Falling Apart

Chapter 59

"Oh my god." I squint to see if it's really her. It is. I'd know that face anywhere. "Katherine!" I yell and run to her car. Her head is leaned up against the window and her face looks horrified. When she sees me her crying worsens, and somehow it's heard from out here even with the loud rain all around me.

I run to the other side of the car and get into the passenger seat before she can lock me out. I slam the door shut and I'm in, next to her. "Oh my god, baby, tell me what's wrong." I bring my hand to her shoulder but she jerks away from my touch. Her stomach has gotten much bigger than the last time I saw her, and it makes me feel even worse that both her and the baby have been alone for months.

"Get out! Get out!" She screams, punching at my arm but I don't budge. She just has to get out all of her anger and then she'll want to talk to me.

"No, no just...just keep hitting me." I tell her but she stops and just cries. I watch her in horror, not knowing at all what to do.

"You need to get out! Just please! Please leave!" She cries more and there's no sign of when she'll stop.

"No, I'm not going to leave you again. I'm done being stupid, okay? I'm here now."

"Stop! Just stop, I don't need you any more! You're too late. You're here too late. Where were you for the past two months, David? That was when I needed you, not now. Just go!" She yells and slams her small fist against the wheel.

Everything she's saying is true, and I promised myself I'd never leave her. I hate that I did and I hate how long it took for me to come back. I hate that it took Will to get me to her and I hate the way I feel right now. "Katherine, please. Let's just get a room and we can talk about this."

"No, no. Leave. Now." She demands. Her crying has stopped now and she's just looking at me with these foreign, empty eyes. I'd take the crying over this lifeless version of herself anyway, but now I know she's serious.

"I'm... I'm sorry." I tell her before climbing out of the car and running back inside of mine. I don't get a room, I don't leave the hotel, I just sit and wait. I'm not sure what I'm waiting for but when the sun comes up in a few hours, it'll be a new day.

An hour goes by and I still haven't managed to fall asleep. The late night talk shows on the radio have been keeping me up, along with the idea that Katherine must be thinking of ways to kill me right about now. The rain has lightened up, and I'm starting to think this hotel is abandoned despite the open sign, because there's no one else here. I look over to Katherine's car and notice that she's sleeping.

Her head is face down and she's leaning against the window. It's nearly four in the morning now and I don't know whether to get a room or not. My body makes a choice of its own as I walk inside the lobby. I have to wake the man behind the desk up for him to give me a key to one of the rooms nearby. I make my way back to Katherine's car, not caring how much she'll yell at me in the morning.

I carefully open her door and pick up her sleeping body. I can't help but fall in love with the way her arms automatically wrap around my neck for support, but I contain myself to getting to the room. She stirs a little and lifts her head, but she's tired enough to rest her heavy head back into my chest. I unravel the covers and gently let her down onto the bed, covering her in blankets. The next four hours are spent watching her sleep, breathe, and anticipating the yelling to come.

Katherine's POV

"Dad! Daddy, jump me higher!" I yelled with joy. We had just gotten a new trampoline and I loved everything about it. The fresh smell, the bright blue color, and the overwhelming sense of happiness that could distract me for a few hours were just a few of the things I loved about my new trampoline.