Torin and Summer

Chapter 7 (Summer): Call To Action

"What does that mean?" I asked Torin. "That Bridgette was a person of interest?"

"Someone maybe selling secrets to others."

"A spy?"

He shrugged. "Essentially."

"So that's what you've been doing for the last eighteen months? Why you've been over there all the time, especially in the last year?"

"Yeah. At first it was me keeping my promise to Terry to watch out for Elijah. Then, it was me doing serious information gathering for the agency. Attending plays with her, coaching Elijah's team, going to dinners a few times a week so I could make sure she was out of the house, and other people could get into her house."

"You left off neglecting your wife and saying all sorts of mean shit to her. You may not have had much time for me, what with being so busy with Bridgette and Elijah, but you sure had time to call me crazy and jealous every time I protested, every time I was begging you to spend time with me."

At least he looked ashamed at my accusations, which, really, were just facts. "Frustration, Summer, and that's the truth."

"Whether its frustration or just plain meanness, regardless of the why you said it, it hurt. And now, after a year, you can tell me this because...it's over? Your mysterious employers said hey, go ahead and share with your wife now that she's done with you?"

"You and I are not done, Sum. They have no idea I'm telling you and they wouldn't be happy about that or the fact that I've quit coaching for Elijah's team. But you're done, so I'm done. I'm out of the information gathering business. They originally said five or six months and it's dragged on for a year. I won't keep destroying my marriage for them."

"You were willing to destroy me for too long, Torin. Or do you think your sudden confession negates the hurtful words you've thrown at me over the last year?"

If you'd stop acting like a crazy, jealous woman, if you'd just look at this logically, you'd know I'm just helping her out.

I can't even deal with you.

Your jealousy is making you into someone I don't even know anymore.

You've gone off the deep end. You're so jealous you've lost all compassion for Bridgette and her son.

"No, I don't think that at all. I know I went about it the wrong way, Summer, but I wasn't supposed to let on to you and trying to make you think you were just acting jealous and overreacting was the only way I could figure out around the whole situation. It was wrong, definitely the wrong call, and I wish I'd taken a different approach. Not been so willing to help the agency when it was going to cost me so much and hurt you so much. I was counting on it only being five or six months and you understanding why I'd been doing what I was doing when the job was done and I could tell you everything."

"And when did you realize that wasn't going to happen? That I was so jealous I'd gone off the deep end?"

"I was a shit to you, Summer, and I'm sorry. But to answer your question, I realized when Bridgette showed me your Instagram photo that there was a very good chance I'd lost you and at that point, fuck the agency, I was going to do what I should have been doing all along, and that was making you the top priority in my life."

"Seeing you with her and Elijah, looking like the perfect little family -- you can't imagine what that was like when I was scared, in the hospital and I couldn't get you to answer your damn phone. I'd been putting up with too much for too long, but that was the tipping point."

"You said you had a lawyer. That you wanted a divorce and you wanted me to move out."

"Yes, yes and yes. All of my statements seem pretty straightforward, easy to understand."