Butchered Beasts 1: Darren & EJ

Chapter 6

EJ POV

After having Hunter help when she wasn't at class or study group the last two days have been wonderful. She's been in the office studying while I cleaned up dinner after getting the tiny terrors to bed. Patrick has said he wants to try couples therapy so we can 'give us a shot' and frankly, I don't want to. My lawyer said it would be the smart thing to do in the divorce. Show that I'm open to getting help, to make the effort. I told my lawyer to keep the divorce papers on hand because I was done. I'll do the therapy to make me look better in court, but I have no desire to try anymore. I'd been working so hard to get him to open up to me for months! This is not all on me.

I had finished my homework for the week and submitted it all last night. Tonight, probably most of the night if I'm honest, will be spent working on the design for the addition and back patio. I talked with my dad (my bio dad), and he sent me a few mock-ups he did. 

Checking my email on my phone, they were there. There were four of them for me to choose from. I knew he was already in bed by now, and that I wouldn't be able to reach him the rest of the night. But I knew he'd be there early tomorrow. This meant I had to be there early to review my modifications with him. Because I would most definitely be modifying these. My stepdad would be there too. Especially since we planned to work on it in our spare time, and he technically owned the property until I could buy it from him. Either way, this would be a wonderful thing for me and my kids. Just as I'm heading to the office to start looking at the different designs my dad sent me, my phone rings. I see my Father-In-Law's name.

"Hello Dan. How are things?"

"Well, they could be better. I've got him to agree to rehab. I just got him back to the house. He needs a week or so to get his affairs in order before going in. He's packing a bag and coming to stay with me so you guys can move out comfortably. They'll be giving him therapy while he's in there too. He's a mess."

I quickly walked to the office, closing the door behind me as I hear his footsteps upstairs. I stayed quiet, partly because I didn't know if he was done, partly because I didn't want Patrick to hear me talking, and partly because I didn't know what to say. I'd shut emotions off for the time being, because I needed to be strong for my kids. I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me while I was trying to start a new life for me and my children away from their dad, who became a stranger to us. I needed to be logical.

"I'm happy he's getting help, Dan. I just don't know how it's all supposed to go. He literally tried to bring a woman into my home and fuck her. Sorry for my crass language, but it's what happened. He's also on all kinds of dating apps, OF. Not to mention his drinking and spending is out of control."

"Yeah. He opened up about the stuff he's been doing."

"I will not stay with someone who tries to bring other women into my home. With my children present."

"Yeah. Just give him a chance to get through therapy before you leave him, okay?"

"I won't make any promises, Dan. I've already started looking for a home to move into, closer to my family."

"Alright. Well, he'll be gone for three months once I get him in there. Workin' on himself."

"I wish him the best. I've got to get going though. I have homework I need to get done," I said quietly, opening the door of my office when I heard the front door closing. I didn't want to bother Hunter if she was studying in here or if she was in the middle of a study group via Zoom, so I slipped out to end the conversation and lock the door.

"Alright. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Dan."

I hung up the phone as I checked the locks. which were actually locked. And not by me. Did he remember? I turned around and went back to my office, and sat down behind my desk, heaving a huge sigh that it felt as if I had just taken a literal fifty-pound weight off my shoulders. Resting my head in my hands, I closed my eyes. I needed a moment. The weight of that phone call, while it was a relief getting off the phone with Dan, it killed me that I was actually ending my marriage. Patrick had been distant for months. He'd been 'going out with the guys' more and more. And 'the guys' were so tight, there's no way they'd tell me if he'd been sleeping with other women. Since I'd had to sneak onto his phone to somehow try to gather evidence, it should be obvious they never told me anything.

I stupidly thought these men were my friends too. I'd been with Patrick for just over ten years. I'd known them the whole time. Their wives and girlfriends became my friends too. So, I thought. But as soon as things started going downhill with him, there were only two girls from the group who still spoke to me and checked on the kids and me. One was a childhood friend of mine, and the other clearly didn't give a shit if it would piss her husband off. They've been checking in with me at least twice a week, checking to see how I'm doing with school and therapy and how the kids are doing.

Shaking my head, I turned on my computer, put my noise-canceling headphones on, and got to work. It was going to be a late night. I kept taking my headphones off every few minutes to make sure the kids were still sleeping and didn't need me. I'd managed to successfully combine everything I wanted for the rough outline of what I wanted for the addition. If you're looking at the back of the house, there's a sliding door in the kitchen that needs taken out, and replaced because it opened up where I tree was growing in the middle of the back patio. Which I love, and don't want to cut down. So, we had to fix that, by moving it over about a foot. Then we'd add on an extra, hopefully, twenty to twenty-five feet of house. In that extra twenty to twenty-five feet, I was going to extend the patio over so we could just come up the back patio, and be able to come into the 'mudroom/kitchen' which would be part of the addition. It would make the kitchen a little bigger, but it would also be a spot for the kids to kick off their shoes, coats, backpacks, whatever. It would hold the washer and dryer for me also.

I added a pocket door that opens up to the back of the master bathroom. It's nothing huge or fancy. It will have a bath/shower and a double sink because I have a feeling one of the kids or both of the kids will want to get ready with me. And the toilet is off in its own little room. Nothing crazy. Through another door is my bedroom. It will have a king-sized bed, and I'll be ordering a closet system from Ikea. Very minimalist.

The upstairs portion of the addition makes both of the upstairs bathrooms bigger and adds a 'playroom' and a smaller full bathroom upstairs for the kids. That way they have their own area to be when they're growing up. I know I'll be adding desks into their rooms so they can do homework, but that's a 'later down the road' type of thing. I want this to be a fun playroom for them. I'll be making sure there are some big windows to give ample natural light. Both upstairs and downstairs. I love natural light. I've also indicated where I want the security cameras set up around the property.

I'm a single woman living alone with two kids. That's like asking for trouble if I don't have some sort of security system in place. I'm going back over the design and prints when I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump only a couple of miles in the air.

"This is awesome," Hunter mumbles into my ear, leaning over my shoulder. "You designed this?"

"I took different ideas my dad sent over and combined the ones I like."

"What's the upstairs look like?" I clicked on the next screen, and she looked over every inch of the design. "This is amazing. I think if it gets approved, the kids will love it. It's the perfect house for you guys." I smiled at her compliment.

"I think so. Hopefully, we get approved tomorrow. Will you be coming with the kids and me tomorrow?" I smiled at her, hoping she'd come to see the house with us.

"Technically it's today." My face dropped. Oh no. We don't play those games.

"We haven't been to bed yet. It's still tomorrow."

"We have to meet everyone in," she paused, looking at her watch, "twelve hours."

"Yeah. And our dad and my dad will be there early, so we really only have about eleven hours until we need to meet them."

Time for bed. And hopefully, I get the green light to start my projects. I can't wait to meet the crew that will be helping me get my perfect little house for us.