Discovering Truths by B. Benfield (book series to read .TXT) 📗

Marcus: Good.

That was it. No elaboration or exchanges of love. We were dead.

I shoved my phone back in my purse and turned my attention back to Damien. Despite my initial judgment, he seemed pretty cool, and I didn’t want to be rude.

“Sorry. Just my husband.” I said.

“Oh. Whoa. Is that way you’ve seemed a little standoffish? Because you’re married?” he asked.

No. That definitely wasn’t it. It was Gage.

“Oh, no, definitely not.” I said. “I’m sorry if I’ve come across that way. We’ve got a lot going on. We’re on the brink of divorce.”

It’s official. I have diarrhea of the mouth.

“Crap, Abby. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. You don’t even know me; you don’t want to hear this crap. I don’t want to bombard you with my issues.”

“We’ve all got issues,” he said. “And I’ve been through divorce, so if there’s anyone who knows how you’re feeling, it’s me. I’ve been there.”

Yeah, but had he been lied to and cheated on? Had he fallen in love with someone else while he was still married? He might have felt my pain a little, but he would never truly understand what I was going through. My story was one for the books.

“I’m sorry…to hear about yours.” I said, diverting the attention off of me.

“It’s alright. I should have seen the signs before we married.”

“Everything happens for a reason.”

“Yes. Yes, it does.”

We finished lunch and walked back to class. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in the books. Words were beginning to run together and I had to pull out my glasses for some focus. When six o’ clock finally came, I was relieved. I wasn’t sure my brain had any more room for more information. I needed a drink, a hot bath, and a bed.

I walked next door to the hotel and had just reached the elevator when I decided to back up and head to the bar. I was going to cash in on that drink. The room was dark, only a few lights from fancy lamps emitting the space. I sat at the end of the long, polished bar and a young, cute girl with blonde hair sauntered over. There were a few people at tables in the dining space, but I sat lonesome at the bar. It was still early.

“What can I get you?” she asked.

“Something fruity,” I said.

“Strong? Not too strong?”

“Maybe right in the middle. Like not so strong that it’s going to knock me off my ass, but I want to feel the effects.” I said. I was terrible at ordering drinks, but a good bartender would know what I meant.

She laughed. “I got you.”

A few minutes later she came back with a blue concoction with an orange slice and cherry floating on top.

I brought the straw to my lips and took a long sip. “Mm,” I said, savoring the fruity taste. “This is perfect.”

“Can I get you anything else? Are you eating dinner?” she asked.

“Not right now. I’m good, thank you.”

I pulled out my phone and noticed a message from Gage.

Gage: Headed to football practice. Hope you had a great day. I love you.

He was thinking of me and that was all I cared about. We used to talk all day every day, but I knew that was impossible now. The distance between us created obstacles, but I didn’t want our love to die. I needed everything I could get from him. I typed out a reply, assuming that I wouldn’t hear from him anymore that night.

Me: My day was good. It’s rough. There’s a lot of info. Hope your day was good. You can call me in the morning if you want. I love you.

Before I had realized it, I was almost finished with my second drink. I had been scrolling through my phone, catching up on all my social platforms and texting Melinda. Man, I need a life. One person that never crossed my mind was Marcus. It was obvious I hadn’t crossed his either.

“Want another?” the cute blonde asked.

“Sure. Why not?”

She started slinging ingredients together and made my drink quickly. I should have paid attention to what she was using, but by that point, I didn’t care.

“Why are you here alone?” she asked, placing the drink in front of me.

“I’m here for work. I recently got promoted and I’m training at our headquarters here.”

“Oh nice. Do you work for that loan place next door? Isn’t that what that big building is?”

“Yeah, that’s us.”

“Awesome. I’m in school to be a teacher.”

“My hat is off to you. That’s something I definitely couldn’t do.” I said.

“I just have a passion for it…you know?”

“I do. Is school going well?” I asked.

“It is, yeah. This is my last year.”

“That’s exciting! Congrats!”

“Thanks,” she said, walking away. A guy sat down at the other end of the bar and she slid him a beer and said, “Hey, Jim.” He must have been a regular. She walked back down to me.

“Anyway, yeah, I’m excited to graduate, but I’m not excited to move. I’ve been in Georgia my whole life, but my boyfriend just got a job in California, so once I’m done, I’ll be moving out there with him.”

“How long have you guys been together? That’s a long way to move for a boyfriend.”

I may have not been the best person to give relationship advice, but she came back to me. She started the conversation. It was like she was looking for someone to talk to. That was a feeling I could definitely relate to.

“We’ve been together since I started college. We met there and he graduated last year. We’re getting married. There just hasn’t been an official proposal or anything.”

“Well, I know this is