Page 1 of Good Intentions, Vol. 3

Chapter One

Nick

Eight months later

I sit at the restaurant table, the whiteness of its tablecloth searing my retinas. The noise surrounding me and the smells coming from the kitchen not doing anything for my non-existent appetite. For the last eight months, I’ve focused solely on one thing. Getting Heather back.

After I said those awful words to her and she left my office not even looking back, I was determined to be the best husband and support to my wife, Claire. Only she had other plans.

I won’t lie, I wanted my marriage to survive. I wanted to try and be there for my wife, I do love her after all. But my love for Claire is nothing compared to the flame that burns inside me at just the mere thought of her; my pretty girl.

As always when thinking of Heather, I can’t help it and I reach inside my suit jacket, in the inner pocket and pull out a folded paper. Sighing, I unfold the paper and put it down on the table next to the manilla envelope that’s sitting near the edge. My fingers instinctively swipe over the words typed in the letter, somehow hoping that I’ll be able to feel her. But, as always, I never do. The ghosts of her fingertips are taunting me nightly, moving across my skin. Her lips whisper across my neck and the soft wind of her breath tickles my chest. It’s so vivid; the feel of her, that most nights I end up waking in a sweat, reaching across the bed for her. As always, all my fingers feel is cold. The bitter cold that now lives inside of me. I can still see her beautiful eyes filling with tears the moment I hurled that question at her. Still can feel her soul breaking as she kissed me one last time, and the foul taste of heartbreak that appeared as I watched her close the door behind her, won’t leave my mouth. It was only a few days later that I discovered the letter on my desk. She planned to leave me. I have no idea what drove her to that decision, but I knew I had to do everything in my power to get her back. I didn’t know how I would do that since I still had every intention of staying married to Claire, I just knew I couldn’t leave it that way.

But I couldn’t find her.

She vanished.

Every day it got harder and harder to live without her. It was only when Claire said she wanted to get a divorce that I started breathing easier. The next day, I left the apartment and checked into a hotel. A week later, I found my new home, the one Heather and I will be living in. It’s close to Claire’s, so that Ben can come over any time he wants to. All my fears regarding Ben, and me losing him proved to be false. God, I was a moron.

How could I ever think that I would lose my son if I divorced his mother? There is no way in hell I would ever let that happen. Fortunately, I didn’t have to fight Claire for him since we decided to share custody. He even asked Claire to bring him to me on a few nights when it wasn’t my turn and she gladly did.

“Hello, darling,” Claire coos from behind me.

Her hand squeezing my shoulder as she reaches down and pecs my cheek. I jolt in my seat as if electrified and hastily fold the piece of paper that has become both my comfort and the thing I hate the most in this world, and put it back in my inner pocket.

“No need to hide that from me, Nick,” Claire says as she rounds the table and sits down.

She doesn’t look at me as she slowly puts the cloth napkin on her lap, or as the waiter comes to our table and pours her water in a glass.

I look at her as she looks up, smiles gently to the man and whispers, “Thank you.”

Her long brown hair is now platinum blonde, cut in a sharp bob, or so she tells me it’s called. Her brown eyes have the spark back in them after being extinguished for so long, and she stopped hiding the freckles that are dusting her cute nose. She has found herself. She’s confident in who she is, and she has grown up and taken responsibility for what she’s done. She’s one of the most beautiful women that I ever seen. Still, all I want is Heather.

“Do you have the papers?” Claire tilts her head to the manilla envelope sitting near my elbow.

“Yes,” I say curtly.

We have a good enough relationship that we don’t tear each other’s throats out when we meet, even though, the bitter taste of failed marriage is still lingering. No matter who’s fault it is. But that’s about to end.

“Have you signed them?”

“No,” I watch her as she casually puts the cloth napkin on her lap.

You would have thought this is just lunch between two friends and not one where a marriage is about to vanish. But, I know her and I need to be sure she is okay with this.

“And why is that, Nick?”

“Claire,” I start to say something, I don’t know what, but stop when her hand flashes out across the table and she snatches the envelope.

“Sign the damn thing, Nick,” her voice is quiet. “I promise you, I’m okay,” she squeezes my hand, begging me to believe her. “And I’m going to stay okay.”

I don’t say anything, just nod my head and pick up the pen. Looking down, the word DIVORCE glares at me but I don’t read any further. I flip through them and sign my name next to the little colored arrows.

“Thank God,” Claire mutters when I scribble my last signature.

Taking them from me, she signs her own name and puts the papers back into the envelope. For the first time in a while, I’m able to take a full breath.

“I’ll send that to our lawyers as soon as we’re done here.”