“I’m going to be sick,” stated Lori, getting to her feet.
She pushed her way past her friend, limping as fast as she could towards the bathroom.
“Let me get this straight,” began Grey as he sat down on the edge of the stage beside Jake. “That crazy ass teacher has been coming on to you? This wasn’t the first time?”
Jake shook his head.
“Have you had sex with her?” demanded the band’s bass player, praying the answer was no.
Jake nodded then said, “But it wasn’t exactly consensual.”
“Jake, why?” yelled Grey angrily. “All these years, you’ve never looked at another girl. It’s only ever been Lori. Now, you jeopardise all that plus your family for HER? For that music teacher bitch?”
“Don’t,” sighed Jake, running his hands through his hair. “And don’t say I told you so. You warned me she was trouble. I didn’t listen. Thought she was…. Christ, I don’t know what I thought.”
“Well, you better start thinking and fast,” stated Grey bluntly. “My money’s on our beloved tour manager having gone straight to your house.”
“Shit!” yelled Jake angrily. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“Go home, Jake,” suggested Grey calmly. “Go sort this mess out with your wife.”
The drive back down the highway to Rehoboth seemed to take a lifetime. Thumping the steering wheel in frustration, Jake silently cursed himself for being so stupid. As he’d left the studio, raised voices were coming from Dr Marrs’ office. It was clear that the producer was making his thoughts on Nicole’s behaviour perfectly clear. Knowing that Grey believed his version of events had helped to calm Jake momentarily but the closer to home he got, the more he fretted about what Maddison had said to Lori.
When he turned off E Lake Drive into the driveway, he was relieved to see that it was only Lori’s SUV that was parked in its usual spot. There was no sign of Maddy. Having parked his truck in his usual spot, Jake offered up a silent prayer that all would be well. As he stepped down out of the truck, the “scar” on the tree trunk caught his eye, reminding him of the last time his actions had almost destroyed his marriage.
“Lori,” he called out hesitantly as he entered the kitchen. “You home?”
Silence echoed back at him.
“Lori!”
There was no sign of her at her desk but, from the state of her work surface, he guessed she’d abandoned her commission in a hurry. Lori was always meticulous about clearing her work away when she was finished for the day.
A gentle breeze wafted in from the sunroom and Jake noted that the patio doors were open. Through the open door, he could see Lori standing on the sun deck, gazing out over the ocean.
He took a deep breath and headed through the sunroom to face the music.
Keeping her eyes focused on the waves, Lori tried to ignore the sound of Jake’s footsteps approaching. She could smell his deodorant and knew he was only a few feet behind her. With her arms wrapped round herself protectively, she prayed that he didn’t reach out to touch her.
“Lori,” she heard him say softly. “Can we talk?”
Hearing the pain in his voice tore at her heart but her resolve held fast and Lori ignored him.
“Can I explain this to you?”
Lori kept her eyes firmly on the horizon.
“Look, I don’t know what Maddison has told you. I can imagine though,” began Jake falteringly. “I didn’t instigate that. She accosted me. I was trying to push her away.” He paused, “She assaulted me. Grey wants me to press charges.”
Lori felt herself flinch but, breathing slowly and deeply, she kept her focus on the ocean, fighting the urge to turn round.
“Lori, say something,” pleaded Jake, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Did you have sex with her?”
The question hung in the air.
“Yes,” confessed Jake quietly, knowing in his heart that honesty was the best policy.
“And today wasn’t the first time she’d sucked your dick,” stated Lori coldly, her words a statement of fact rather than an accusation.
“No, it wasn’t,” replied Jake.
“Pack your bags,” said Lori, still keeping her eyes fixed on the ocean swell. “You need to leave. I need space to think. I don’t want you here.”
“Please, let me explain,” pleaded Jake.
“Not now. Just pack and go.”
“Lori……”
“I need you to go,” she said calmly.
“Can we please talk about this?”
“Not now. Just pack a bag and leave, Jake.”
Realising it was pointless to try to persuade her to talk to him, Jake slowly turned and went back into the house. Numb, he wandered down to their bedroom, hauled his holdall out of the closet and threw in some clothes and toiletries. Acting on automatic pilot, he gave little thought to what he was chucking into the bag. His heart was breaking at the pain he was causing his wife. He didn’t dare to think about the impact this was going to have on the kids, especially on Melody.
Zipping the half-full bag closed, he gazed round the room. Lori’s Guns ‘n’ Roses t-shirt that she’d been sleeping in lay on the bed. Tentatively, Jake lifted it, held it up to his nose and breathed in the familiar aroma of her favourite perfume. How was he going to live without her? Pushing the thought aside, he unzipped the bag and stuffed the worn t-shirt inside.
Barely holding it together, Jake walked through the house, closing the back door behind him.
When she heard Jake’s truck leave, Lori crumpled. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Her hand went to her stomach and she gently stroked her slightly rounded belly. Suddenly, she felt as if her whole world had come crashing down like one of the breakers hitting the shore.
Part of her wanted to call Jake. Tell him to come back. Tell him she was willing
