Broken Halves

Chapter Forty-Two

POV: Dani

I awake the next morning on the couch with Jorden laying beneath me. He is breathing deeply, but I can tell as I begin to pull away that his eyes are puffy and his cheeks streaked from the time he spent crying last night. I know he is experiencing heartbreak, and my own heart aches that I do not know how to properly soothe him through his pain.

"What time is it?" I hear Jorden's deep morning voice, hoarse from his constant sobs, break the tranquility of the morning. Shifting my eyes to the right I catch sight of the wooden clock on the wall and gasp when I realize it is well past noon.

"Four." My own voice is shaky from my own shed tears. Jorden grunts and finally opens his eyes. His beautiful blue irises are bloodshot and it takes everything in me to not lean down and gently kiss the deep purple bags under his eyes. I swallow deeply before releasing a watery sigh.

The borderline romantic relationship Jorden and I were balancing must officially end. Despite the fact that he chose me, this pack, over the girl of his dreams, there is still another woman out there. If last night taught me anything it is that I placed Jorden on too high of a pedestal. I shouldn't have expected him to fill Cole's shoes, he is not Cole and it is not his responsibility to be my life partner.

Swallowing deeply I watch as Jorden sits up, swinging his feet onto the floor as he runs his hands through his hair in an attempt to look more presentable. His feet collide with the empty whiskey bottles on the floor and I am reminded that we spent the night drinking both of our sorrows away. Jorden winces as he bends down to pick up and bottle and runs his thumb over it gingerly.

"I promised Cole years ago that I'd stop drowning my sorrows in alcohol." His words surprise me, catching me off guard mid-stretch. Dropping my arms back down to my sides as I gently toe around another empty bottle before clearing my throat and speaking.

"I didn't realize that you had a problem." Jorden's lips twitch upwards into a light smirk but both he and I can tell it's forced. He places the bottle down on our coffee table before turning to me, his eyes however not meeting my own,

"After Angelica, I was known for sneaking alcohol out of Granddad's liquor cabinet. Cole found me one night two drinks shy of putting myself in a coma and forced me to become sober. I promised him then that I would come to him about my problems instead of attempting to drink them away. Problem is, throughout the years, when things got rough I still found myself reaching for the bottle. Cole intercepted me most times before I could do any real damage." His body language slumps as he leans his head against the back on the couch. Without even thinking about it, I find myself scooting closer to gently run a soothing hand through his falling locks. Jorden releases a deep sigh before closing his eyes once again.

"I haven't drank since Faolan was born." His words wash over me like a river of cold water as I am reminded that it is four in the afternoon and my toddler son is not with me. "Faolan!" I squeal while jumping up off the couch as Jorden startles into a sitting position. I bend frantically to pick up the empty bottles in an attempt to clean the living room before retrieving my son wherever he may be.

"Hey Dani calm down, he is safe; still with my father. Dad said that they went out for brunch and are now swimming in the lake in the woods. He said Faolan is having a blast and doesn't even realize that we haven't been with him all day." Jorden's words calm my panicked mind but it doesn't ease my guilt that I am a terrible mother. What would Cole say if he knew I abandoned our son for a night of drinking? My horror must have shown on my face because the next thing I know, Jorden is standing in front of me with his hand on my upper arm.

"Are you upset because my dad took him swimming for his first time instead of us? I know you like being present for all of Faolan's firsts and that is understandable but he is almost two and half now and he hasn't even been in the water and you know I fist swam at six months so I understand what my dad was thinking--" I cut Jorden off with a laugh and a gentle shake of my head.

"You're rambling Jorden. I don't mind that Quinton is teaching Faolan how to swim he is old enough now to be able to doggy paddle with a life jacket. Goddess knows he is so adventurous he probably didn't even bat an eye at being in the water for the first time. He's probably loving it." Jorden smiles at me a boyish grin before taking a step back and grabbing the whiskey bottles from my hands. "You go take a shower and get ready. I'll clean up the living room and then we can go join them in the water. Make it a whole family event." His eyes twinkle with happiness and I feel my own heart swell that Jorden is able to focus his attention on our son and overlook some of the heartache that he experienced yesterday. "Sounds like a plan." I smile at him before heading off towards the bedroom to shower and dress into lake attire.

Walking side by side through the forest, only a few steps away from the clearing which encloses the lake, both Jorden and I physically perk up when we hear the squeals of happiness coming from our son. "Daddy!" Faolan yells from the water as we come into view. I watch with a smile as my little blonde haired angel begins to kick his way through the water towards the shore where we stand.

"Swim me!" Faolan smiles up at us as Jorden sheds his shirt with his own ear to ear grin. "Of course I'll swim with you buddy." He glances over his shoulder before stepping back a few steps to launch himself into a running leap into the water. Faolan squeals with joy as Jorden's splash flies up and crashes down all around his little body. Jorden pops up a few seconds later, scooping Faolan into his arms and twirling him around the water, as I claim a spot on the grass watching my boys have fun.

My eyes shift between the three generations of Richards men who are enjoying themselves in the water. Currently, Jorden has Faolan on his shoulders as they attempt to fight back the evil hunter that Quinton is pretending to be. All three of their faces are adorned with smiles, their laughter echoing throughout the forest. Watching Jorden, I can't help but smile as he pretends to die in battle leaving Faolan as the only hope to save the pack. His eyes sparkle with love and happiness as he acts through his performance before watching our son splash Quinton signaling the end of the war, victory to Faolan. Jorden scoops him up into his arms and praises his bravery and strategy. Faolan giggles and Jorden swoops in the plant a kiss on Faolan's cheek; he will be ok, despite his aching heart, as long as he has our little boy in his arms, he will be alright. 

Question of the Day: What is your go to tv show? 

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