Forsaking All Others (From This Day Forward Book 2) by Shannon Myers

and every muscle in my body is screaming, but I keep pushing myself further. I’ve spent the last two hours at the gym, trying to find something to work out my frustration. I ran for ten miles and felt nothing. From there, I began lifting, but found that it only ratcheted that anger up even more. Now, I’m beating the shit out of a punching bag—it’s the only thing that feels satisfying right now.
    “Mind if I join you?”
    I look up to see Mike standing there. “How’d you know I’d be here?” I wipe the back of my arm across my forehead, sweat is pouring off of me.
    He smirks, “You’re not the only one who’s good at stalking. I am a detective after all.”
    I stare at him, “You’re stalking me now?”
    He snickers, “No, dumbass,” and holds up his cellphone, “ Find my Friends app said you were here. Thought you might need some company after my comments earlier. I was out of line, man. Beth is a fantastic woman, recent behavior notwithstanding, and you’d be a fucking fool to let her go.”
    I nod at him, the closest either one of us will get to apologies. “What happens if that test comes back, saying I’m the father? What the fuck am I gonna do then?”
    He wraps his hands with tape as he prepares to join me, “We cross that bridge when we come to it, man. Jess doesn’t seem like a ‘one man kind of girl’ from what you’ve told me, there have got to be other men that could be on the hook for paternity here.”
    I slam my fist into the middle of the bag. “Yeah, but so far I’m the only fish on the line.”
    Mike holds the bag steady as I rain my fury down on it. “Dave, you ever think of hiring someone to follow her? See what she’s up to? If you suspect she’s not being honest with you, then what do you have to lose?”
    I stop hitting the bag and step back, “That’s why I’m friends with you, Mike. Always thinking like a detective.”
    He’s right. I could hire someone to keep tabs on Jess—see what she does and who she’s with when I’m not around.
    We box until my arms are weak, the anger finally giving way to something else. Something I didn’t think I’d have after this afternoon. Hope.
     

     
    I hear David’s truck as he goes speeding down the street. “Fuck!” I take a throw pillow off the couch and launch it across the room in anger. I immediately think of the baby, “Sorry, bean. Mommy shouldn’t use words like that.” I don’t even know if the baby can hear me this early in the pregnancy, but I’ve apologized nonetheless.
    The man makes me crazy with lust one minute and ready to murder him the next. I mean, in hindsight, it was probably a bit much to ask for a physical relationship without being willing to call off the divorce. I’m just not ready to withdraw everything yet, especially if there’s even the smallest chance that he’s the father of Jess’s baby. In his mind though, it would just be one baby to work his life around—not two.
    I know I need to tell him the truth, I can only hide this for so long. Just this morning, I woke up to a slightly rounded belly. To anyone who didn’t know, I might just look like I had a big meal—but if David keeps coming around, he’s going to put two and two together rather quickly. I’m vomiting all the time yet getting bigger…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
    Maybe once the paternity test results come back, I’ll tell him then. That is, unless they prove that he’s the father of Jess’s baby. Seriously, I’m surprised we haven’t been offered our own reality show yet. There’s only one way to calm my mind now.
    I spend the next few hours cleaning the house because some things never change. The floors get the brunt of my frustration and soon they’re gleaming in response.
    I’ve just sat down in my chair, ready to relax, when the doorbell rings. I smile to myself—I knew he wouldn’t stay gone for long. Now we need to call a truce or at least table the argument for a later