Happily Married [COMPLETE]

[29]

November 27th 2017

Audrey walked home that night.

Calvin had deserted her so she was left without any sort of transport. She couldn't bring herself to go back into the diner and ask for a ride from Joe. She was already feeling so ashamed.

The diner wasn't far from her house, and she would be able to walk back home in a little over half an hour, but Audrey needed some time to herself. So, after spending some time sitting on a park bench, alone for a couple of hours and then grabbing some ice cream to cheer herself up, Audrey walked into her house a little past midnight.

She wasn't surprised to come home to an empty house. Though she had been surprised to find fourteen miscalls from Joe and a couple of texts demanding that she call him back as soon as she read the messages. Sighing, she shoved her phone back in her pocket.

Out of sight, out of mind.

The time that she had spent sitting on the park bench alone in the dark, had been very beneficial. She enjoyed the time to herself and was able to clear her head a little. And to top it all off, she hadn't cried. Not even once.

She was proud of herself.

There wasn't long left until the divorce would be final, just a little over two weeks. So, at least Audrey wouldn't have to suffer by Calvin's side for much longer. He would be free, and so would she.

Audrey was just afraid of being alone again. Not that she would be completely alone since she had planned to go stay with her brother for a few days until she got back on her feet. Audrey had no doubt that her brother and sister-in-law would welcome her with open arms, but with his pressure at work and their expecting a baby, she didn't want to intrude any longer than necessary.

Audrey loved her brother, Ryan, and he most definitely loved her. But he also had a life and a family of his own to think about.

Ryan would help her out in any way possible, and she knew that he would go above and beyond to help her get back on her feet. She knew that her brother would give everything away to see her happy, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness, but she didn't want that. She didn't want to prevent him from living his life to fullest just because hers had come to a pause with no clear indication that things were going to change.

They had been close growing up, and they still were. Well, as close as siblings could be that lived as far apart as they did.

Sometimes, Audrey found herself wishing that she had never met Calvin. At least then, she would have been able to save on relationship -the relationship with her brother. Not that there was anything lacking in it, but neither of them could deny that they had drifted apart over these past couple of years that Audrey had gotten married. It was difficult to see each other with the distance, and with everything that was going in on their separate lives. And secretly, Audrey feared seeing him after so much time had passed.

She was scared that he would be disappointed.

Sighing, Audrey headed to the bathroom before she got made her bed on the sofa. It took a while to fall asleep. One, because she had a lot to think about and two, her phone kept on pinging with messages. She had no doubt that they were all from Joe, but she just couldn't bring herself to ready any of them.

Taking the coward's choice, she turned off her phone.

When sleep finally came, she welcomed it with open arms.

-

Audrey didn't know what the time was when she next woke up, but she did know that it was far from morning. It was dark and she had to blink her eyes several times before they got used to the lack of lighting.