After Hours

3- My home or yours

Victoria released her hands from his, and sat back in her chair, while crossing her arms, and staring at the flowers. She shook her head, and sighed "The thing is, I fell out of love with you months ago. When you lost your job, I knew I had to step up until you found yourself another job, I was willing to help, but... you took advantage of it, and sat here every day drinking, partying with your friends, while I worked my ass off. I begged you to get a job, but apparently your friends were more important than I was."

Feeling defeated, he lowered his head, and groaned "Please don't do this..."

"Do you really think I want to throw six years away? I don't want to, but I am. Nothing is keeping me here with you. And after what happened yesterday, the hurt you made me feel once again, I realized, I just can't do it anymore."

"Victoria... I didn't cheat, if that's what you're still thinking. It was Richard's birthday, and Tucker thought it would be fun to have a couple strippers come over, and to show him a good time. "

"Brayden, I'm done. There's nothing more you can say that'll fix this. I don't wish any ill upon you, and I do wish you the best, going forward..." She looked at the flowers he got her, and pushed them over to him "You can give those flowers to someone else, someone who will appreciate them, I don't want them."

"No, you keep them, they're for you. Besides, I have no one else to give them too, and I'm not giving another woman any flowers." he quietly said. Looking away from her, he knew what he done, and wished he could start over. Not wanting to let her go this easy, he stood up, and rushed over to her, kneeling.

"Marry me." he begged, squeezing her hands, and looking at her with desperate eyes. "I'll change, I swear... please, I beg you... marry me."

She shook her hands away from his, not believing what she was hearing, and mockingly laughed "Dammit Brayden, you're always claiming you'll change, don't be a fool. Asking me to marry you, will not change a thing. If you truly loved me, it wouldn't have taken six years, and a break up, to realize that you want me in your life."

She stood up, and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of wine, and a glass, she looked at him while pouring herself a drink "Being that you have no job, and nowhere else to go, I'll give you a month to find a job, and for you to get back on your feet. As for sleeping quarters, you can sleep on the couch, or find some sort of bed to put in the spare bedroom, you're not sleeping with me."

Brayden sat at the table, rested his elbows on the table, and lowered his head in his hands "And what happens if I can't find a job?" he mumbled.

"Then I'll have no choice, but to kick you out onto the streets. A month is long enough, more than what anyone else would do in this type of situation. And if I were someone else, they wouldn't care if you had nowhere to go, and would kick your ass out anyway."

She grabbed her glass of wine, and headed for the bedroom while Brayden sat at the table, thinking of what he needed to do. He wasn't about to let her go this easy, and was willing to do whatever it took, to win her back.

For the next week, he spent all day online applying for jobs, as well as walking in to places that were hiring, and applied for a job. After another week of applying at numerous jobs, he received a phone call, wanting him to come in for an interview. It wasn't the place he had been hoping for, but went in anyway, and was hired on the spot.

Victoria came home, and ignored Brayden when she walked past him. She didn't want to give him any signals that would make him think she was about to take him back, even after hearing he found a job. He followed her to the bedroom, and leaned against the doorway frame, watching her dig through her closet. "Did you hear me? I found a job, and I start tomorrow."