my memory lacks initiative

Riley felt defeated and walked over the the edge of the bed where he was sitting and sat herself down. She kept her gaze on the floor. “What’s there to defend?”

“I don’t know, Riley, I just imagined you’d at least try to…” Sighing, he shrugged. “You know, after everything we have been through… I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, I always had to work extra hard to make you love me back… And now it’s like I don’t even know who you are.”

Riley shrugged and sniffles slightly. “I don’t even know who I am anymore,” she admitted. “I feel lost.”

“Clearly,“ He said, rolling his eyes. “Instead of coming to me, your partner, the father of your child– Well, I’m sure Eric helped a lot with that, hasn’t he?“

god i hate that you named him eric lmao anyway. Riley looked up angrily cause okay she knows she fucked up but damn. “Eric was a good distraction, yes.” she agreed, obviously upset. “But he wasn’t the solution to the problem.”

Riley felt defeated and walked over the the edge of the bed where he was sitting and sat herself down. She kept her gaze on the floor. “What’s there to defend?”

“I don’t know, Riley, I just imagined you’d at least try to…” Sighing, he shrugged. “You know, after everything we have been through… I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, I always had to work extra hard to make you love me back… And now it’s like I don’t even know who you are.”

Riley shrugged and sniffles slightly. “I don’t even know who I am anymore,” she admitted. “I feel lost.”

Riley felt defeated and walked over the the edge of the bed where he was sitting and sat herself down. She kept her gaze on the floor. “What’s there to defend?”

“What are you doing?” Riley called out, watching from their bedroom doorway. “Your daughter is going to be home any minute now. Where the hell are you going?”

“I’m not leaving“ He said, furrowing his brow at her. “Yet.“ He sat on the edge of their bed, covering his face with his hands. “I’m going to put her to bed and then I’m gonna spend the night in a hotel or something.“

Riley felt a lump in her throat. “You can’t do that,” she spoke softly, her voice obviously breaking a bit because she is SAD

“Why can’t I, Riley?“ He said, uncovering his face. He was crying. “Fuck’s sake- Out of all the things you could do to me… Putting a knife through my heart would’ve been better.“

“It didn’t mean anything!” she exclaimed again. “I didn’t even do anything, he was just somebody I could talk to when you—you weren’t around.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?“ He gave her two thumbs up. “Really, flirting with some random man was easier than knocking on the fucking office door and saying, ‘Hey moron, give me some attention’. You’re fucking kidding me.“

Riley sighed, trying her best to not let the tears fall. “I didn’t say it was your fault,” she retorted. “I just liked the…escape.”

“What if I hadn’t seen it on your phone?” He asked, sad. “Would’ve you fucked him? Would’ve you kept it going behind my back?“ Chuck shrugged. “You just said it, our daughter is coming home. Didn’t you think about her? I thought our parents had fucked us up enough for us not to repeat their mistakes.“

She lowered her head in shame, unable to meet his eyes. “I know,” she mumbled. “You’re right.” It was all she could say; no arguing from her this time cause there was no way to argue her actions.

“I love you so much, Riley“ He said, wiping the tears off of his eyes. “I really wish you hadn’t done this.“

“You have to believe that I love you too, Chuck.” she started crying now cause okay this is rough on her. “I’m so sorry,” it came out as a broken whisper

“What are you doing?” Riley called out, watching from their bedroom doorway. “Your daughter is going to be home any minute now. Where the hell are you going?”

“I’m not leaving“ He said, furrowing his brow at her. “Yet.“ He sat on the edge of their bed, covering his face with his hands. “I’m going to put her to bed and then I’m gonna spend the night in a hotel or something.“

Riley felt a lump in her throat. “You can’t do that,” she spoke softly, her voice obviously breaking a bit because she is SAD

“Why can’t I, Riley?“ He said, uncovering his face. He was crying. “Fuck’s sake- Out of all the things you could do to me… Putting a knife through my heart would’ve been better.“

“It didn’t mean anything!” she exclaimed again. “I didn’t even do anything, he was just somebody I could talk to when you—you weren’t around.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?“ He gave her two thumbs up. “Really, flirting with some random man was easier than knocking on the fucking office door and saying, ‘Hey moron, give me some attention’. You’re fucking kidding me.“

Riley sighed, trying her best to not let the tears fall. “I didn’t say it was your fault,” she retorted. “I just liked the…escape.”

