Chapter 32

I stood there shocked. My cheek stung. 4 just slapped me. I wouldn't even think she would have the nerve to slap me, but she did. 4 bit her lip. Her arms folded across her chest. She was clearly angry and frustrated. Never have I seen this side of her before.

"What was that for?" I asked. She sighed and looked away. "Jennifer," I turned her around to face me.

"Michael, don't touch me!" She spat and turned her back to me.

"Why did you slap me?" Once again she did not answer me I watched as she wiped her face. Is she crying? Why is she crying? She acts like we're married or something. Yeah, she's too damn attached. I've got to let her go today. "Answer me, Jennifer."

"I feel like a cheap whore." 4 finally croaked. "I'm just one of your options you choose to explore." I didn't say anything. "Here I am falling for you and in your mind, I'm just a number. A side chick, so you don't have to deal with your wife for a night. This is why I said I didn't want to be involved when we first met, because I knew I would fall in love with you. I fall in love too easily. And the look in your eyes made it harder not to resist. And now...here I am again...in love with a man, a married man at that who loves to explore his options, who doesn't even love me back." 4 sniffled and wiped her eyes again. My cheek still stung, but I continued to ignore it. This woman has hands.

"Jennifer, I gave you so many reasons as to why you shouldn't love me."

"Have you ever had a forbidden love affair?"

"No."

"Then you will never understand." I sighed. I don't want to hear anymore. I got my keys out and took her screen door key off of my key ring.

"Jennifer," I walked in front of her. She looked up at me. "I won't need these anymore." I placed the key in her hand.

"What?" Her voice started cracking.

"I can't do this anymore. You...me...I can't do it anymore. It's too much."

"But, Michael, I-"

"Jennifer, I can't." I opened the front door and went to my car 4 followed me out asking me questions that I didn't care to answer. I got in the car and sped off. Leaving Jennifer behind crying yet again. Didn't mean to make her cry or make her fall in love with me. My mother always said you shouldn't fall in love anyway, because when you fall, you just get hurt. You should simply grow in love. I grew in love with Victoria...so in love with her that I couldn't stand leaving her side. What is wrong with me? I practically gave up my career for her and here I am cheating on her like she's done something wrong to me. I guess the things Naomi and Gabriella have said are finally getting to me.

I pulled into the driveway to the house and noticed an unfamiliar car beside Victoria's car. I take it Joshua came over. Great. Just when I decide to admit my faults to Victoria, this jackass is over here. I walked in the house to hear laughter coming from the living room. Two loud laughs clearly coming from Prince and Michael, then adult laughs. They're watching something together like one big happy family. I don't like that one bit. I went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to get some grape juice.

"Daddy!" I heard the boys run over to me. I gave each of them a hug and a kiss.

"Michael, I didn't realize you'd be back so soon." Victoria scrambled to get up.

"I figured you and I could finish that conversation," I shrugged. "but it looks like that's not going to happen."

"Why not?" I made a gesture toward Joshua. "Oh, hey... Joshua?" She called. He stood up and came into the kitchen with us.

"Hey, Mike." He greeted me. This time without that annoying smile of his.

"Hey." I kept my attention towards Victoria.

"Joshua, Michael said he wanted to-"

"Nah, it's okay. I'm just going to relax in the pool. You all can continue with the movie." I took my cup upstairs.

"Michael," Victoria followed me. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." I nodded and opened the door to our bedroom.

"Michael, if you want him to leave he can."

"He's your friend, V. You dismiss him." I took off my shirt and threw it towards the laundry basket. Victoria shut the door and waited as I got myself situated. "Joshua is waiting on you."

"You're not going to tell him to leave?"

"Why should I?"

"You said you didn't want him in your house."

"Sure did."

"You were pretty serious about that."

"You think I wasn't?"

"So you're not going to have him leave?"

"No."

Victoria sighed, clearly frustrated, "I didn't call Gabriella."

"Oh." I released a sigh of relief.

"I thought about it though. I thought long and hard about it, but I chose not to."

"Why?"

"Waiting on the right time, I guess." My heart raced. "She was so bold when she came over. No sight of remorse or emotion was on her face at all. It was just like she didn't care. Like she didn't feel for what she was doing." That sounds a lot like her. I can imagine it now. "Explain to me how you could just talk to her."

"We're back on that?" I rolled my eyes.

"That's where we left off."

"V, you have a guest down there that's waiting on you. I don't trust him with the boys. We can finish this after he leaves."

"Whatever." Victoria left and slammed the door behind her.

I woke up to find Victoria not sleeping beside me. Did she go with Joshua? I hurried downstairs to find no one in the living room. I rushed to the guest room and opened the door to find Victoria sleeping soundly with her knees tucked to her chest. That was her selfish ball. It took me awhile to get her out of that after we got married. I walked to her side and found her phone in her hand. Must have been texting before she went to sleep. I took the phone out of her hand and pressed the 'up' button. Joshua's photo lit up the screen and a timer was going. I pressed 'end call' and placed the phone on the nightstand. Now I'm really jealous. Has it gotten to the point where we're cheating on each other?