himself.
“I'm sorry for the way I acted last night.” He sighed deeply. “I behaved…I was a jerk.”
“I don't think it was a behavior problem, Jake. You were drunk.” She said it without looking at him.
“Yes. I was drunk. And I'm sorry.”
Nora didn't respond.
“I can hardly believe it myself, and I feel terrible.”
She really did not want to have this conversation. In fact, as she listened to his words, it occurred to her that no matter how good he looked right now, she didn't really care what he had to say. It just didn't matter. All she wanted was for him to go away and leave her alone.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” From her peripheral vision, she could see Jake cock his head to one side. “That's it?”
“I'm not sure what else you want me to say.” She still wouldn’t look at him.
“So it's okay that I went out and got drunk last night? It's okay that I drove my truck home plastered? It's okay that I passed out in the bathtub, scaring you half to death when you came home for lunch today?”
“Actually, none of that's okay, Jake. I mean that I’m okay with you feeling terrible. You should. But no, I’m not okay with any of what happened last night, or with anything that happened today, for that matter. And because I’m not, a few things are going to change around here. I'm not going to let you and your choices affect me anymore. I'm going to do what I need to do to provide for this family, regardless of what you do. I'm not going to let you disappoint me anymore, because I'm not going to depend on you for anything anymore. And I’m okay with that, too.”
“I don't follow you.” She could hear the slight tremor in his voice. Was he afraid? Good.
“It's not that tough, Jakey. If you are capable of making the decisions you made last night, then you have no right to make decisions for me and the kids. You're on your own.” She picked up a pile of client files and began thumbing through them. She tried not to think about the not so great decision she’d made this afternoon.
Jake sat silent for so long that Nora's thoughts wandered of their own accord back to her afternoon with Tristan. The way he studied her had really unnerved her, but at the same time, flattered her. He wasn ’t begging her to notice him, the way Jake was right now. He stared at her as though there was something fascinating about her, intriguing. Like a hunter eyes his prey .
When Jake spoke, she jumped. “I'm not leaving.”
Nora snorted derisively, hoping he wouldn ’t notice her flushed cheeks. “I'm not asking you to leave. I'm just releasing you from the responsibility of your family. Like I said, I'm tired of being disappointed by you, and it's pretty obvious from your decision to ditch your children for a night out at the bar, that you really don't want that kind of responsibility anyway. So, you're free, Jake. You’re a free man.”
“Look at me, Nora.”
Still standing, she eyed him across the length of the table. He looked like he was going to be sick. “Yes?”
“I'm sorry. It won't happen again. What can I do to make it up to you?”
“Nothing. There's nothing that can undo what you’ve done. In fact, I don't really care if it does or doesn't happen again. But,” she leaned forward a little, the chandelier over the table throwing the contours of her face into stark relief. “If you so much as think about putting either of my children in a car with you at the wheel at any time in the near future, I will call the police.” She glared at him with cold eyes, wanting to make certain he did not misunderstand her. She’d done some thinking this afternoon after she’d left Tristan’s studio, angry at her own naiveté and blaming Jake for it. “I will be taking them to school and picking them up from now on. I will be home with them after school, and I will take them where they need to go. You are officially relieved of your childcare duties.”
“Good grief, Nora! You can't just 'relieve me' of
“I'm sorry for the way I acted last night.” He sighed deeply. “I behaved…I was a jerk.”
“I don't think it was a behavior problem, Jake. You were drunk.” She said it without looking at him.
“Yes. I was drunk. And I'm sorry.”
Nora didn't respond.
“I can hardly believe it myself, and I feel terrible.”
She really did not want to have this conversation. In fact, as she listened to his words, it occurred to her that no matter how good he looked right now, she didn't really care what he had to say. It just didn't matter. All she wanted was for him to go away and leave her alone.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” From her peripheral vision, she could see Jake cock his head to one side. “That's it?”
“I'm not sure what else you want me to say.” She still wouldn’t look at him.
“So it's okay that I went out and got drunk last night? It's okay that I drove my truck home plastered? It's okay that I passed out in the bathtub, scaring you half to death when you came home for lunch today?”
“Actually, none of that's okay, Jake. I mean that I’m okay with you feeling terrible. You should. But no, I’m not okay with any of what happened last night, or with anything that happened today, for that matter. And because I’m not, a few things are going to change around here. I'm not going to let you and your choices affect me anymore. I'm going to do what I need to do to provide for this family, regardless of what you do. I'm not going to let you disappoint me anymore, because I'm not going to depend on you for anything anymore. And I’m okay with that, too.”
“I don't follow you.” She could hear the slight tremor in his voice. Was he afraid? Good.
“It's not that tough, Jakey. If you are capable of making the decisions you made last night, then you have no right to make decisions for me and the kids. You're on your own.” She picked up a pile of client files and began thumbing through them. She tried not to think about the not so great decision she’d made this afternoon.
Jake sat silent for so long that Nora's thoughts wandered of their own accord back to her afternoon with Tristan. The way he studied her had really unnerved her, but at the same time, flattered her. He wasn ’t begging her to notice him, the way Jake was right now. He stared at her as though there was something fascinating about her, intriguing. Like a hunter eyes his prey .
When Jake spoke, she jumped. “I'm not leaving.”
Nora snorted derisively, hoping he wouldn ’t notice her flushed cheeks. “I'm not asking you to leave. I'm just releasing you from the responsibility of your family. Like I said, I'm tired of being disappointed by you, and it's pretty obvious from your decision to ditch your children for a night out at the bar, that you really don't want that kind of responsibility anyway. So, you're free, Jake. You’re a free man.”
“Look at me, Nora.”
Still standing, she eyed him across the length of the table. He looked like he was going to be sick. “Yes?”
“I'm sorry. It won't happen again. What can I do to make it up to you?”
“Nothing. There's nothing that can undo what you’ve done. In fact, I don't really care if it does or doesn't happen again. But,” she leaned forward a little, the chandelier over the table throwing the contours of her face into stark relief. “If you so much as think about putting either of my children in a car with you at the wheel at any time in the near future, I will call the police.” She glared at him with cold eyes, wanting to make certain he did not misunderstand her. She’d done some thinking this afternoon after she’d left Tristan’s studio, angry at her own naiveté and blaming Jake for it. “I will be taking them to school and picking them up from now on. I will be home with them after school, and I will take them where they need to go. You are officially relieved of your childcare duties.”
“Good grief, Nora! You can't just 'relieve me' of
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