Not Us: Cash & Devin

Chapter 2

Caleb POV

I woke up when I heard mumbling. I had thought I'd heard the shower earlier in the evening. Looking around my room, I didn't see my wife or her pillow. Was she sleeping on the couch? I grabbed my phone and I didn't see any notifications she would have seen. And I've got all the raunchy shit in a text app buried deep in a few folders. There was no way she'd seen anything of that nature. Maybe she was talking to her friends? I got up and peed.

She'd taken a shower. The shower had water droplets on the glass door. Walking down the hall towards the kitchen, I heard my wife say, 'At best, it's an emotional affair. At worst? He's already fucking her. And in the earlier messages, she mentions me. So does he. Even in more recent messages, asking if I've caught on yet.' She knew. I wanted to throw up.

Fuck. I was caught. But I was pissed.

"Hang up the phone, Devin. We're going to talk about what I just heard you say." I demanded, coming into the kitchen so she could see me from where she sat on the couch. I was sure my face was red, pissed as hell that I'd been stupid enough to cheat on my wife, and that I'd gotten caught.

It always comes out in the wash, her grandma used to say. Didn't I know the full meaning of that now?

Her grip around her tightened. This mother fucker. I could see exactly what she was thinking. My fiery little redhead. She let out a dark and humorless chuckle before pinning me with a glare and coldly asking me a few questions.

"Why?" her eyebrows and nostrils flared, her cheeks heating in anger, "Afraid to tarnish that squeaky clean image you have? Or are you going to tell me I didn't find an emotional affair, at best, going on with one of your coworkers?"

"I want to be able to talk about this like adults." I took a breath. She wasn't going to listen to me explain what was going on if she was pissed. I didn't even know what to say to her at this point, to make what I'd done to her even remotely okay.

"Caleb. I don't think you understand. I've told you, for the last six weeks, that I do not like this woman, and her 'friendship' with you," she said, making the air quotes for 'friendship'. I knew she was right, but I still had to explain.

"I can explain."

"But you can't. When I told her I didn't like her flirty tone, I asked you to put a stop to it. That I was uncomfortable with it. You promised! You 'swore' it she was 'just a coworker'. Remember that? That fight we had in our bedroom because I'd seen the message whilst we were cuddled up, post-sex?" I dropped my head, completely ashamed at that reminder that I did, indeed try to defend my 'friendship' with this woman, after having sex with my wife. What she didn't need to know was that Becky had gotten me so worked up and that's why I needed her right then. "Then, you missed our date night last week? Did you not notice? You went out with coworkers with your arms around her! How am I supposed to take this? Hmm?"

I didn't say anything when she said that last statement, I knew there was nothing I could say. I was fucking up left and right with my wife.

"I love you both, I'll see you bright and early Eddie." she hung up the phone with who I can only assume was one or both of her best friends. I already knew I was screwed. There was no way she'd forgive me.

"Can I please have a chance to say something?"

She stuck me with a glare, as cold and frigid as Antarctica. Taking a deep breath, closed my eyes and thought of what to say. I know I can do this. I can pitch it so I have a chance to call off the affair before it goes further. I'd just been kissing at the office and when we were out with colleagues. I've never taken it further.

"She is a colleague. One I did not realize I was going into murky waters with,"

"You didn't realize?!" she interrupted, looking like she'd just smelt something foul. Which, with her being a doctor? That was saying something.

"We started getting closer, spending more time together on projects. I'm sorry. We've also kissed. Twice. But it's never gone further. I swear." I looked her in the eye as I admitted to touching another woman, "And it never will. I'll block her now. On all social media platforms. I'll delete mine too. I will also block her on the messaging app and on my phone. I swear. I will fix this." I made a move toward her. She stiffened, so I stopped where I was at the entrance to the living room. "I want to do individual therapy and couples therapy. Please," I got down on my knees. I hung my head in shame. Because I was shameful. Cheating on my perfect wife. "Even though I don't deserve another chance, please give me one. I will never let you down again. I swear it."

She just stared at me. Not saying anything. Her eyes looked dull, but glassy. She'd been crying. I probably just put the final nail in my coffin by telling her I'd kissed another woman, but I didn't want to hide anything. I wanted to fix this. I wanted her to know that she was the only one for me. Honesty was the only way. If she gives me a chance, maybe we can re-evaluate where we are again after the holidays.

"I need to think about it. But I swear to the almighty. You do a single thing that with that woman that wouldn't do in front of me, I'm done. I refuse to fight for a man I never should have had to fight for in the first place. Just know that."

I nodded.

"Eddie and Emilia will also know about this. But not my parents. Not until I know what we're doing. Because I'll be honest, it's not looking good for you at the moment." She looked away from me. I hated this distance I hadn't realized was almost as big as the fucking Grand Canyon. And all because I'd prioritized another woman over my wife. I'd missed date night with her. I never missed date night. Not in all the years we'd been together. But definitely not since we'd been married. Six months of the best time of my life.

"Good. More people are checking in on me. Who do you want me to tell on my side so I have people on my side keeping an eye out?" I asked as I pulled my phone from the pocket of my pajama pants. I showed her the screen as I went in and deleted all of the texts, the messaging app, all my social media, and then into my contact list to block Becky. She watched intently as I completed my list of immediate tasks by blocking her. But I stopped short. "I'm going to call her in front of you. Tell her we're done. So, you know that's been taken care of." I waited to see what she would do. If she thought it was a good idea or not.

"Tell your mom after you call your AP and break it off with her. Tell her on the phone with me." I nodded as I hit the call button.

"Hey, handsome." She attempted to purr into the phone. I don't know why I never noticed how unattractive that sounded.

"Listen, Becky, I know I've said before that we're done, that it never should have gone as far as it has, but I mean it. We're done. I'm done. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep going behind Devin's back like this. She means the world to me. I'm going to work on my marriage."

"Are you sure you're done? Do you really think your wife will stay with you if I contact her?"

"Yes. I do. We had a long talk when she got home. We're both going to counseling and working on our marriage. I want to be with her."

I could hear her sigh, and then sniffle.

"A-a-alright," she stammered, sounding like she was choking on her words. I felt bad for this. For breaking her heart like this. I knew she loved me. She told me often.

But I love Devin.

"Goodbye, Becky."

And I hung up. I felt a twinge of guilt in me for not doing this face-to-face, but I also knew that I'd be weak with her. I blocked her number. Then I sent a message to work, asking to not work with her anymore, citing a disagreement from work that we couldn't seem to work through. I was hoping they'd assign one of us to a new team.

Really, I wanted her on a new team.

"Thank you. But I'll be watching," my wife said as she rolled over on the couch. I turned off all the lights, plugged in her charger from her bag, and put the one from our room in her bag so she'd have one at work. Just in case.

She was always prepared. Except for me breaking her heart.

Now, to win my wife back.