All On Contract

Chapter 153 - What About Me?

This will break her.

"How do you know?" I ask.

"Paul said so. I saw pictures of the wedding planning. Kimberly's dress really is pretty." Rose sighs and smiles at me again.

"Kimberly? As in...." I slowly trail off.

"Yes, his ex wife." She nods. "I mean, it's been almost a month since Tessa moved out....What else did you expect?" She shrugs lightly. "Poor Tessa." She taps my shoulder lightly before she walks off, leaving me glued to my spot.

***

I push open the wooden door and walk into the studio. I close the door behind me and shrug off my coat before I throw it over the back of the chair. I turn around and stop in my tracks when my eyes fall onto Tessa.

My eyes fall onto the glass bottle in her hand. She stares at the far wall blankly as she stays seated on the green couch with her legs crossed underneath her. Her look lifeless and her face is a little green as she just....Sits there.

"Beautiful day out there...." I look out at the window and let out a sigh as I watch the rain splash agaisnt window. "You should go for a walk." I mumble and turn to face her. I watch her as she just sits there and stares at the wall. "You're a mess, Tessa." I let out a sigh.

"He gave me until midnight." She says quietly.

"Who did?" I ask as I walk towards her.

"Marshall." She whispers his name. "Almost 4 weeks ago..." She trails off. "Almost 4 weeks ago he gave me a chance to go back to him. To go back home with him and..." She shrugs.

"I'm sorry but you're not allowed-" I start and get cut off.

"I wonder how he is." She looks up at me.

"I know he's not drinking until he knocks him self out." I state as I sit down next to her and gesture towards the bottle.

"I haven't had a sip of this." She says softly. "It's an old bottle I found." She adds, making me nod. "Do you think he's like me? Do you think he's a mess?" I ask. "Or do you think he's moved on already?" She croaks before she swallows hard.

She doesn't know about the wedding.

"I don't know, sweetheart." I say quietly.

"When the kids come over...I just....Switch back to normal when they're around." She shrugs. "I pretend that everything's okay...Even though I feel like I can't breathe or.....Or I feel like I'm about to burst out in tears infront of them and have some sort of....Crazy fucking....Breakdown." She whispers as she shrugs. I let out a small sigh when her eyes fill up with tears.

"Shhh, Tessa." I wrap my arm around her shoulder when the tears start to spill down her cheek. She shakes her head as she looks back at the wall.

"I wonder if he does that? If he puts on an act infront of our kids or has he moved on and forgotten about me like he said he would when he gave me until midnight to go back to him." She says slowly before she quickly looks up at me, waiting for some sort of answer that will give her some comfort.

"What happened between you and Marshall was wrong-" I start and get cut off.

"How? How was it wrong?" She says quickly.

"It was forbidden in the contract!" I raise my voice slightly. "It should have never happened, Tessa." I add. I watch her fall back into the sofa before she closes her eyes.

"First Gayle ruined my life." She speaks after a few minutes of silence. "Then my parents and brothers. Then my cousin Nicole and my ex husband Marcus and now....You." She shakes her head as she whispers to herself. "When will I get what I want, Leroy?" She opens her eyes and looks up at me. "When will I get to be happy?" She asks. I stay quiet as I we hold eachothers gaze. My eyes drop down to the tears as they slide down her cheek before I clear my throat and look down at my lap.