The Bad Parents by S.L. Harker

Author:S.L. Harker [Harker, SL]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

21

I feel a hand on my back and turn to find Dawn standing behind me. I sit at the bar, a glass of white wine in front of me. Dawn’s eyes are red, and I motion for the bartender to bring another glass. Dawn slips onto the stool beside me and takes the glass gratefully.

“I didn’t think you’d stay.” She takes a sip of her wine.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I pick up a napkin off the bar and shred it.

“Lewis says he’s sorry, by the way. He just got carried away. He wants you to know he’s not an asshole.” Dawn watches as I destroy another napkin.

“I think his actions speak louder than his words.” I sigh and dump the pile of napkin pieces onto the bar. “What can we do?”

“About what?”

“About what we’re doing.” I glance around at the other patrons and lean toward Dawn. “About the swapping. We can’t keep doing this.”

“I know.” Dawn sighs, wiping her face wearily with her hands. “I thought it was kind of fun at first, but now…” Her voice trails off, and she stares over the bar.

“This is getting insane. We never should have done this, Dawn. You know that. We have to stop. All of it, the game nights, meetups like this. This is fucking with our heads. And our marriages. I should go.” I spin on my stool and reach for my purse.

“Wait.” Dawn places a hand on my arm.

When I turn to her, tears drip slowly down her face.

“We can still be friends,” I assure her. “Coffee dates and cookouts. But everything else has to stop. We have to get our marriages back on track.” I’m not sure I even believe what I’m saying. Can a marriage go back to normal after what we’ve done? What I’ve done?

“I don’t think I can.” Dawn sniffles and rubs her fingers under her eyes, checking for running mascara. “The thing is, I don’t want to be married anymore. Not to Lewis, anyhow.”

“Not you and Miles,” I say. “Tell me you aren’t.”

“No. Not Miles. You, Petra. I want you.”

She says it so softly I have to lean in to hear her. I don’t know what to do, so I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her to me. She cries quietly against my shoulder. I run my hand up and down her back.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out.” I grab the napkin under my drink and hand it to her so she can dab at her eyes.

“I didn’t scare you off?” She hiccups.

“No, you didn’t. I… like you, too.”

“But not the same way I like you.” Her voice sounds small and childlike, totally unlike the take-charge Dawn I’m used to.

Her vulnerability shocks me. Her admission is far more intimate than sleeping with her.

“I… don’t know how to answer that. I think you know I’m attracted to you. And I care for you. I don’t want you hurt. But I still love my husband.”

“I understand.” Dawn nods slowly.

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