The Family Next Door Novel – A couple who seemed to be perfect. But looks can be deceiving. What happens when true love is put to the test? When secrets are formed, and the bonds of marriage are tested? “How long did it take you to plan this? Huh? How long did you sneak around and stop taking the pills?” “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “You knew I didn’t want a child! You secretly stopped taking birth control pills! You’ve been pregnant for four months! But I didn’t know! When are you going to tell me?” “I’m tired of your neglect of me! And your betrayal! Do you think I don’t know the dirty things you do outside? You really disgust me.”
When Patrick strode through the door of Thompson’s Drugstore, he went straight to the pharmacy. Dan, the local pharmacist, was working the counter. Both Patrick and Katie had become friends with Dan over the years. The fact that they lived right down the street from the place helped. “I’m here for Katie’s prescription,” Patrick called to the figure standing among the shelves of medicine. “Be right with you,” Dan returned as he rummaged through the basket of scripts. “So you must be pretty excited, huh?” “Ummm, sure,” Patrick’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Well, tell her she can take these regularly and they won’t hurt the baby at all,” Dan smiled and handed the small white bag to Patrick. “Hey, are you ok?” Patrick’s face turned a ghostly white, and sweat began to appear along his hairline.
Did he just hear correctly? A baby? “Congrats, by the way,” Dan reached to shake Patrick’s hand as he watched his face slowly gain its color back. “I haven’t seen you since I heard the news.” “Thanks,” Patrick mumbled, still stunned by the new information. He turned, and headed for the door, determined to cancel dinner and confront his wife. As Katie sat on the couch staring at her phone, she wondered why Patrick would have cancelled dinner on her. She figured he would be dying for them to spend a romantic evening together, they’d had so few lately. Right when she leaned forward to place her phone back on the coffee table, the front door flew open. Patrick stood there, briefcase in one hand and a small bag from the pharmacy in the other.
His mouth was ironed out in a thin line, and his eyes were narrowed as they pierced into her. “I wanna know how long you thought you could lie to me?” he ground out as he stepped forward and slammed the door behind him. “How stupid do you think I am?” “Patrick… I…” Katie stammered as she moved to stand up. “Sit down!” he commanded as he threw his briefcase to the side, and marched over to where she was. “Dan said you could take this, and it wouldn’t hurt the baby,” he growled. “What baby is he talking about?” “Patrick I,” she tried again as tears welled in her eyes. “I wanted to tell you…” she looked away, unable to handle the anger and contempt that was radiating off him. He moved to stand directly in front of her, and leaning down, he placed one hand on each side of her on the back of the couch, effectively pinning her in place.
“How long did it take you to plan this? Huh? How long did you sneak around and stop taking the pills?” he demanded, his entire body was rigid and seething with anger as he leaned closer to her trembling form. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I wanted to tell you. I did,” she begged. “I knew you’d be like this,” she covered her face with her hands as the sobs came harder. “You didn’t answer me…when did you stop taking the pills?” he ground out as his jaw ticked with tension. “I didn’t,” she whispered. “I didn’t…you have to believe me.” Patrick glanced up and squeezed his eyes shut before noticing his reflection in the mirror across the room. What he saw frightened him, and he back-pedaled, shoving himself back and away from his wife.
The version of himself that was in this room was not whom he wanted to be. “I didn’t,” she sobbed again as she looked up at him. Patrick gave a quick nod as he stood, grabbed his keys off the table, and strode to the door. “Wait! Where are you going?” Katie scrambled to a standing position. “Out!” he shouted. “I need to get away from you before I say or do something that I don’t mean.” “We need to talk about this,” Katie begged. Patrick turned slowly and gestured toward her barely-there baby bump. “How long have you known about this?” Katie’s head dropped. “Since Joey’s birthday.” “You’ve had four months to talk about this with me, and you chose not to. Now, I’m choosing not to. I’m going out. I’ll talk to you in the morning when I’ve had time to cool off,” Patrick stepped through the front door, slamming it hard behind him.
As the evening wore on, Katie sat huddled on the couch, hoping Patrick would come home soon. He’d never done this before. Anytime they’d had an argument, they’d always talked it out. He’d never so much as left the room! She couldn’t blame him though. This was big, and it was all her fault. The longer she sat there, the worse she felt, and the sadness soon turned into worry. Where would he have gone, and when would he decide to come home? She picked up her cell and called him, hoping that he’d answer, but it went straight to voicemail, all six times. — When Patrick came out of the men’s room, Tinsley was leaning up against the wall across from him. She had one foot pressed flat on the wall behind her, causing her knee to bend and her skirt to rise in front. Her head was tilted down slightly, causing her soft brown hair to billow around her shoulders.
Her eyes were hooded and filled with lust. She bit the side of her lower lip as she looked up at him, standing there staring at her. Patrick grinned and swayed slightly in his drunken state. She was a sight to behold, and she didn’t want anything but him. His wife had turned him down so many times in the past four months that his body was craving attention. His muddled brain didn’t care at the moment that this attention was not from his wife, the one he should be with. All he wanted was to escape it all, to make all the lonely nights, the lies, and the fighting go away. He staggered forward, and leaned into Tinsley as his eyes dipped down to stare at her lips. “Are you sure about this?” she darted her eyes up to his. She wanted him, there was no doubt about that, but she wanted it to be mutual. Patrick didn’t say anything, he only licked his bottom lip as he pressed his body closer.
The fact that they were in the hallway of the bathrooms at a bar didn’t even matter to him at the moment. He was drunk enough that he just wanted her right there. “You’re stalling,” he growled as he pressed himself flush with her and slammed his mouth against hers. An animalistic sound reverberated through him as her hands ran up his chest, and wrapped around his neck. She thrust her hips forward to rub against him as he nipped her lower lip. The aggressive Patrick, the one he’d long buried before marrying Katie, began to surface as the peck grew. Gone were the soft caresses he shared with his wife, as rough grabbing and small bites continued. When he felt her hand trail down below his waist and cup him through his pants, he wrenched his mouth away.
As he staggered backwards in the direction of the opposite wall, Tinsley blinked at him in a daze. “What’s wrong?” she gasped. “I can’t do this,” he panted. “I can’t…” he shook his head. “I love my wife, I can’t do this.” A scowl began to work its way across Tinsley’s features as she watched him battle with himself, “What was that, then?” “A mistake,” he shook his head. “A stupid mistake.” “We’ll see,” Tinsley gave him a disgusted look as she straightened her clothes and marched back out into the bar to pay her tab and leave.