Persevere

Chapter 22

A/N: One or maybe two chapters left for Penny and Hobbs. This one was a whirlwind, problems left and right, two chapters left to see how things end for them . . . for now!

"Yes, Luke." I sighed, tipping the wide-brimmed straw hat back to look up at him.

"Babe, we need to talk." he said, pulling a chair up next to me.

Sam turned and saw us, I can read the worry in her eyes. No matter what happens, I'll never leave her. Not ever.

"What are you doing now, talking." I said, looking solely at our girls.

"Babe, I don't know where things went wrong . . . I just . . ."

"I know where things went wrong, I know exactly where they went wrong. It all turned left when you decided that your wife wasn't enough for you. In bed is where you most open with me but that's not enough Luke. Sex doesn't make a marriage, that takes hard work and dedication from both parts. Hattie was the perfect excuse for you to leave, she's pretty and has a posh British accent, and she's a total bad ass so I get why you were so taken with her. Hell, even your daughter noticed something was up, Lisa told me about the conversation she had with you about the flirting and the eyebrow. Luke, I was sitting right next to you when you told her brother that you'd let her climb all over you and I know that you were 100% serious." I said, doing my best not to cry.

"I . . . I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did, you meant every word that you said. Don't start lying now, you're better than that and I don't want to hear more lies."

"That was a mistake." he sighed.

"Saying that right next to your wife? Yeah, I'd say so."

"No, that's not what I meant. Yes, saying it at all was another mistake, thinking it was the mistake. I was just trying to mess with him and . . . that should've never been said."

"You were more serious than just messing with him, I know you well. Luke, if you want to be with other women . . ."

"Wait a minute . . ."

"No, just let me . . . if what you want is to be with other women, if that's where this is going then just tell me. Just rip the fucking bandaid off and let's be over with this. I won't . . . I won't force you to be with me because I'm pregnant or because we already have Lani and Sam. I won't keep them from you either and I want to continue to be a part of Sam's life. All I'm asking is that you tell me the truth. If a divorce is what will make you happy then so be it because I can't make this work by myself. Have I been attracted to other men, yes, I look, everyone does. I never touched, never initiated contact or flirted, never even thought of touching another man or cheating on you because I do love my husband. I take my wedding vows seriously because they were said from the bottom of my heart.

Not only are you attracted to her, you flirted with her in my face. You told her about your family, things you never had the intention of telling your wife. You chose to open up to her about important things. Then you kiss her or she kissed you, whatever, but you didn't stop her, you didn't put the brakes on. After everything was said and done, I was waiting for you at the top of that waterfall. I was waiting for my husband but then I realized that I didn't belong there so I left and you didn't come for me. I did wait here for you, but the guys came back and said you took off with Deckard and his sister, which told me everything that I needed to know. Just tell me that you don't want to be with me anymore, that you don't want me and let's get this conversation done. I'm already tired of it and it's only starting." I sighed feeling emotionally drained already and it's not even 11am.