White Lies

Chapter 25

I linked the song I listened to while writing this. Mood music...
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When Friday morning came Happy hadn't seen Emma or Rory for almost four days. He hated how much it affected him; from his sleep to his mood, the club hated it too. Happy was gruff enough without the added stress of missing his daughter and wife. The biggest question he faced that day was if he should call or leave it up to her.

Arriving at the clubhouse a little after ten Happy was shocked to see Emma on the swings with Juice's old lady, a smiling perky redhead, who was pushing the child gently. He nodded a silent thank you to her and scooped Emma up into his arms.

"Baby girl, I missed you."

"I miss you too." She hugged him, burying her face in his neck, and held tight. "I want to come home. Can I come home with you?"

Happy closed his eyes and smoothed her dark hair as she asked him so innocently, her face still pressed against his shoulder. "Me and your mom gotta talk baby, but we'll figure it all out."

"Mommy is mad." She pouted and looked at him. "But she says she's not mad at me."

"She's mad at me, Ems." Happy would never let Emma feel she ever did anything to cause their issues; he refused to warp her and hurt her that way.

"What did you do?"

Happy laughed at her little attitude and furrowed brow. "I was stupid and I hurt Mommy. She's mad at me, not you." Nodding, Emma wriggled to be let down and Happy could tell she was now mad at him too. "You don't mind?" Happy asked Amelia as she began pushing Emma on the swing again.

"No, it's fine. Rory's inside."

He huffed and rolled his jaw before heading into the clubhouse. Rory was sitting on the couch, her stomach looking noticeably bigger, while Tig hovered over her talking animatedly.

"Hey," he nodded at Tig who quickly scurried far away from the marital mess. "How you been?"

"I've been better, Hap. Apartment?"

"Yeah, that works."

They walked back, every pair of eyes on them, and headed into the apartment. Rory sat on the bed, the mattress squeaking under her weight, and she glared at him.

"Haven't you learned your lesson? Lock the damn door, Hap."

He pursed his lips and did as she asked although annoyed by her tone. "How you feeling?"

"Like garbage," she said matter-of-factly. "They're insane, doing karate or some shit, I feel like they'll rip outta me."

Smiling at that he glided across the room and sat on the desk, his boots on the chair. "Ror, I'm fucked up."

"I know," she laughed. "So, Lowen filed the divorce petition this morning. I'm serving you the papers," she pulled them from her bag. "Custody is forty sixty, realistically you can't do more but you can see them whenever you want. There's a schedule in there but we can do whatever works with runs and shit. I'd never keep them from you, you're an amazing father, surprisingly. Child support has to be outlined but I know you're good for it, it's a legal thing not something I really wanted. If you agree, there's a six month waiting period, then they'll sign off and it'll be official."

Happy looked at her, his usual expressionless face was marked by sadness and complete astonishment. "We didn't even talk."

"We're talking now." Realizing he wasn't going to take the papers as she held them out to him, Rory placed them by the edge of the bed. "Nothing you can say will make this okay. You broke the vows we made, the ones you wanted to make, over and over." Her calm, almost apathetic demeanor was freaking him out but the more she spoke the more emotion began to seep though. "This marriage was your idea, remember? You wanted me to be a Lowman, I see now it was mostly about ownership, not partnership. You are a special kind of person, one who doesn't adhere to laws and morals and norms. I should have known. There were so many red flags."

"Rory," he grumbled.

"That's all you ever say," she smiled sadly. "Ror, and then you kiss me." She shook her head but didn't look away from him when she continued. "Why did you sleep with them? That's all you could say that really interests me."

He opened his mouth and shut it again, unsure of what to say. Thinking back, he couldn't pinpoint an explanation deeper than anger but in a calmer state of mind even his own reasoning sounded absurd.

"I was mad. I didn't give a shit and I wanted to blow off steam. It didn't mean anything. Sex doesn't mean shit to me, unless it's with you."

"But it does to me, sex with anyone means something. I know you don't give a shit about them but still, it means something," she said as she stood. "And you knew that. I still love you, Hap but I think the whole marriage thing, it just isn't for you, or us, or whatever."

"I'm sorry."

"Yes, I know. Would you like to take Emma today? She misses you."

Happy rolled his jaw and nodded despite wanting nothing more than to wallow. "She knows something's up."

"I'll talk to her; right now I'm just tired, mainly emotionally."

"What if I fight this shit?" He grabbed the documents and have them a weak glance before tossing them on the desk.

"Then we'll go to court and hash it out. Won't be good for Emma though, or me for that matter." Her expression seemed read as unsurprised, she expected he'd fight or pull some kind opposition, but her eyes screamed of anguish. "But you know, you do what you feel you have to, Hap."

"Rory?" He called out to her as she unlocked the apartment door. "I'm sorry. I don't want this. Tell me what to do, please. I don't..." He covered his face with his hands. "I don't know what to do."

"I can't think for you anymore. I spent a very long time trying to get into your head, Hap, to understand shit. It's exhausting and I just can't do it anymore."