Submerged (3 page)

"
Of course I have," she snapped. "They're all I think about. Can you say the same?"

"
You're going to turn them against me. Like your mother did to you and your father." His voice dripped with disgust.

"
Don't bring my parents into this. This has nothing to do with them and everything to do with the fact that you have an anger problem and you refuse to get help."

"
What'll you tell the kids?"

She shrugged.
"Ella won't understand. She's too young. Colton's getting too old for me to keep making excuses for you. He's almost a teenager."

Wesley
didn't answer.

"
You know what he said to me last night, Wesley? He said you love being angry more than you love being with us. He's right, isn't he?"

She stormed out of
his office without waiting for a reply. She already knew the answer.

That evening, Wesley
packed two suitcases.

"
I'll be staying at The Fairmont McDonald. I still love you, Becca."

His actions had stunned her. She'd been
prepared to take the kids to Kelly's. She was even ready for Wesley to try to hurt her. What she hadn't expected was his easy submission. Or that for once he'd take the high road.

"You're leaving?" she said, shocked.

"That's what you wanted," he said with a shrug. "So that's what you get."

For a second
, she wanted to tell him she'd made a mistake. That she didn't want a separation. That she'd be a better wife, learn to be more patient, learn to deal with his rages.

Then she remembered the bruises and sprains.
"Good-bye, Wesley."

"
For now."

She
'd watched him climb into his car and waited until the taillights winked, then disappeared. Then she let out a long, uneasy breath and headed down the hallway. She wandered through their bedroom and into the en suite bathroom, all the while trying to think of the good times. There weren't many.

She stared at
her reflection in the mirror, one finger tracing the small scar along her chin. Wesley had given her that present on Valentine's Day two years earlier. He'd accused her of flirting with the UPS delivery guy.

"
You deserve better," she said to her reflection. "So do the kids."

Now, sitting tw
o seats away from Wesley at the arena, Rebecca realized that her husband was still doing everything in his power to control her.

"
Penny for your thoughts," he said.

"
You're wasting your money."

"
What money? You get most of it."

"
That's for the kids, Wesley, and you know it."

She
dug her fingernails into her palms.
Don't fight with him. Not here. Not in front of Ella.

She caught his eye.
"Next time Colton has a game, I'd appreciate it if you didn't bother showing up."

"
Wouldn't miss it for the world." He gave her an icy smile. "That's
my
son down there."

"
What part of 'scheduled visits' don't you―"

Cheers erupted
from the stands as both hockey teams skated out onto the ice and joined their goalies. Everyone stood for the national anthem, then a horn blasted.

Rebecca released a
heart-heavy sigh.

T
he game was on.

After the game, the arena parking lot was a potpourri of car exhaust and refinery emissions, and a breeding ground for irritation. Everyone wanted to be first out. Especially the losing team.

Rebecca was glad she
'd parked her Hyundai Accent down the street.

"
Mommy, are we going home now?" Ella asked.

"
Yes, honey. It's almost supper time."

"
Is Daddy coming home too?"

"
No, honey. Daddy's going to his own house."

As they made their way through the parking lot, Rebecca
was sure Wesley would veer off toward his van, but he stayed at her side. Doing her best to ignore him, she reached for Ella's hand as they crossed the street. Behind them, Colton lugged his hockey bag and stick.

When they reached the
sedan, Rebecca unlocked the doors, sank into the driver's seat and started the engine, while the kids said good-bye to their dad. Stepping out, she moved to the back door and wrenched on it, gritting her teeth as it squealed. Colton climbed in back. Ella looked up at her with a hopeful expression.

"
Back seat," Rebecca said.

Ella obediently climbed in beside her brother
, and Colton helped her with the seat belt for her booster seat.

Rebecca shut the door using her hip.
Catching Wesley's eye she said, "You always said we should use the sticky door, that if we did it might not stick so much. Hasn't worked."

Wesley
studied the exterior of the car. "Can't believe you haven't bought a new car."

The
Hyundai
had
seen better days—and today wasn't one of them. They'd bought the used car back in 2003, when they'd gone from a two-door Supra—Wesley's toy—to a four-door vehicle that wasn't so "squishy," as the kids had called the Supra. The red paint was now worn in places, the hinges of the trunk groaned when lifted and the back door on the passenger side stuck all the time, making it impossible for either of the kids to open. The latter was a result of an accident. Wesley had been sideswiped by a reckless teen texting on her cell phone. Or at least that's the story he'd given her.

"
This works fine," she said. "I don't need a new one."
And I can't afford one.

Colton cracked the door open and poked his head out.
"Dad said he's getting me a cell phone for my birthday next month. One that does text messaging."

Rebecca
shut the car door and turned icy eyes in Wesley's direction. "You what?"

"
Before you say anything, hear me out. Colton's old enough to be responsible for a phone. Besides, I'm taking care of it, bills and all. When he's old enough to get a job, he'll take over paying for it."

