Two Months of Chaos
1480 Words
Julia
“A second chance,” he murmured, his steely gaze soft and pleading.
“A second chance?” I echoed, chuckling dryly as I looked at him as though he'd just spouted another head.
”For what?!” I snapped.
“After everything you've done, you still have the nerve to ask that?” I seethed, watching in contempt as his expression remained guarded.
“Darling, I wasn't asking,” he scoffed, raising his hand and pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear while his fingers lingered a second longer on my skin.
“I'm making a proposition here; it's all up to you to accept,” he murmured.
“You never loved them, not when you chose her over them,” I seethed, and his jaw ticked. I scoffed, realising I'd hit a nerve at the mention of Kathryn.
“I've loved them since the first day I learnt you were pregnant with them, and I always will. Hell, I haven't stopped loving you, but you have left me no choice,” he rambled, his clenched fist trembling by his side.
I swallowed thickly, thinking of ways to get out of his proposition but coming up short. I couldn't let him back in our lives, not when our lives were perfect, but I couldn't bear the thought of being apart from my children—not now, not ever.
“Two months,” he murmured.“Give me two months, and I'll make you see things more differently than you think they were; I'll set things right,” he implored, and I looked at him, really looked at him this time. He was desperate, like it was the only thing he cared about in that moment.
“There's nothing to set right between us Ryan, we're done, why can't you get that into your thick skull,” I snapped, feeling my frustration rising.
“There's so much you don't know love, just give me a chance,” he implored, his gaze softening.
“And if after two months you fail, what then?” I asked in a breathless whisper, and he held my gaze.
“I'll leave, and you won't have to worry about me ever showing up again,” he responded, his tone quiet and resolute.
I knew I shouldn't have considered listening to whatever he had to say, and what was even crazier was the thought of agreeing to it.
“Just two months and you'll be gone from our lives,” I repeated to be sure that we were on the same page, my eyes glued to his features to gauge his reaction, but his eyes held silent anticipation.
“Yes, Julia, two months,” he assured, and for some reason I was hyper aware of the way my name had sounded on his lips, smooth like butter. I quickly shook the thought away before it took root, noticing how the corner of his lips quirked up in a subtle smirk.
“Unless, of course, you wish to extend it, not that I'm opposed to the idea,” he shrugged nonchalantly like we were discussing the weather. I scoffed at his ludicrous suggestion, scrunching up my nose in feigned disgust.
“Do we have a deal?” he asked, his features turning rigid as all traces of mirth evaporated from his eyes.
“We do,” I conceded, my tone steady, but inside I was afraid I was going to regret making that deal with him, but I was ready to sell my soul to the devil if it meant keeping my children.
“Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I want you to leave,” I said, inclining my head towards the front door, and he looked surprised for a moment before he suddenly burst out into a fit of laughter that only served to infuriate me further than I already was.
My frown deepened as I watched him clutch his stomach with one hand and his knee with another until his laughter finally died down. Flicking a tear from the corner of his eye, he regarded me with a tilted head.
“Oh wait, you're serious?” he asked, his face scrunching up in confusion, but when I didn't respond, he straightened up.
“Darling,” he drawled in a tone so low I could have sworn I felt shivers go down the length of my spine.“I can't make you mine and be involved in the lives of our kids if I'm not here with you,” “I don't see how that's gonna work,” he shrugged, pushing back dark strands of curly hair as he ran his fingers through. My fingers itched to touch those silky strands, to find out if they were as soft as they looked. Of course I knew they were soft, like silk threads; still, I would give anything to feel my fingers running through them again.
I snapped back to reality, my face turning red at the realisation of my thoughts. I cursed under my breath, turning away quickly and walking back to the living room so he wouldn't see my reaction. Over the loud drumming in my chest, I heard his footsteps behind me as he followed.
“Fine, you can stay, but I don't want you in my business whatsoever, and whoever I bring home is none of your f*****g business,” I said quickly, and he looked at me for the longest moment, his face devoid of emotion, before he slowly nodded, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips.
“I didn't think you'd agree to that so easily,” he mused, tilting his head to the side as his gaze roamed the entirety of my face, and I shrugged, hoping he wouldn't see through my facade.
“You can't drive in a snowstorm anyway,” I muttered. “You can take the guest bedroom; I'll go check on the kids,” I said, turning and walking away without waiting for his reply.
When I was out of earshot, I exhaled a sigh of relief, wiping the beads of perspiration that had gathered on my forehead.
“That was close,” I muttered, trudging up the stairs slowly. I stopped in front of the children's bedroom door, my hand hovering over the doorknob as I tried to school my features because I knew how perceptive Lucien could be. That boy could pick up on the littlest of things, and I didn't want that.
I turned the knob, walking into the room before shutting the door softly behind me.
Olivia was by her desk flipping through some storybook while Lucien was sitting at the edge of his bed fiddling with a Rubik's cube.
They both raised their heads when they
heard me come in, but Olivia was the first to abandon her book and rush over to me, hugging my hip as she looked up at me. I caressed her hair softly, smiling tenderly down at her.
“Where's Daddy?” Olivia asked, looking up at me with wide eyes, and I took both her hands in mine, crouching down to her level.
“He should be in his room getting ready for bed, baby, as should you,” I explained softly, and her eyes grew wide with excitement.
“Really, Mommy!” she squealed, and I nodded, a small smile growing on my lips at the sight of her happy.
“So daddy's gonna stay with us and never leave?” Lucien asked this time, and I faltered. Deep down I knew there was no evading this question, and I couldn't lie about it.
“Lucien darling, we're still not sure about that, but on the bright side, he's here now,” I tried to reassure him, but he wasn't convinced. “Isn't that all that matters?” I asked, and he seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding almost begrudgingly.
“Can we go see him now?” Olivia asked, and I chuckled.
“It's way past your bedtime, missy, and you're still up.” She frowned at that, so I tried to lighten up her mood: “But you'll see tomorrow; he's still gonna be here. He's not going anywhere, remember?” That seemed to lighten up her mood and give her something to look forward to as she nodded.
“Come on, let's get you two ready for bed,” I murmured, taking both their hands in mine.
Never in a million years would I have predicted that day would go the way it did; if someone had told me my ex-husband would show up dressed as Santa Claus, I'd probably have laughed in the person's face.
Not only did that happen, but I'd also agreed to live with him for two months.
What could possibly go wrong?
- Writer
