8 Weeks

Chapter Five

Chapter 5 -Cal

I dropped to my knees after she walked out the door. I'm not sure how long I stayed there, staring at the closed door, willing it to open again and to have Shelly walk back in. It never did.

When I got up and walked around the dining room, followed by the kitchen, my stomach clenched at the effort she'd put into the evening. I could feel the love and happiness that had gone into the planning and execution of our anniversary celebration, and it killed me that I'd ruined all of it.

I walked back to our bedroom and sat on the bed. As I stared at Shelly's open drawers, I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and dialedScott.

"'Lo," he said after one ring.

"She left," I said simply.

"I'm on my way," Scott said. I could hear his keys jingling as he hung up the phone.

Scott had been my best friend since the moment we both rode up on our Huffy bikes on the first day of sixth grade. We could count on each other in good times and bad, and he was the only person other than Shelly that I could go to when I needed to talk.

I thought about the look on her face when she realized what I was about to confess. I never wanted to put that look on her face, and I was torn apart that I had.

The first time I saw Shelly, my initial thoughts were not of marriage. I was sixteen years old, and she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen.Her green eyes made her entire face light up, her long brown hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, and her body was to die for.I wanted her. Badly. It was that simple.

"Dibs," I'd called out to Scott and TJ when I saw her. They'd both followed my gaze and TJ'd replied, "Shit ... She's fine."

I don't know where I'd gotten the courage, but I walked right up to her and started talking. I'd asked her out for that weekend, and she'd said yes. We'd been together ever since, and I'd never wanted anyone else. This was why I found it unfathomable, that no matter how wasted I was, I would've cheated on her. I just couldn't believe it.

"Cal," Scott yelled from somewhere in the house.

"Back here,"I responded.

"Dude, what's up with the spread?" Scott asked as he walked in.

"It's our six-year wedding anniversary," I responded miserably.

"Fuck. Iforgot."

I nodded,then looked up at him and repeated what I'd told him earlier on the phone. "She left. She wouldn't stay and talk about it."

"Bro, I'm so sorry. I'm sure she's hurt right now. Give her some space, and then explain everything. Beg. Grovel. Whatever you have to do. It's you and Shel, man, you'll work it out."

"You think?"I asked, hopeful.

But he hadn't seen how I'd crushed her.

I shook my head.

"I don't know. It's a pretty unforgivable thing."

"Hey, if anyone can get past this, it's you guys. Just give her some time and then do whatever you have to do to make it right."

"I don't want to be here," I said, looking around our bedroom. Shelly had taken such care to make our home special, and there were reminders of us everywhere.

"C'mon,"Scott said, gesturing toward the door. "You can crash at my place as long as you want."

"Thanks,man," I said as I rose from the bed.

I grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt, along with my work clothes, and threw them in a bag, then I went into the bathroom and got what I'd need for a couple days.

When I walked into the kitchen, Scott was putting everything away.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Just trying to help out. I didn't want either of you to have to come home to a mess that would remind you of today."

That's why he was my best friend. I could always fucking count on him.

"Thanks,man." I clapped him on the back, then started clearing the table.

We were done a few minutes later and headed out the door. I followed him in myMustang, since I'd need it to get to work in the morning.

I worked in a garage with TJ; we had worked there since our senior year of high school. Neither of us were the type of guys to go to college and get some big business job; we left that to Scott. We were more than happy to be turning wrenches and coming home dirty every night.

I loved the feeling of fixing something that was thought to be broken. I even enjoyed the mundane tasks, like changing oil and rotating tires.

Shelly had always been proud of my work, just like I was proud of her work at the bank. We were happy. At least we were. Now I didn't know what was going to happen, and that scared me.

Our future had always seemed predestined. We met in high school, got married, and focused on our work and our life together. Now that we were both pretty established at our jobs, we had been talking about starting a family. It was perfect.

I felt lost,and not just a little afraid. I couldn't imagine a future withoutShelly in it. I didn't want to.

I knew that I had to do whatever I possibly could to get her back. She had to listen to me, and she had to forgive me. There just wasn't any other alternative.

We were meant to be together.