Chapter 206 - Departure

Jack 

I look at him, confused by his words. I expected him to give me that ultimatum. After all, this is all my fault. I lied to him and now that I see that he is losing his trust for me--because I don't know why else he would ask me to quit my job. 

"Are you serious?'' I ask him, shocked as I wipe the tears from my face. 

His expression is cold now, he looks very upset but I can see that he is trying to control himself at this moment. This is all my fault; I take all the blame. I know that much but I need him to come to his senses. 

"Yes, I can't have you working with that guy," he tells me and I shake my head. 

"It was just one time, it won't happen again,'' I try to reason with him but it seems like he is not having any of this. 

It seems like he has made up his mind. 

"Trick, you can't ask me to do this. You helped me get this job, you know how important it is to me,'' I plead with so much desperation. Apart from Trick, this job is the only thing I have going on. He knows how much this is to me.

"I will help you get another one, you will be fine without it. I can't have you working in that place with him,'' he tells me. 

"That is not fair, you can't ask me to quit my job just because you don't want me to work with that guy. I can't believe you," I tell him and he looks at me with such anger in his eyes. 

"I can ask you that and I am asking you. I can't believe you," he tells me and the tears in my eyes start to stream down my cheeks again. 

"I need this job, I can't just quit it because you tell me to," I plead with him. 

"I am asking you to. I am begging you," he tells me and I shake my head. I am not going to let him do this to me. He can't just ask me to quit my job, because he is jealous of that guy. 

"I am asking you for the last time, I will not ask you again. I will not say another word about it. I can't, I just can't," he tells me and he is on the verge of tears as well. He is about to lose it; I can see it in his eyes. 

This is all my fault. I made a mess of Trick but I can't let him think that the best solution to this is to run away from the situation. He has to trust me; this marriage thing won't work if he doesn't trust me. 

"I can't quit my job, please don't make me do this,'' I tell him and he shakes his head. 

"I am asking you to do this for the sake of this relationship.''

I frown because now he is basically just telling me that if I don't leave my job, he would break up with me. 

How can he even threaten me with a breakup? He just proposed to me and now he is threatening to break up with me? 

"I am sorry but I can't do that. I can't leave this job just because you want me to, it doesn't make any sense. I can't just quit," I tell him and he looks at me, his hands are shaking. 

"What are you trying to say?'' he asks me in a barely audible voice. 

"I love you but I can't do this right now, I can't have you threatening me. Making me feel even worse than I do. I would never cheat on you. I will never love anyone more than I love you but if you can't see that then maybe you don't love me enough.'' I open the car door without looking at him and walk out of his cart because right now, this is too much for me. 

He doesn't even know the severity of his actions today. Yes, I made a mistake, I lied to him but I did from a good place. I didn't do it to be vindictive or hurtful. I did it because I love him so much but he is being inconsiderate and selfish and I can't handle that right now.

*************

After work, I drive home with the hopes that things have cleared up b between us. I just hope he has come to his sense; I don't want to fight with him anymore. This thing with Gill has just done more damage than it needed to. 

I know Trick, he was upset when he told me to quit. I am sure after he has calmed down, he would come back to his senses. 

Trick is the most considerate person I have ever met. there is not even a selfish bone in his body. So earlier in the car, he caught me by surprise with his ultimatum. 

I didn't expect that from him and I can't believe that he threatened to break up with me if I didn't quit my job. I can't believe he said that. 

but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I am sure everything is going to be ok. 

I am at my house now; I go inside and I immediately look for him. 

"Trick?" I call out but he doesn't answer. 

I look at the living room and there is no one in there. 

"Trick?" I look around for him but still, no answer. 

I walk up to the bedroom; I open the door and there he is. He is by the closet with a bag in his grip. I walk up to him with a smile on my face, happy to see him even through our argument earlier. 

"Hi,'' I wrap my arms around his waist from behind. He is stiff against my touch; this is not the way he responds when I hold him. 

he is still upset. 

"What are you doing?'' I let go of him because I need to apologize again. 

"I am going to Adina's,'' he tells me as he puts more clothes in the bag. 

"Why?'' I frown because I don't know why he is packing his stuff. 

"I can't stay here with you,'' he says and my heart drops. 

"I am going to stay at Adina's for a while, I need to get away from you. I need some time to think," he tells me and I am still standing there, unable to move. 

"I am sorry, I need to do this," he says and I can see that he is really serious about this. 

"You are leaving me?'' I ask him, my voice is shaking. 

"This is not what I want to do but I have no choice. I can't be with you right now," he tells me and I start sobbing. 

"I am sorry. This is just what I have to do," he tells me and I shake my head. 

"Trick, you can't do this to me. You promised me that nothing would ever come between us. I can't believe you are doing this to me," I tell him and he looks at me. 

"I am sorry," he tells me and I shake my head. 

"Please, you can't do this to me. I love you. I need you," I tell him but he is not listening to me. I am losing the man I love because of my mistake. 

"I am sorry," he tells me and I shake my head. 

"Trick, please. Don't leave me like this. Please," I beg him, my voice is shaking. 

He shakes his head and says nothing. He just keeps packing his things. 

"You are my life. Please don't do this to me," we have been together for more than ten years and in that time, he has never ever stayed away from home. We have had so many arguments, but nothing like this. 

Right now, he is not even looking at me. 

He is packing his shit and breaking up with me. 

"Please don't do this to me," I beg him again but he ignores me. 

"I am sorry," he keeps saying those two words and I have no idea what else to say to him. I am falling apart. 

I walk up to him and put my arms around his waist again. 

"Please," I beg him again and he shakes his head adamantly this time. There is no changing his mind. It seems like it is made up. 

"Is this it? are we over?" I ask him. 

He looks at me, his eyes sad "No, I just need time to think. I need to figure out how to handle all that is happening, I don't like the way this is making me feel. The insecurities, the dark thoughts. I love you so much and it hurts me to even think that I could lose you." 

He presses his lips to my forehead; the gesture is so full of love that I am sure he still loves me. 

"I am sorry," he says again and I blink away my tears as he lets go of me. I watch him as he walks away from me with the bag and it feels like he took my heart with him.