Chapter 1
Avery set the table with an extra pep in her step, eager to share her news with Troy when he got home. She had been busy lately, but it was only because she was working to get the opportunity she’d always wanted. Just as she set the food down on the table, the front door opened.
Troy went to take a shower while Avery sat patiently at the table for him. After his shower, he came down for dinner. From the stomp up the stairs and the way he avoided talking to her, Avery could tell he was not in the best of moods, so she decided to wait to tell him her good news. They ate quietly while Troy looked off into space.
“Are you okay?” Avery finally asked.
“Hmm?” Troy hummed.
“I asked were you okay. You seem to be here, but your mind seems to be elsewhere.”
“Ahh, yes. Sorry about that, honey. It’s just been a busy day. The food was great. How was your day?”
Avery talked about her day at work and the latest office gossip.After a few minutes, she knew he wasn’t really listening to her. Would he notice if she mentioned a dinosaur? “We had a T-Rex come into the office today. He tried to bite my head off.”
“That’s great honey,” he responded in the same bored tone.
Eventually, she stopped talking and watched as he gazed off while eating dinner. Even though Troy seemed to be in his own world, Avery was still bursting with excitement. When they went their separate ways after dinner, Avery called her friend Nora. She and Nora had become fast friends after bumping into each other at the grocery store.
“Hey, Avery,” Nora answered the phone.
“Hey, Nora. How’s your day going?”
“It’s going great. Our little boy will be here soon.”
Avery was happy for her friend. She had found the love of her life and was now starting a family. It was one of Avery’s many dreams, and although she had found her love, they were still holding off on the baby part. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, but what is with that text you sent earlier? You said you had great news.”
Avery was bursting at the seams. “I got the job! If everything goes well with this company, then I am well on my way to owning my own company. The payout will help with startup fees. Not only that, but I could also use them as a reference, and more people will be willing to take a chance on me.”
“Congratulations, Ave. I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to see you succeed and have your dreams come true,” Nora happily said. “You know…”
“No. I know you want to give me the money to start my company, but I can’t accept it. I love that you want to help me, but I want to do it by myself. I have to prove it to myself and my parents.”
“I get it. You want to be independent. But just know that if you ever need my help with anything, I’m here for you.”
Avery started to get teary-eyed. She’d never had anyone want to help her as much as Nora did. She could hear Silas sweet-talk Nora, and she knew she had to let her get off the phone. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Bye,” Nora responded before hanging up.
Avery looked down at the phone with a sigh. Troy used to treat her like Silas treated Nora. When they first started dating, Troy would always want to be near her and told her he loved her every day, but since they moved here last year he became distant.
Avery had tried to chalk it up to him getting accustomed to his new job. She was patient with him. He refused to be intimate with her and kept making up excuses when she tried to initiate; the last time she’d tried was when they’d attended Nora and Silas’s wedding.
It was a beautiful small romantic event between the people closest to Nora and Silas, and Avery was ecstatic she was considered close enough to Nora to be invited. Of course, Troy was her plus one, but she had to beg him to accompany her. That night she tried to initiate once again, but he claimed he was too tired from work. It was a sad excuse considering he had the weekend off for the wedding, but she hadn’t said anything. She just nodded, letting him know she understood. You can only be rejected so many times before you give up, so, eventually, she gave up. Avery trusted that when he was ready he would become intimate with her again.
After doing her nightly routine, Avery slipped into bed with Troy. He used to wrap his arms around her, and they would cuddle and talk about their future together, but now they both lay flat on their back with space between them, as if knowing they shouldn’t cross that invisible line.
Avery glanced at Troy, who was staring at the ceiling. The silence suffocated her. She turned toward Troy, intending on telling him about her good news. “Troy…”
“Let’s have an open marriage.”
no ahole. How about we not have any marriage at all?
WTF