Chapter 5 The Moment I Felt Fear

Nick's POV

She was gone

A little part of me still believed that it was a bluff she would pull out of in the last moment, but she actually went ahead and did it.

I had just gone to the office to wrap up some things, who knew I would come back and find every trace of her in our bedroom gone?

My chest was burning from the inside, I was struggling to breath.

I reached from my phone inside my pocket and began to dial her number like a maniac off the rails.

Each and every call when straight to voicemail.

She didn't even think of giving me one single response.

The more I called her the more it feels like the ground beneath my feet was beginning to spin, how could this be happening?

Could it be... that there was another man?

That would explain her erratic change in behavior.

She'd found someone else.

Of course... Though I'm sure she doesn't love that affair partner half as much as she loves me, she must just be using him to buy time and make me jealous.

A little sense of reasoning in the corner of my head was asking me if she was really trying to make me jealous why didn't she just bring up the affair partner when we spoke.

But I refused to listen to that voice.

Clara still loved me.

That was all she knew.

Maybe she was distracted for now, but she would always come running back to lick out of the tip of my fingers to celebrate at the crumbs of affection that fell at her feet.

She would-

"Daddy! Daddy!!" I was broken out of my stream of thoughts by my son relentlessly pulling at my pants.

I took a deep breath.

"What is it champ?" I asked hoping it was something I could take care of quickly because I was not in the mood for playing.

"Where is mommy?" He asked with a sniffle, "did mommy leave because she does not love us anymore?"

"Of course not," I said sharper than I needed to startling him.

"Mommy loves us very very much, she's just taking a short...break, like a vacation when she comes back she'll have lots of gifts and toys for again

Luke's face visibly bright in the after hearing this then it's dimmed down again, then he held a large colorful book above his head and announced; "Homework,"

Instinctively I turned my head around to call Clara, her name was already at the tip of my tongue but I stopped myself before making such a stupid mistake.

Usually she was the one that helped with his homework.

Okay if I'm being honest and frank with myself in my past 8 years of being a father I've never had to actually sit down because of 'homework'

But whatever, if Clara can help then it can't possibly be that hard.

I escorted Luke to his bedroom more specifically he study table, it's only took about 5 minutes for me to be reminded that my wife was actually a business major and one of the best in her sets before I made her quit her entry job at my family's company to be my housewife.

As for me I had surfed through my educational hurdles with the connections from my family, and the same could be applied to many of my problems today.

Except no family connection was getting me out of this.

"Daddy that's not how you do it!" As if it was not already humiliating enough that I was confused by basic math my son was already making corrections for me.

"That's enough Luke!" I ended up shouting at him, he went quiet for a second gauging my eyes before bursting into tears.

I sighed, I couldn't deal with this time from at least not alone.

Mr Whipple said Cassie went out an hour ago she said she was just running some errands so she should be back by now right?

I tried calling her, she picked up on the second ring.

Before she could speak blasting through the phone was the sound of upbeat club music, I stood up whispering to Luke to continue his homework before stepping out.

"Cassie where are you?" I asked even though I knew the answer to my question already.

"Out just out," she said and the club music was getting louder.

If she was at a club she might be tempted to drink, she's such a soft person they might actually be able to force her even if she doesn't want to.

Luckily I had her location, so I drove to the club at the speed of light.

I arrived and some loser was trying to grind up to her, I stepped between them and stared him down until he backed away then I spun around to hold Cassie.

The smell of booze oozed off of her and my heart sank.

"Cassie you know you're not supposed to be drinking!"

"It was just a few glasses," she conceded but the way she staggered as I held her hand and laid her out of the club told me otherwise.

As we were heading over to my car I thought about how Clara would have never left the house and Luke to go clubbing. But I pushed the thoughts of that cheating woman aside for the moment.

We reached the car, I was trying to gently guide Cassie into it then she began to sway her body against mine.

It was crazy but instead of seeing Cassie what I saw was my wife, I pictured that bikini two piece that almost made me embarrass myself.

Pushing away any other thought, I pressed her against the car and slammed my lips into hers.

Except in my head I imagined she was Clara even as I held her neck and pulled her close to deepen the kiss.

By the time I pulled away we were breathless, reality struck like a thunderbolt painfully reminding me that I wasn't kissing my wife.

For the first time I wondered what I would do if Clara really didn't come back.