Uncompromising (Age Gap, gxg)

Chapter 31

"I don't think Khloe wants to get married anymore," Harlow told me a few days later as we worked out by the pool again. Quinn had to go into the office for a few days, but I was still graced with Harlow's support until the end of the weekend. Even better, the bruises had finally started to fade, and didn't hurt too badly, so I wouldn't have to keep hiding them when I went out in public. Honestly, I didn't do it to protect Elliot, a lot of people already knew he'd been arrested for assault, but I just didn't want to relive that night over and over as people asked me about the bruises.

"Has she said anything about it?" I asked. Harlow had always wanted to be a cute lesbian couple and had U-Hauled with Khloe pretty quickly. If her fiancé didn't want to get married anymore, then that would be a huge blow to her.

"No. Really, it's what she doesn't say. Whenever I try to talk about something as simple as where she'd want to get married, or when, she just shuts me down. She never wants to discuss it at all. Right now, I feel like she's just using me as a place to stay and throwing me some sex once a month to pay for it."

I didn't reply right away. I wasn't really too sure what to say. I remember a few years ago, she had been head over heels for Khloe, and now it seemed like she was being dragged into the dumps. "Do you still want to get married to her?" I paused for a moment before continuing in a softer voice. "Do you still love her?"

She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "I don't know. We spend so little time with each other now, I don't even know what is happening in her life. She's going all over on her flights, but I don't know where she is from one night to the next. We never discuss where she's been like we used to. We used to be so good, but now it's like we're just roommates and that's it. Would it get better if I really did get married to her? Or is this just as good as it gets?"

I shook my head slowly, not knowing what to do here. My heart went out to Harlow, who simply wanted to be happy in a relationship, but it didn't seem like Khloe would be the one. I couldn't remember the last time she'd said something good about the way things were going. "Har, I don't think things will get better just based on your schedules and the way you've been talking about her for months and months. I mean, you started working onsite just because you wanted to get away. Unless you really want to work on things with her, which means staying back there and trying to romance her when she's home, then maybe it's time." I never talked to Khloe. Hell, I only met her once in passing via a video call, so it wasn't like I had her point of view. On the other hand, it didn't seem like she was communicating with Harlow either, and with her not wanting to discuss the wedding plans, maybe she trying to cut strings early for a less painful end? It looked that way to me, but I guess that would require the two of them to talk.

Harlow gulped down the rest of her whiskey, then nodded as she refilled it. "You're probably right." She took another big sip of the drink, then put it down with a thunk. "Maybe two people that travel so much have no chance. Maybe she already met someone else and is stringing me along. Maybe a lot of things." Tears were beginning to pool in her eyes, and I reached across the table to hold her hand. "I just really thought I could have it all."

"You still can, Har. You are an amazing woman, you really are. You'll find your person and have it all."

She shook her head sadly. "How? You already have your kids, and I was hoping to start that soon with Khloe. Now what do I do? I can't start over and still expect to have it all!" Tears were pouring down her face now, and I knelt next to her and wrapped my arms around her. Luckily, my back was feeling better because she just started sobbing against my shoulder.

"Shhhh, you're okay," I cooed. "You still have so much time, and so much to look forward to!" She blubbered for another minute before she finally calmed down, and I rubbed her back the entire time. "There you go, you got this. Har, if you want to have a kid, have a kid. You don't need Khloe for that. Hell, I'd help you if you needed it too!"