White Lies

Chapter 33

Rory promised Happy she'd go back home, but she didn't say when. Returning to the house late the next night she found him outback with an open bottle of Jack Daniels and a blunt dangling between his lips.

"Jesus, Ror, where you been?" Shooting to his feet, Happy gripped Rory's shoulders and, after hugging her tight, gave her a quick shake. "I called you, don't fucking do that shit. Emma was scared something happened to you."

"Just Em?" She asked, her blonde hair tickling her back as he moved her back and forth.

Happy cursed under his breath and dropped the blunt into his ashtray. "I was too," he admitted easily. "Plus, Lowen called, said we have a hearing in two weeks to finalize the divorce and go over the child support shit." He had an agenda and, now knowing she was safe, Happy dove right in. Rory knew right away that was what he was doing.

"Will you be there?" She asked skeptically.

"I don't have a choice."

Rory nodded, "No, you don't." Shoving him violently into the back of the house her eyes glimmered in the patio light. "The whole you not having a choice thing, it's fun. It's kind of how I felt when I had to make that decision."

His body tensed as she kissed him, roughly, a strange look in her eyes. "Rory," he pushed her back. "What is wrong with you? What's going on? You're acting fucking crazy."

His tone startled her, forcing her to step back physically and mentally, and Rory began to cry. "I don't know." She stammered. "I feel insane Hap. Ever since we lost Liv, I just can't feel right, nothing is right."

"Come here." He pulled her closer again even as she struggled against him. "Me too," he admitted in a whisper, which was muffled by her hair. "That's why I need you here with me."

"You really need me?" She looked up at him, more vulnerable than she had ever been, and saw such emotion in his eyes. Simply nodding, Happy cupped her cheeks and kissed her. "I can't be married to you, Happy." She spoke softly, her lips still wet from their kiss. "After what happened, the vows we took, the divorce has to happen."

"Alright," he took his hands off and walked backward but kept his intense eyes on hers.

"But I need you to help me; I need you around, Hap." She moved toward him. "I love you and I'm a Lowman, like you wanted, I don't plan on changing it back, but I can't do this marriage. It's broken, it can't be fixed but we can be fixed."

Squinting as he looked at her, Happy understood what she saying and he wholeheartedly supported her, understanding exactly what she wanted. He wanted it too.

"I want that."

Rory looked away as hot tears rolled down her face. "Me too." On her left hand, she had slipped her wedding band and engagement ring on again. "I hate it but I am so hopeless, I love you. I'm committed to you, always have been, I just need to know you won't do this again. Look at what it did to us. Please, swear you won't do it again, Happy."

"I won't," even though his voice was soft, his body was rigid. "I never wanted this shit to happen, I can't lose you Ror."

She nodded, her head down, and shuffled her feet nervously. "We fix us," she whispered, "I'll still be your old lady, Mrs. Lowman too, technically, but I can't be married to you, that's been ruined."

"Jesus." Snaking his arms around her waist, Happy lifted Rory easily and pressed her body against his. He kissed her, ardently, but Rory wriggled out of his grip.

"I'm not having sex with you right now," it was clear and Happy didn't question her. "And, if we're going to do this, you should know I'm going back to work with Parker."

"No," Happy snapped and instantly regretted pardoning him. "After what he did, there's no trusting him."

Rory's eyebrows crept up her forehead. "After what he did there's no trusting him? Second, chances Hap, you're on your third and final one maybe you should be kinder. He didn't give the cops anything; he kept us as safe as he could. I need to work, get out all this aggression, it's happening."

How could he refuse? Happy's guilt was forcing him to make decisions he was far from comfortable with but he knew he had to in order to keep her. "Fine," he grumbled, a low roar accompanying the word out of his mouth.

"Thank you," she sniffled. "I still feel nuts. My heart hurts, Hap, it won't stop."

"I know." He scooped her up and placed her on the edge of the patio table. "Here," he stuck the blunt in her mouth. "It'll calm you down and help you sleep."

"Tell me you love me, Happy." Weak and beaten down, Rory looked to Happy for some validation, for a sign that she was doing the right thing.

"I love you," he said with a new kind of fire in his usually raspy voice. "Whatever the fuck you did to me, I love it and I love our little fucked up family."

"Our family isn't fucked up," She took a drag and handed him the blunt. "We are, yeah, but our kids are perfect." They both knew Emma faced challenges but she was no less incredible, without flaws, in their eyes.

"So we're doing it," he said firmly. "Guess I should tell you."

"Tell me what?" She was instantly furious. "Happy Lowman," she called after him as he bolted into the house. "I swear to Christ I'm going to fucking rip your dick off." She was quieted as he returned with an adorably goofy puppy galloping behind him. "You didn't," she dropped to her knees and scooped the brindle and white Boxer into her arms. "He's adorable, Hap."

"Thought it would make her happy," he explained. "I just want my girls to be happy."

"Does he make her happy?"

"A little bit," he chuckled. "Fucking Juice found a bunch of puppies in some box just tossed away. A couple of us kept some."

"What's his name?"

"I wanted Killer, something tough, but Ems picked Chomper."

Rory giggled and looked at the pup to see his obvious under bite. "Cause of the teeth?"

"Yeah," he dropped down beside her on the grass.

"We're really doing this, right? I need you Hap, but I can't say I trust you fully."

"I'm not gonna fuck up again, Rory. I love you."

She nodded, both of them petting the dog together, and smiled at him. "I love you too and if you feel the urge to stray just remember, I will kill you if you do it again."

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The end!! The next story, Bad Moon Rising, is up! Go check it out! Thanks for everything! Xoxo