Home Wrecker

Sixteen

"I think Harry's having an affair."

Those words struck my heart and made it beat out of my chest. Those words had scared the hell out of me, more so than anything ever had. Even after what happened with my dad.

"What?" My mom practically screeched. She lived for drama.

I was upstairs walking to the bathroom and was wide awake by the time I actually got there because of Stephanie's theory. Which wasn't a theory at all. She was spot on.

I made sure they couldn't see me from my position by the stairs and I listened in.

"He's never home, he says it's work but I just can't find it in me to believe him anymore. Our marriage is in the gutter, Sherry. He never wants to have sex. I can't get the thought of him with some other woman out of my head. He's not home right now? What if he's with her?"

"Stephanie, you need to calm down and breathe, honey. You don't know if there even is a 'her'. I'm sure it's just a rough patch." I've never heard my mother sound so genuine before. It was definitely a change from her usual self.

"A rough patch doesn't last for three years. I feel selfish for some reason. I feel like I'm trapping him. He used to be this happy man. This man that put out so much light and now when he looks at me I swear I see it die. I fell in love with a man that used to find fun in Yoyo's and those little Chinese finger traps that you get as a prize at freakin' Chucky Cheese. All he does now is sit around drinking and if he's not doing that he says he's at work." My heart hurt for Stephanie. This was my fault. I was making her feel insecure but I couldn't help but feel that I was the only thing keeping the light she said Harry had, alive.

I knew it was the truth. I saw it in the glimmer of his eyes whenever we looked at each other. His green eyes were brighter when I touched him... when he touched me.

"You can always ask Bevy." My heart dropped.

Did my mom know?

"Why would I ask her."

"She's his assistant. I'm sure she has his work schedule."

Oh, thank God.

"I don't want to snoop."

"Why not?" My mother sounded irritated.

Typical.

"Because it's not right, and I don't want to find something I'd rather not."

"You don't want to know if your husbands cheating on you?" I peeked around the corner to look down at my mother's expression, her brow was raised and she had this disapproving look.

"You were just saying I need to relax." Stephanie laughed humorlessly.

"Well, if you accidentally come across something that proves he's guilty let me know."

"He still won't tell me where he went last week."

"The night he disappeared?"

"Yes, it's why I think he's cheating. All he told me was that it's a special place that he doesn't want me knowing about because I'll ruin it."

"Bastard." My mother said lowly, but I still heard it, and so did Stephanie.

"I should get going, it's getting late, I'm sorry for bothering you at this hour." Chairs screeched on the kitchen floors as Stephanie departed.