Damaged Hearts

Chapter 1

Nicole

   I climb into bed with my freshly washed sheets and turn on my kindle. It's 10:30pm, a lot later than I wish but Audra was giving me trouble tonight. She keeps having bad dreams about Brian getting hurt at work and it's to the point where shes scared of falling asleep. I can't exactly tell a 8 year old there's nothing to be scared of when her father is a cop.

I'm only a few minutes into my book when I hear Brian come home. He went out with some friends after work. He's off tomorrow which I'm looking forward to. Being the chief of police is a busy, time consuming job not just for him but, me too. Sometimes I feel like a single mom doing it all myself. Landon has baseball practice and Audra does dance. Not to mention I work too. I'm a bank teller and I work 9-3 weekdays. It's really a great job when you have kids to get to school in the morning and practice afterwards. Plus I'll never have to miss a game or recital because I'm off weekends.

I hear Brian walking around downstairs for a little too long and decide to go see what he's doing. I round the corner to the kitchen and see him eating out of a bag of Chex mix.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry, I've been drinking."

"Seriously?" I cross my arms at him, observing the fact that he's drunk.

"It's Saturday night."

"Did you drive home?!"

"No. Trent drove me. I'm not an idiot."

"So how are you gonna get your truck back?"

"Tomorrow you'll take me to get it?"

"You're unbelievable. Trent and Cassidy's wedding is next weekend, you couldn't have just waited to get drunk then?!"

"Nope. Why you so pissed about it? Not like I called you to come get me."

"You could've just went, had a beer or two and drove home! But now we have to go deal with that before Landon's baseball game at 8am!" I argue with fire in my veins, he does this all the damn time and I'm so sick of it.

"It's Saturday night, I'm allowed to let lose and have a good time with my buddies after a long week."

"No. You just find any reason to drink, it's fucking ridiculous."

"No it isn't. I enjoy it."

"Well your daughter didn't enjoy not seeing you before bed. She's still terrified!"

"So tell her I was at work."

"Not the point Brian. She needed you tonight and you weren't there."

"Well I needed guy time. Someone's gotta miss out sometimes."

"Okay I can't talk about this anymore. You're drunk and don't even know what you're saying to me right now."

"I'm not drunk! I'm very aware of this conversation right now."

"Gurantee I'll remind me of how rude your being tomorrow and you'll apologize and feel bad just like you always do!" I bark because that's what happens every single time.

"Nope. Not sorry."

"Whatever." I leave and go back up to bed. A few minutes later he comes in to join me. "Please go sleep in the spare bedroom or couch." I tell him because when he's been drinking he snores so loud, sweats and gets touchy. I just want to sleep undisturbed tonight.

"No, you can."

"Huh! You piss me off so much sometimes!" I yell getting out of the bed and grabbing a couple things to take with me to the spare bedroom.