dynamite exploding one after another. Jerking my head back, my brain couldn’t comprehend, and I blurted out the first words that came to mind. “How did this happen? I haven’t fucked you in three months!”

I began to tremble with rage, my angered gaze slicing through her as I distanced myself from where she sat. Every scenario ran through my mind, but all I could come up with was nothing. I had no recollection of touching her, let alone sticking my dick inside of her long enough to get her pregnant.

Her demeanor changed with the cut of my words. The beautiful smile disappeared, her face turned red, the veins on her forehead were ready to burst at any given moment. She folded her arms, her chest rising and falling at a fast pace. I braced myself knowing the storm was about to hit, and I was standing in its path.

“That’s nice, Alex. You can’t even remember fucking your wife,” she shot back. Animosity lingered in her words, and unable to look at her, I paced the area near the couch. “It was that night you came home drunk a month ago. I remember it because you couldn’t get enough of me, fucking me for hours telling me how much you loved me.” Lost in thought, she paused, the smirk of satisfaction subsiding as if she realized the enormity of this situation.

I remembered the night. It was the night Charlotte and I were doing tequila shots behind the bleachers at school. She had dared me to take shots from her belly, but I thought it was more interesting for her to hold the shot glass between her thighs. We fucked twice on the cold, dirty ground, and all I can remember was dragging myself home completely inebriated and passing out in our bed.

How could you let this happen?

The temperature was rising in the room. Suddenly, my chest tightened, unable to swallow, unable to breathe, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

I knew the signs.

I was having a panic attack.

“You took advantage of me?” I yelled as my panic morphed into anger.

Her stare was cold and uninviting. She was no longer the sweet girl I married in college, but I knew that was my fault, I brought this out of her. I felt a pang of guilt. I screwed this up big time. Fuck, what will my mom and dad say? What the hell will Adriana say? It occurred to me at this moment that I actually didn’t give a shit what they thought. It was Charlotte plaguing me, and the hurt this would cause.

I eyed the vase sitting on the table, and with a lapse in judgment, I whacked the fucking ugly piece of shit, watching it smash against the wall into a million pieces, the flowers and water scattering all across the room.

Samantha jumped in shock followed by a small whimper. “Took advantage of you?” she cried, throwing her arms in the air. “You are my husband, not hers!”

I froze.

Not even a flinch.

I knew she had suspected something. I just didn’t know how much she knew. My tongue was tied, there were no words I could say right now that could erase this moment.

This was it—she knew.

No turning back.

No denying the truth.

The moment I had dreaded since the day I fell in love with Charlotte had come, but this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. There wasn’t supposed to