Heat in the Hamptons

Chapter 8

"Baby," was all he said as his eyes took her in. He reached a hand out for her head where the bandaid was.

She dodged his hand and began to walk past him. He followed her, guilt and anxiety swelling inside of him.

"Can we please talk Addy?" He followed her down the stairs and into the garage.

Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on the almost empty tubs she had left in here.

She had just moved the rest of her belongings in here, so the storage tubes were still in the garage. They had a few items she planned to give away in them, but otherwise were pretty empty. She grabbed one and turned back around but James was standing in the way.

"Baby, what are you doing with that?"

"Please move James." He didn't.

Realization flashed through his eyes. "Baby, please don't do anything crazy yet, we need to talk."

"James!" She shouted and he jolted, surprised. He moved out of her way.

Again, he followed her back up the stairs to their bedroom, bathroom, and into the closet.

When he saw the two suitcases his steps faltered. She was serious.

She kneeled on the ground as she opened one of her drawers, grabbing arms full of folded clothes and setting them into the tub.

By the time she filled up the tub she was done with the folded clothes. Now she just had her undergarments, her shoes, and a few accessories.

She stood up to go grab a second bin.

James was done watching her pack her life with him up.

He stepped in front of her as she started to head for the door.

"Baby--"

"Don't call me that." She interrupted, taking a few steps back so there was a distance between them.

James looked at her, his eyes sad.

"And don't look at me like you're the victim here, James."

"Please Addison, can we please just talk?"

She rolled her eyes. "Talk then, James." She crossed her arms.

"I can't even begin to explain how sorry I am." He shook his head. "I don't even know what to say, but I know I need to tell you how much I love you." His eyes filled with tears. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, that's why I wanted you to move in with me. I want to wake up with you every single day for the rest of my life. I can't even imagine what it would be like to not be with you."

Addison stayed silent, listening. Looking at her feet.

"You are the love of my life, Addison. I think about you every single day. While I'm working, while I'm brushing my teeth, while I'm--"

"Fucking Megan?" Her eyes rose to meet his.

He shut his mouth and his eyes grew.

"Do you think about how much you love me when you're kissing her? Do you think about spending everyday for the rest of your life when you're between her legs?" She had slowly taken a few steps towards him.

"Addison." He slowly said.

"When did it start, James?"

"Yesterday! It was a mistake. She came over to bring back our wine opener and we started drinking and it just happened."

Addison nodded slowly, locking her eyes with his.

"I'm going to go ahead and call your bullshit." He went pale. "Why did you insist on me staying in a hotel last night? Insisting I not come home?"

"Because I didn't want you to drive while you were tired."

"You know, James. I'm a grown ass woman. I'm twenty-eight and I've been driving for twelve years. I am more than capable of driving past eight o'clock at night."

He started to open his mouth again but she cut him off.

"And if it was a one time thing, why did Megan insist Noah stayed in the city at his mom's house?"

James looked down.

"Why don't you tell me the truth about when it started." Addison said forcefully. She could feel herself starting to fall apart, watching his sad eyes.

He looked back up at her. "It started last Fourth of July."

A rage hotter than she thought she could ever feel filled her body.

"You started fucking my best friend almost a year ago?" She screamed.

"We were having that party down the beach with the rest of the neighborhood. I came back to the house to grab you a blanket because you were cold and she had followed me to get herself one. We were both drunk and we had fallen in the sand when we tried to walk up to the patio. We were laughing and falling and all of a sudden we were kissing."

Addison stood there, eyes swelling with tears.

"We made our way up to the bedroom and had sex for the first time. While you and Noah were at the party with everyone else."

Addison's body felt cold. "How many times has it happened?" She asked, her voice defeated.

"I--I really don't know." James' heart felt like it would beat through his chest. There was no point in lying now, it would only diminish what she thought of him.

"You don't know?" She said, her words like venom.

He shrugged his shoulders, "A few times a month."

Addison knelt down, she felt nauseous.

"Addy." She could tell he was reaching for her.

"Don't fucking touch me." She said into her knees.

James withdrew and watched the woman he loved fall apart in front of his eyes.

She didn't cry, she just sat there with her eyes closed against her knees, waiting for the nausea to subside and trying to swallow the lump in her throat.