His Double Life

Part 17

JESSICAS POV

As the day goes on, Haley lectures me on the night before. She keeps asking for details on Neal, and then tells me not to be a whore.

"I swear, I won't sleep with him tonight. I'm simply going to talk to him."

"How are you going to talk when you end up with his dick in your mouth?" Haley says, crossing her arms.

"It's easy. That won't happen."

"Whatever. There is condoms in the top drawer of my nightstand."

"Haley!"

"Have fun but not the fun that results in being too easy to get back into bed."

I roll my eyes and leave. I spent the day with her stressing over my meeting with Neal tonight.

Neal's place is 10 minutes from here, so I decide to walk to be sure I gather my thoughts. I feel in my purse to be sure my taser and pepper spray are in there and smile when I feel they are.

Not even two minutes into my walk I get paranoid. About meeting up with Neal, about being alone walking, and simply the entire situation i'm in.

I ran my phone and read the messages Angela sent. She tells me she misses me around as much as I use to be and to get my ass home. I respond and assure her we will have more girl days.

"Shit!" A man says as he runs into me, and both of our phones fall onto the concrete.

I stumble to grab it and make sure it's not cracked. To my surprise, mine isn't. But with the small glance at his that I got, his is cracked right up.

"Oh gosh I am so sorry," I say.

He smiles, his perfect smile taking me by surprise.

"It was my fault, I should be more careful next time. Texting and walking can sure be...dangerous."

"You're not wrong. I'm sorry your phone is all fucked up."

"Don't be. I break my phone every other month." We laugh, my mind returning to the fact that I am going to Neal's.

"I need to get going, but again i'm really sorry!" I start to walk away, checking my phone again even after that.

"Hey!" I turn around and smile.

"Yeah?"

"Would I be a total creep ass if I asked for your number?"
I almost don't want to give it to him because of Neal, but I mean....He's fucking married.

"No, I think that'd be brave of you. Ready?"

He holds his phone in his hands, ready to type.

I tell him my number and feel more good about it than stupid.

"Thanks, i'll definitely be texting you." He smiles and walks away, leaving me excited. I always like the feeling i've met someone, in any way really. But my focus is Neal and I's talk.
No it's not.
Yes it is.

I don't know. I just gave a hot stranger my number out of anger towards Neal. Who am I becoming with this man?

I speed walk the rest of the way to his place and feel the butterflies hit once I step into the elevator.

The little 'ping' indicating i've hit his floor makes me want to melt. I don't know what to say to him anymore.

His eyes instantly lock with mine when he sees me walk in. A small smile spreads against his lips.

"Hey, sit down." I go and sit at the couch across from him and stare at him. Not knowing at all what to expect. I don't know if he's going to yell at me or not after what I did last night.

"So...last night was not exactly great. But i'm sorry for it." He says.

"Why are you sorry? I was the one who nearly blew up your marriage. Or whatever it is."

"I realized that the idea of her knowing about my feelings for you doesn't bother me. Even though she doesn't...she could and I wouldn't try to tell her otherwise. But I don't want her and I to split because of me. It has to be because of her."

"That's ridiculous. If you don't want to be with someone then don't. Neal you have plenty of fucking money to not have to worry about it. Stop toying with my mind."

"I'm not toying with you. I'm being genuine. The second a divorce was final you'd be mine."

I scoff. "And who said I'd want to be yours?"

He looks at his hands, and I can't tell if he's confused or hurt.

"You have for a while, so I assumed..."

"What do you mean?"

"I remember on my wedding day, you couldn't even look me in the eye. When we were kids you always told me you loved me. There was just a lot of signs."

"Signs you ignored. You married a woman you just cheat on and don't even love."

"I was loyal as fuck before she became the way she is. I don't feel myself and I cant seem to stop."

"Tell me...why would I want to be with someone who I could not trust to only be fucking me?"

He stares at me, knowing damn well it's a good question with no real answer. No good one.

"Because I wouldn't do that to you. I know you're not going to tell me how much of a loser I am when I make mistakes. You won't throw plates at me during an argument. You won't try to trick me into getting you pregnant by going off birth control without telling me." His eyes start to water as he keeps listing reasons. Reasons I need to ignore. "You wouldn't put down the good things I do because they aren't your version of good. You wouldn't make me feel so put down like she has. You'll never catch her saying shit around others or when she wants something, but she turned me into someone i'm not. I'm a fucking asshole now and I never thought i'd be the type to cheat but she breaks me whenever i'm with her. She wants to hurt me and I just-" I get up and go over to him. Hugging him as tears spill down his cheeks.

In the 20 years i've known Neal, i've never seen him cry.

"I didn't know that. I'm sorry."

"Jess I know it's not a valid reason. There never should be with affairs. You said it yourself. If you're not happy just leave. I need help Jess. I know she'd ruin me somehow. I just want you...I swear."

"But you were with her last night, how could I really believe you?"

"Because I'm only trying to be nice with her until my plan unfolds. You have to trust me on that."

"Plan?" I ask.

"I'll explain another time. But it should get me a divorce with her not getting shit."

"Didn't you get a prenup?" He looks down. "What the fuck Neal!"

"She convinced me it was ridiculous because it would seem as if I didn't trust her. So I dropped it. Back then I was in love with her. I was an idiot when the right person for me was literally my wife's fucking bridesmaid."

The elevator pings and I nearly shit myself thinking it's his wife. I mentally prepare myself to kick her fucking ass, but then it's not her

It's some blonde girl wearing high heels and a romper, and mascara running down her eyes and cheeks.

"Who the hell-"

"Nina why are you here?" Neal asks. My heart drops when he knows who she fucking is. "How did you find out where I live?"

"Do you not know how to pick up the phone? I had to find you through people rather than you. The father of my fucking child." Neal looks shocked.
His eyes are wide, as I can imagine mine are too. I can barley tell what's happening.

"I found out days ago and tried to tell you."

I nearly throw up at her words.

What the fuck is happening?