"
I told you a while ago that I do not agree with kids walking around glued to a cell phone. It's ridiculous." She walked around to the driver's side.

"
What if there's an emergency and Colton needs to call one of us?" he asked, following her.

"
Then he uses a phone nearby or has an adult call us. It's not like he's driving any―"

"
Rebecca, this is
my
decision. As his father."

"
Well, I'm his mother, and I say no cell phone."

She scowled at him, mentally cursing herself for falling into old habits―childish habits. Truth was, she
'd been thinking of the whole cell phone argument ever since Wesley had first brought it up. But her pride wouldn't let her back down. Not now.

"I think you're being a little unfair," Wesley said.

"Unfair? You really want to go there?"

She turned when she heard the whir of
the power window.

"
Did you tell her, Dad?" Colton asked.

"
Hey, buddy, give me a second―"

Rebecca frowned.
"Did you already tell him he's getting a cell phone?"

"
Let's table the phone idea for another time."

"
Fine."

Wesley
shuffled his feet. "Becca, I have a favor to ask."

She
held her breath.
Here it is.

"
I want Colton to stay with me in July."

From inside the car, Colton nodded.
"Say yes, Mom."

She was livid. Motioning for Colton to roll up the window, she turned to Wesley
. "What are you doing? This is something you should've discussed with me first."

"
I
am
discussing it with you."

"
You should've called me, not mentioned this right in front of him." She tried to ignore Colton, who had his grinning face pressed up against the window. "Why didn't you call me so we could discuss this?"

"
I tried calling. I left you two messages last week."

Rebecca blinked. She checked the answering machine every day
, and there'd been no calls from Wesley.

Wesley
's mouth curled. "I'm not lying."

"
Maybe I accidentally erased them."

"
Probably. You always had problems with technical things. And managing money."

"
For the last time," she snapped, "our financial mess isn't my fault. We both overspent."

"
But you've got your secret stash, don't you?"

"
You know that money is for the kids' college funds," she said.

W
hen Wesley had found out about the money that had been set aside for the kids, it had enraged him to the point that he deliberately drove his van into the side of the bridge on the way home from dinner at a restaurant.

Rebecca
hadn't come away unscathed. She suffered a multitude of scrapes and bruises, easily explained by the crash. The doctor had no idea Wesley had beaten her after pulling her from the wreck. She barely recalled that incident. But she remembered the others that followed in the days after the crash. The broken wrist. The bruises on her back and hips.

Every day afterward,
Wesley had said he loved her. But love wasn't supposed to hurt physically. Was it?

She eyed him now, thankful he had never touched the kids. At least she
'd done that right, gotten out before he was tempted to unleash his fury on Colton or Ella.

"
Becca, why are you staring at me like that?"

"
I'm reminding myself of why you'll soon be my
ex
-husband."

Wesley
flinched, and she knew her words had hurt him.

Good. He deserves it.

"Do you think it's possible to be civil to each other?" he said.

She glanced over her shoulder at Ella
and Colton. "If you're willing, I am."

"
For the kids' sake, right?"

She caught his eye.
"For all of us."

Silence.

"Look, Becca," he said in a contrite tone, "I've been seeing a psychologist, and I've taken an anger management class. I'm doing everything I can to show you I can be trusted with the kids. I would never hurt them."

"Like you'd never hurt
me
?"

He looked away. "I've apologized for my past. I'm not like that anymore."

She mulled over his words, her heart conflicted with such a heavy decision. If she was wrong and something happened to Colton, she'd never forgiver herself.

But what if he's telling the truth? I can't keep him away from the kids. They need him.

She peered over her shoulder at Colton. He had a smile on his face and his hands clasped in front, pleading. How could she resist that?

Finally, she said,
"How long do you expect Colton to stay with you?"

"
One week. In the middle of July."

She bit her bottom lip.
"I'm not sure…"

"
I know it's not what we agreed on, but I'm taking that week off and I was hoping to spend it with my son."

"
Just you and Colton?"

He rolled his eyes.
"And Tracey."

Tracey
Whitaker used to be a receptionist at his father's law firm. Wesley and Tracey had started seeing each other a few months before Rebecca had asked him to leave. She'd found out about the "other woman" when she'd called her father-in-law one day. Walter revealed to her he hadn't seen Wesley in weeks. Then he asked if she'd called Tracey's place. Everyone at the law firm, including her father-in-law, knew about Tracey and Wesley. Her husband hadn't bothered to keep his affair secret.

Except from Rebecca.

Wesley's father had been supportive enough to fire the woman after Rebecca stormed into his office, accusing him of trying to break up his son's marriage. She'd heard Tracey had resumed an earlier career as a caregiver in a senior's complex.

"So you're still with
Tracey," she said.

"
I'll dump her in an instant if you let me come home. We can rip up that separation agreement and make our own agreement." He arched his brows suggestively.