Her vision became blurry, her heart started to pick up, and her throat went dry. Holy fuck. She let her phone fall to the floor as Morgan suddenly watched with concern, "Laney are you okay?".
As he picked up the phone, Laney took a step back in silence with her eyes teared up. Did he cheat again? She turned around and ran out the door, making Bean shoot up from the golf cart and Morgan run out.
"What's going on?" Bean sternly asked.
"Laney I'm sorry I should have-"
"You knew?" she dryly chuckled turning around before approaching the cart, "YOU FUCKING KNEW ABOUT THE KID?". Taking the bottle from the golf cart, she splashed it all over him before chucking it at him.
"You are a piece of shit for that. Bean, take me to the airport," Laney cried as Bean looked in between them two.
"Laney are you sure?" Bean asked pushing Morgan to the floor as he tried to touch her.
"What the fuck man?" Morgan said fumbling to the ground.
Bean got in the golf cart and drove off with Laney trying to hide her tears but being emotionless due to pure shock.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that," Bean said, "I'm sure he wasn't trying to hurt you... Laney you should stay".
She sat in silence as he looked over at her and sighed, "I'm saying this because I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. You're his real deal".
"What else don't I know Bean?" she coldly asked as they switched to the car.
"Laney I don't know what he has or hasn't told you-"
"Well think. I'm serious. Because to get cheated on TWICE?" she scoffed, "He is going to get ripped a fucking new one and I'm never looking back".
"He didn't cheat... maybe I'm saying too much. The kid has been here before you... it's just... they broke up and it went bad. Rekindled a few months before you came in and it got serious and well..." Bean cautiously crafted his words.
Laney stayed silent for a moment before speaking, "I need to go home. I think that this was a mistake, I should have never come".
She was left to think in her own thoughts playing devil's advocate. So he didn't cheat... but he hid this. So what else is he hiding? Why wouldn't he have told her all this time? Is this worth it? Should she stay? Is it quitting time?
"Take me to the hotel," she quickly said, "I need my stuff and to book my flight".
Bean just nodded as they rode in silence. The best years of her life were getting ripped away and her kindness was being used and abused by the one she loved most. It was too perfect after all. As the moonlight shone on the cornfields, she couldn't help but just think of drinking her problems away for a night. Would that be the worst thing?
It wasn't healthy but she would be more miserable being stuck on a flight and being stuck at an airport sober. She also just felt immense emptiness and confusion. It was no longer feelings of sadness but anger, why wouldn't he have told her? She had been nothing but supportive at all times. Why wouldn't he have brought a kid up this late?
These were all questions she wished she could've just asked in that moment. As the wheels of the car hit the dirt road and the AirBnb came back in sight, a pang of sadness radiated through her body once more. The last night was a fairytale.
She knew one person who would think rationally: Lauren. As she dialed the number, she got out of the car and looked at Bean, "I'll text you".
"So we aren't going to the airport?".
Leaving him with no answer, she walked into the Airbnb as Laurens's voice replaced the ringing noise, "Hello?".
"He never told me he had a kid. I learned from a headline and Bean said he didn't cheat," Laney spoke.
"What did Morgan say?"
"I threw a bottle at him and a drink at him. I may be coming home. I don't know what to do," Laney's voice cracked in desperation.
Lauren sighed, "Laney... I wish I could help you. But this is one you need to think about with your heart".
"Has Thomas ever done this?"
"Lie about a kid? No. Have I questioned a lot? Yes," Lauren replied.
"Thanks"
"Of course, keep me updated," Lauren said before hanging up.
Laney went into the bathroom and splashed her face with some cold water from the sink. Staring at her reflection she looked at what she had become: a mess. Taking a deep breath, she patted her face dry while thinking of what to do. They lived together. All of her stuff was at his and she wasn't sure if she wanted to call it, in fact, she wasn't sure about anything at all.
Going to the fridge, she grabbed the bottle of wine the pair had never opened from last night and proceeded to drink from the bottle as she changed into sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It was his sweatshirt but that didn't matter to her right now. As she put her hair in a bun, she heard her phone ring.
But she let it go to voicemail as she put her phone on Do Not Disturb and turned on the TV and opened up Spotify. A bottle of wine in hand and her playlist on the TV was enough. As Taylor Swift poured through the speakers of the house, she sat on the couch drinking her red wine.
The door suddenly slammed open making Laney whip her head around and jump a little making the wine spill to see Morgan. She sighed as the door closed and he let out a deep breath of relief.
"Laney I'm sorry. I love you so much and it was before you were in the picture. I would never cheat on you again. I should have told you but I didn't want to scare you off and I should have told you. There was no perfect time for me to tell you but I have been thinking about it, more than ever. She has a new beau and I don't even care about her except as a mother to my kid maybe but she doesn't let me see him. I love you. I love you so much and I need you. I would never try to hurt you. Ask Bean I swear, I tell everyone how much I love you," he said with tears in his eyes as he stood in front of her, "Please do not leave".
She blinked in silence just staring at him.
"Say something," he croaked.
She put her hand up to shush him and he just stared.
"I want a break," she said getting up from the couch as a tear slipped her eye.
His face turned pale as he tried to collect himself, his emotions switched from sad to upset, "A what?".
"A break. Where we don't see each other, where we see other people if we want, where we have time for ourselves," she stated.
"Breaking up?"
"Sure. I don't deserve this. I deserve to be happy in whatever way that finds me," she sipped out the bottle.
"Laney... you want to throw this out?" he gestured between the two of them.
She stayed silent and thought about it, "No. I love you but I don't trust you. I don't know what else you haven't told me".
"I promise nothing. Please don't leave," he said.
"Morgan I need to go back to my apartment and recoup. This is a lot. We can be on a break and that's the only way this will work. Take it or leave it," Laney sighed emotionless.
He nodded, "I love you. Please don't take your things from mine. Not yet... I'm going to prove myself".
As she zipped up her bag, she stayed quiet trying to think about if she left anything. She was more calm and sadder than angry, but she knew that this was the right thing to do.
"This is the right thing to do for us. Have so much fun in Chicago," she said.
As she began to walk he grabbed her hand, "When will I see you again?".
That was something even she didn't have an answer to, and something that she didn't even think about. As she walked out the door, she could feel his stare burning into her back but refused to turn. She had just left him in a cloud of dust with no plans except to go home and focus on her, whether or not he would wait.