“What if I hadn’t seen it on your phone?” He asked, sad. “Would’ve you fucked him? Would’ve you kept it going behind my back?“ Chuck shrugged. “You just said it, our daughter is coming home. Didn’t you think about her? I thought our parents had fucked us up enough for us not to repeat their mistakes.“

She lowered her head in shame, unable to meet his eyes. “I know,” she mumbled. “You’re right.” It was all she could say; no arguing from her this time cause there was no way to argue her actions.

“What are you doing?” Riley called out, watching from their bedroom doorway. “Your daughter is going to be home any minute now. Where the hell are you going?”

“I’m not leaving“ He said, furrowing his brow at her. “Yet.“ He sat on the edge of their bed, covering his face with his hands. “I’m going to put her to bed and then I’m gonna spend the night in a hotel or something.“

Riley felt a lump in her throat. “You can’t do that,” she spoke softly, her voice obviously breaking a bit because she is SAD

“Why can’t I, Riley?“ He said, uncovering his face. He was crying. “Fuck’s sake- Out of all the things you could do to me… Putting a knife through my heart would’ve been better.“

“It didn’t mean anything!” she exclaimed again. “I didn’t even do anything, he was just somebody I could talk to when you—you weren’t around.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?“ He gave her two thumbs up. “Really, flirting with some random man was easier than knocking on the fucking office door and saying, ‘Hey moron, give me some attention’. You’re fucking kidding me.“

Riley sighed, trying her best to not let the tears fall. “I didn’t say it was your fault,” she retorted. “I just liked the...escape.”

“What are you doing?” Riley called out, watching from their bedroom doorway. “Your daughter is going to be home any minute now. Where the hell are you going?”

“I’m not leaving“ He said, furrowing his brow at her. “Yet.“ He sat on the edge of their bed, covering his face with his hands. “I’m going to put her to bed and then I’m gonna spend the night in a hotel or something.“

Riley felt a lump in her throat. “You can’t do that,” she spoke softly, her voice obviously breaking a bit because she is SAD

“Why can’t I, Riley?“ He said, uncovering his face. He was crying. “Fuck’s sake- Out of all the things you could do to me… Putting a knife through my heart would’ve been better.“

“It didn’t mean anything!” she exclaimed again. “I didn’t even do anything, he was just somebody I could talk to when you—you weren’t around.”

“What are you doing?” Riley called out, watching from their bedroom doorway. “Your daughter is going to be home any minute now. Where the hell are you going?”

“I’m not leaving“ He said, furrowing his brow at her. “Yet.“ He sat on the edge of their bed, covering his face with his hands. “I’m going to put her to bed and then I’m gonna spend the night in a hotel or something.“

Riley felt a lump in her throat. “You can’t do that,” she spoke softly, her voice obviously breaking a bit because she is SAD

“What are you doing?” Riley called out, watching from their bedroom doorway. “Your daughter is going to be home any minute now. Where the hell are you going?”

Riley crosses her arms, unsure of what to say next. “It’s nothing,” she stammered. “He was just a distraction, a flirtationship at most.”

Her expression fell immediately. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

“Again?” she sighed, looking back to him. “You’ve been trapped in there for what feels like centuries.”

Riley was relieved when he moved on from the subject and finished off the dishes. She raised a brow at his question, “Who? And what about?”

“My ex wife, Diana“ He said, the name making him roll his eyes. “You know, the one who cheated on me.“ Shaking his head, he hopped off the counter and walked to the fridge, grabbing a bear. “She wrote this long ass e-mail about how she’d just hoped I’d forgive her. Like I could ever forgive that.“

Riley bit down on her lower lip to keep from scowling. She knew what he was up to, but she wasn’t going to play into his game. “She hurt you, I cant blame you,” she began to dial on her phone. “I’m going to see how long before Rhi comes home.”

Riley was relieved when he moved on from the subject and finished off the dishes. She raised a brow at his question, “Who? And what about?”

Riley shook her head and continued to keep her focus on the dishes. “Nope, I think it’s Jasón or something.”

Riley was washing dishes when he asked his question, dropping the sponge when he asked about the name. Still, she kept her composure. “Johnny, remember? You said you hated him already.”

i frick in knew it wow. Riley was cleaning her mess in the kitchen while also watching Chuck closely, knowing that those texts were still on her phone. She hoped he wouldn’t see them; they were so meaningless. “Did you find it?” she called before she noticed him walking back. “About 20 minutes.”