Before Happily Ever After

CHAPTER 18: Larkin

I had hoped after telling Kamille about the potential investors that she would be sharing the same excitement as I was feeling but it seems like she was worried about something.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"I want to tell you......." She started but then we were interrupted by the front door opening and heard and excited Kylie come running up the stairs very fast and burst on through our bedroom door.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Guess what?!" She asks Kamille barely able to hold in her excitement.

"What??" Kamille laughed.

"I'm pregnant!" She screams.

They both begin screaming and jumping up and down in excitement. Well I guess whatever Kamille was feeling is gone now and whatever she was getting ready to tell me will have to wait.

"Congratulations!" I hug her as Nate comes walking up the stairs then into our bedroom.

"Ah damnit! I told you to wait for me before you told them!" He says.

"Well, you were being slow and I couldn't hold it in any longer." Kylie tells him.

"Okay well, this calls for a celebration." I mention. "How about we all four go out to dinner tonight? My treat!" I offer.

I notice Kamille out the corner of my eye look at me and is not smiling. But we all agree to go out.

After Nate and Kylie had left, it was now closer to the time in getting the kids so I offered to get them while Kamille relaxed and call Cassidy to see if she could babysit the kids tonight.

As I was making my way over towards the daycare first to get our son, I started to think about what Ashton had mentioned who would possibly want to make a deal with me or something like that, then quickly began hearing Kamille's voice in my head and how she asked me if I could trust Ashton.

I swear, she doesn't think I have noticed her acting a little different when Ashton is around, ever since that party and then up in the bedroom before Kylie and them showed up, she seemed to be trying to talk to me about something serious.

Well, maybe she can tell me after dinner tonight.....

However, when I got home with the kids and gave them a snack before sitting them both down in front of the TV, I started heading upstairs and could hear a sniffling and crying Kamille.

Once I stepped into the room, I noticed she was sitting on the edge of the bed with her face in her palms.

"Baby?" I ask while running to her side and putting my arms over her to try and comfort her as she wraps her arms around me and cries into my chest.

"Larkin, I have to tell you something and I know I should have told you a while ago but..." She begins to mumble.

I pull away a little to have her look at me and try to calm her down.

"Baby, whatever it is, you know I'll understand." I try to reassure her.

She smiles at me for a moment then goes back to breaking down and crying a bit more before taking a few deep breaths then letting them out before starting to tell me about everything.

"Ashton and I used to..." she begins then stops.

"Used to what?" I ask.

"We used to date. He was my first boyfriend and we'll, there isn't much to say really other than, I don't trust him. I have seen the things he has done to people and I don't want it to happen to you or the kids." She breaks down.

I was taken back and in complete and utter shock. How come she never told me about him and her being a thing before?! Did she not trust me in how I would react?

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, before I jump to conclusions, I need to ask her.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I ask.

"Because he threatened to hurt you and the kids. I wanted to tell you that night at the dinner party, but as I walked out of the bathroom to head downstairs, he stopped me and reminded me what he'd...." She stops herself and tries to wipe away some tears.

"Is that why you've been acting so weird around him?" I ask.

"Yes." She nods.

"Oh my God. I really wish you would have told me sooner. I mean, we had JUST had a discussion before about not keeping things from each other. Then I find out now that you and this Ashton guy used to date?" I snap a little.

"Please Larkin, I swear that I would've told you. I just, I was scared. I didn't want anything to happen to you or the kids." She begins crying out more.

"I can't fucking believe this. I knew it was too good to be true." I mumbled beneath my breath.

"What?" She asks.

"I said I knew it was too good to be true." I repeat.

She then looks at me bewildered and then more upset.

"Are you serious right now? Are you talking about the deal you both made earlier? I'm sorry, did I ruin your chances?! Are you seriously fucking upset about that?!?" She argues then pushes away from me and stands up.

"Well I'm not upset at you exactly I was just voicing what I was thinking. Shit, excuse me." I start to argue at her and stand up.

"You're an asshole! You know what? Fucking still do the deal. Just do business with him. Since life is sooo bad for you right now and clearly you need MORE recognition, wealth or whatever the hell it is, then fine. Do the deal!" She fires at me and then walks into the bathroom and slams the door shut.

"Come on, that's not what I meant." I start to try and explain while knocking hard on the bathroom door and jiggling the doorknob but see it's locked.

"Go away! I don't want to talk to you right now! You are just like you were back in high school!" She snaps.

"What the fuck Kamille?! I utter several words and you take it in the wrong context then twist my words as well as the meaning of them around causing you to make the crazy assumption that I hate my life! Well I don't! And I really wish you would give me more credit!" I tell her before then slamming my hand hard against the door.

She next opens the door and stands there for a brief moment glaring at me.

"That is all I have ever done! I have given you credit and stood by your side through so fucking much and then when I tell you something about a horrible person I ever knew in my life, worse than you ever were, your first words aren't of comfort towards me. They're a remark about your fucking deal with him. So tell me, how else am I supposed to take it?!" She asks with her arms crossed.

Before I could say another word, our daughter, Rosemary interrupted us and asked if we could come downstairs and watch some cartoons.

We take a brief moment in looking at one another, waiting for the other person to say something first but neither of us do. Until I start walking out the room to relieve some frustration.

"I'll be back in a few. I need to blow off some steam." I say then kiss Rosemary on the top of her head before hurrying down the stairs, into my car then head out for a drive.

Well, tonight's dinner should be reeeeal interesting.

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)