Bittersweet Revenge

Chapter Fifteen

My bottom lip begins to quiver at the thought of losing her. So I bite down on the inside of my lip to fight my tears away. I slowly feel the rage building deep inside. I clench my fists and internally scream at myself. I only have myself to blame, this is all my fault.

Regina appears from the front door looking mortified and slightly dazed. She slowly walks out of the house and down the steps in what looks like a drunken stupor.

"Nothing in that house belongs to me," she mutters mostly to herself.

"Regina, wait! I know nothing I say can fix this. I did a shitty thing," her eyes immediately flick to the children and I know she's silently scolding me. "There's nothing I can do or say to take this back or make it up to you. I'm so sorry but for what it's worth...thank you!" I sincerely declare as a single tear rolls down my cheek. She did everything for me and my children. She made us a happy home. She made us complete.

Regina just stands there, glaring at me. Jefferson finally jumps into action and drapes his lanky arm around her shoulder. He slowly escorts her to the limo.

"Come on dear, let's get you home...and out of these clothes, what the hell are you wearing? Is that a jean jacket?" Jefferson huffs in disgust but Regina doesn't say a word as she keeps her eyes focused on her feet while her husband drags her away.

"Mom!" Henry yells as he pushes his hands into my side causing me to lose my balance and stagger. "What are you doing? Go get her!"

"I can't Henry, she's married. You heard her, she doesn't belong here." I fold my arms across my chest and hang onto my arms for dear life.

Sydney closes the back door, solidifying Regina's departure. Drew suddenly begins to squirm in Ruby's arms. My friend tries to hang on tight until Drew starts kicking Ruby everywhere she can manage. My friend lets Drew down and she takes off running toward the limo with her brothers chasing after her.

"Wait! Mommy! You swore you'd never leave!" Drew pleads as she runs as fast as she can.

It takes me a moment to realize what is happening around me. I spring into action after my children hoping that I can find the strength to pull them away.

"Please don't go! You're our mom!" Max screams as he slams his palms against Regina's window. I notice the woman doesn't even flinch anymore from Max's wild behavior. Regina instantly drops her head, refusing to look at my children and I swear I see her crying.

"Please don't go!" Henry begs while he stands next to his brother, banging on the glass.

I scoop my daughter up first but she fights me. Her little body flails about as she tries to break free from my clutches. Ruby is suddenly by my side pulling Drew from my arms and whispering soothing words into her ear. I pull Max away from the limo just as it begins to pull away. My son fights against me as well with his fists flying all around.

"Come on guys, she wants to go. Let her go," I demand as I grab his tiny wrists and drag him away.

Henry whips around with fire blazing in his eyes. His little fists are clenched as he scowls at me. "You promised!"

"I promised she could stay as long as she wanted. I promised I wouldn't kick her out and I didn't!" I defend as the tires crunch against the gravel again. My stomach bottoms out knowing she is almost gone.

"You didn't try hard enough!" Henry screams into my face as I fight his little brother while Ruby holds a tear soaked Drew close to her chest.

"Henry! I proposed to the woman an hour ago! If that wasn't enough to make her stay, then...I don't know what is. I can't make her stay," I softly explain hoping he might understand.

"No! You could've done more! You should've begged her!" His dark green eyes are starting to gloss over but he quickly rubs his eyes to fight back his tears.

"God Henry, I'm so sorry. I should've never brought her here. I shouldn't have put you kids through this or her...or myself. I'm sorry."

I drop one of Max's hands and reach out for Henry but he shrugs me off and bolts for our house. Max pushes me away and follows his brother inside. Both boys make it a point to slam their feet down and shut the door with such force, I think it might actually break.

I run a shaky hand through my hair and take a deep breath. I reach out for Drew as she sobs in Ruby's arms.

"Come here baby," I softly encourage but she smacks my hands away.

"No! You made her leave!"

"I didn't baby girl, she has another life. She had to go home," I gently attempt to explain but her mind is already made up. To her, I'm the villain. I mean technically, she's not wrong.

"No! She loves us and we love her. She's our family!" Drew wiggles out of my friend's embrace and storms off, just like her brothers.

"Fuck!" I scream once I hear the front door slam shut. I run my hand through my hair yet again and hold on tight. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Honestly, that could've been worse," Ruby says in a lame attempt to make me feel better.

"Yeah right!"

"She could've lit your house on fire. She could've lit your ass on fire."

I shove my friend with all my might in hopes to release some of this tension. This gut wrenching, heart aching, stomach flipping...I think I'm going to puke, tension. I stare up into the starry night sky and watch as the shining stars turn into while blobs of nothing from my tears. I keep my head tilted back in a ridiculous attempt to keep my tears from falling.

What the hell am I going to do now? How am I going to survive everyday not waking up next to her? Without her safely tucked into my side. How are my kids going to move passed this? I swear they are closer with Regina than they ever were with their father. Besides, they were all so little when he left they really didn't understand.

Fuck! I'm going to miss her sassy quips. I'm going to miss that sexy smirk. I'm not going to survive without her raspy voice whispering I love you into the night. There's no way I'll be able to sleep in my bed without her. Especially after the way her seductive hips would roll against my body. The way her full lips would press against my neck in the middle of the night while she slept. I don't even think she realized she was doing it.

"Oh my god Emma, you really love her," my friend gasps as she pulls me into a hug. She presses on the back of my head and forces me to cuddle against her shoulder. That's when my tears erupt from eyes, bursting over the rim like a volcano spewing lava. "I didn't know you were this invested."

"I love her a lot."

"More than Neal?"

"No contest," I mutter into her boney shoulder and ball the back of her shirt into my fists.

"Why didn't you tell her that?" Ruby slowly rubs my back as my hot tears soak into her shirt.

"She knows. We shared too many intimate moments for her not to know. Fuck Ruby, I proposed," I stress the word through a ragged breath.

"Yeah, but that was all before. Maybe she thought it was all part of the plan?"

"No, there's no way I could fake all of that. She has to know," I sob even harder and pull her closer to me.

"Come on, let's get inside. I'll make you some coffee," she suggests while slowly taking a few steps closer to my door.

"I don't need coffee, I need a bottle of Vodka."