Life continued, and he started keeping the twins overnight. He stayed with Ed and Marie because it seemed easier. They had the cribs and the high chairs.
He received another raise. He couldn't live in his old bedroom at his mother's apartment forever. Meanwhile, he was busier than ever at work. He had started his doctoral program, and his study was showing promising results.
He found out about the apartment by accident. He had quit Mario's, but ate there more than was good for him.
Mario always greeted when he came in. "Peter, back again."
"Don't act so glad to see me."
The customer behind him in line said, "You must come a lot."
"I slaved back there for eight years, I should get treated like royalty."
He sat at a table next to that customer and his daughter. When he saw Dads with their kids, he always thought divorce. He was a big guy, not fat just a lot of muscles and his daughter was petite with red hair. She looked too young for high school, which answered his automatic question, did she know Megan? He ate his eggplant parmesan sandwich with nothing to do, but to listen to the other customers.
The man said, "Lynn and Will are moving out. I'll need to place a new ad. They were good tenants."
Peter weighed his needs with admitting he was eavesdropping. Finally, he said, "Sorry, but I overheard. Do you have an apartment?" He watched as the large man looked him up and down. "Don't worry, I have a real job. This was just part time."
He nodded and explained about his apartment and when it would be available.
Peter asked if he could see it and they exchanged names and numbers. John promised to call him.
John called on Saturday morning and asked if he could stop by. Peter asked if he could come before lunch. He could have waited until nap, but he didn't want Megan to find out he left the twins. He fought for them and he wouldn't use his in-laws as babysitters. It was bad enough he used their house.
He arrived at the well-kept old house and rang the doorbell with the two-year-olds at his side. John looked at him and then looked down.
"Meet Sophie and Nick, I have them every weekend."
"Come on up then," John said and then called, "Victoria come and see."
Victoria came from the door on the first floor and immediately smiled at the twins.
Both clung to his pant leg, but Sophie was eyeing Victoria curiously. The apartment was perfect aside from the stairs. They went downstairs and John discussed rent and particulars. They had an agreement, and Peter eyeing the newspaper asked if he could look at it. When he looked at the sports section, he shook his head.
John said, "They lost last night. They couldn't get the offense going."
"They had plenty a few nights ago."
They talked about baseball, as the twins, still attached to his leg, were smiling at Victoria. A cat jumped down and ran across the floor. Nick said, "Kitty."
Both of them ran after the cat. That ended the sports talk as Peter scooped them up. "It's almost lunchtime."
He left feeling good about things for the first time in a long time.
That summer, he was in his apartment, but spent his weekends on The Point. He had met Dan and Kristi and became friends. Kristi resisted warming up to him, because she was friends with Megan. He wondered what she knew about him until one day she came right out and asked, "What happened with you two?"
"What has she told you?"
"Nothing. She refuses to talk about it."
"Irreconcilable differences."
They had differences in what happened that night and because she refused they couldn't reconcile them.
"You're no better than she is." Kristi sighed disappointed.
It was over a year and a half before Peter was in the same room as Megan. Megan called him out of the blue. Her voice was strained. "Nick keeps having ear infections. The doctor thinks he needs tubes."
"Tubes?" Peter didn't know a lot about child ailments. It was seven at night, and he was still working.
"Google it. He's going to the ENT to discuss the procedure. Do you want to come?"
"Do we need to make a decision?"
"Technically, although the doctors know best."
"I'll let you know. Bye." He hung up before she said anything else. Her call had rattled him. He was doing fine but hearing her voice brought back all the memories.
It was the next night that he met John after work for a drink and ended up in a stranger's bed. It was his first time since Megan. She had auburn hair, but not as beautiful and she didn't have freckles. He had a hole inside and thought sex would fill it. He must have tried it three or four more times and the hole kept getting bigger.
With the last one, he broke his personal rule and invited her over. The sex was okay, but he made her leave after it. She came back again looking for more. She liked to drink and reminded him of Harmony which scared him. He told her he couldn't see her on Saturday nights.
One Saturday night, she showed up drunk and insisted on knowing what he was hiding from her. Drunk and jealous were a bad mixture. He called John and asked him to come up the backstairs and get the twins. He and Victoria had to wake them.
When Peter let her in she was angry and threw a hard-covered book at him, but just missed him and his flat screen. He called the police. She went into custody without a fight, and he filed a restraining order. He had learned his lesson. Some guys brag about notches on their belt. He'd have five, and that thought made him sick thinking only one was love. The only one he wanted, he couldn't have.
He had to text her about the psycho and the restraining order. He promised her the twins were always safe. It mortified him because he proved to her he was everything she thought.
Nick's tube procedure occurred after the drama. So sitting with her while their son was under anesthesia was awkward. He could tell she was anxious and wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how to without touching her.
He looked at the newspaper and commented on the front page. She responded and they had their first conversation in years. It involved politics, but it helped keep their minds off Nick.
When they were told that it was over and Nick was coming around, she smiled and he felt like his heart was shattering again. He was unnerved, so he left and rushed back to work.
After that she was less inclined to follow the rules. She started using him to watch them when she had to work late. They spoke, but they kept it all about the kids. The older Nick and Sophie got it required more coordination. In preschool they started soccer and other activities. By kindergarten, their weekends were full. There were even after school practices that Peter would help with when he could.
Peter never stopped loving Megan and was waiting for a change. He wasn't sure what exactly, but seeing Evan come out of her house was not the change he expected.
YOU ARE READING
Shattered Hearts (TP1)
Romance(Complete) Peter isn't prepared for the reality of another man spending the night with his ex. He should be, but his heart has never let her go. Peter, who was abandoned by his father as a young boy, will do anything for his kids. He won't stop unt...
