You, Me and He

Anguish

Early the Next Morning.....
Shantelle did not sleep well at all. After Joe's outburst, she sat up on the side of the bed for a while before attempting to go back to sleep. When she woke up a few hours later, she noticed Joe had not come back to bed.

She got concerned and went walking all over the house searching for him. She looked in the bedrooms and the en-suite bathrooms on the second floor and no such luck. She looked in his man cave and noticed that he wasn't there either. When she went to the third floor, she looked in the 5 bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms and still had no luck finding him. When she went to his study, she found him sprawled out on the leather sofa that was there surrounded by several liquor bottles. Apparently, Joe had been crying  and had drank vodka and gin until he passed out. When she looked closer, he had dried tear stains on his handsome face. She then picked up the empty liquor bottles and put them in the garbage, straighten up the room and put a blanket over him and gave him a kiss on the cheek...

"Oh Joe, I'm so sorry you're hurting baby. I wish there was something I could do more to help you." She said, stroking his face. When she stroked his face, he stirred and moaned sadly in his sleep. She then left the room and closed the door.

A Few Hours Later.....
Joe woke up with the monster of all headaches.....

"Uggghhh shit! My fucking head!" He moaned, clearly suffering a hangover.

As he sat up, he felt horrible...physically and mentally. He felt physically horrible because he drank himself into unconscious and now had the granddaddy of hangovers. Then he felt mentally horrible because despite resuming mental therapy, he was still tormented by his mother's murder by way of nightmares. He also felt horrible because he lashed out at his beloved wife. He didn't mean the nasty things he said and hoped that she didn't take it personally, but the dream enraged him all out of proportion and he just lashed out. The idea that the women in his life were being victimized and he was powerless pissed him off. Nonetheless, Joe knew he was wrong and knew he needed to apologize to his wife.

As he stood up, a wave of nausea hit him like semi tractor trailer truck. Fortunately, the library had an adjoining full bathroom and he rushed in, just barely making it to the toilet puking his guts out. Joe vomited so much that he started to dry heave. After he was done, sat on the floor against the wall taking several deep breaths. After he calmed himself, he got up off the floor, washed his face, brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth out. After he finished, he sat back at his desk and began to mentally reflect.....

Joe's POV
What am I gonna do? Just when I thought I was making progress with resuming my therapy sessions with Dr. Moore, I open up to my sweet little wife, had an emotional breakdown and end up having nightmares all over again. The thing is, this particular nightmare not only involved my mom but this time involved my wife. What's bothering me the most was that the asshole who killed my mother was fucking my wife and the fucker was smiling about it. In the meantime, my wife has a blank expression on her face while he's fucking her. I mean what did that mean? Did she enjoy it? It confused me greatly and pissed me off at the same time, pissed me off to the point that I lashed out at her and she didn't deserve it. Now, I'm so ashamed that I can't even face her. Oh what am I gonna do? I get the feeling that if I don't get a handle on my issues, she's gonna cheat on me or leave me or do both, and as I said before, I'll be damned to hell if I let her get away from me, I'll kill a muthafucka about her. But as of right now, I have to make things right with my baby, let her know that I didn't mean to hurt her and I love her with all my heart and soul.

At that moment, Joe went back to the master suite and noticed that Shantelle wasn't there...

"I guess she went downstairs." Joe thought to himself.

Joe then went into their bathroom, stripped down and got in the shower. As the warm water hit his body, he slowly to started to feel better. He still had a headache but he would have some black coffee and dry toast to help with his hangover. When he finished showering, he put on some sweats and tank top and headed downstairs. When he went into the kitchen, he saw his Shantelle. Her back was to him and she was preparing breakfast. He walked up behind her and wrapped his massive arms around her and placed his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm so very sorry my baby. Please forgive me?" Joe said in a low voice.

Shantelle remained quiet for a few seconds, then she took a deep breath and turned his arms to face him..

"Yes baby I forgive you. I just wish you'd open up to me. I'm your wife and I love you and want to help you." Shantelle said, as she wrapped her arms around his neck gazing deeply into Joe's brown eyes.

At that moment, Joe gave Shantelle a passionate kiss which he deepened by forcing her tongue into her mouth. After they finished, Joe caressed her cheek as he continued to gaze into her brown eyes.

"Please baby, help me. I don't want to lose you." Joe said with emotion in his deep voice.

"Baby listen to me. I'm not going anywhere, but you have to let me in. Don't shut me out." She said softly, stroking his handsome face.

"I will baby, just please be patient with me. Ok?" He said.

"Ok my love, just sit down while I get your breakfast. What do you want?" She asked.

"Just some dry toast and a cup of black coffee. I got a hangover." He said, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"I bet, when I came looking for you. I saw all the vodka and gin bottles in the library." She said, shaking her head bringing him the toast and coffee.

"Oh...you saw that huh?" Joe said sheepishly.

"I did...but I understand and I don't love you any less." Shantelle said with a soft smile as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Just then, tears came to Joe's eyes as he gave his wife a watery smile.

"How did I get so lucky? No.....I'm not lucky,  I am truly blessed." Joe said to himself as he sipped his coffee.

TBC
What do you all think about this chapter?
Do you think Joe can get over his issues?
Do you think his nightmare will come to reality?
As always, please comment and vote!