Build And Break novel Chapter 29

His mother had cheated on his father, cheated on her family, on himself. He was a little boy then. But his mother's departure was the episode that changed him, that made him lose his trust in people, made him heartless.

Until his moment with Angela, his brain had been in conflict as to why he remembered of his mother whenever he thought of Angela and their divorce. Then it became perfectly clear. He had thought Angela was like his mother. Thought she cheated on him and left. He was wrong. It was he who was more like his mother. He was the one that had left Angela.

For the next long minutes, Steven stood like frozen behind the gate, in the same place he always stood when he went there in the hundred times before. He never rang the bell. He never saw the woman who lived there. He didn't even know what she looked like since the last he had seen her twenty years ago. The hate he used to feel toward her had now switched to self-hatred. He hadn't given a chance to his mother just as much as he didn't give a chance to Angela. And he chastised himself for that.

Angela peered from the kitchen at the sound the elevator. Steven strode out in his ever steady posture. He didn't stop to remove his jacket or anything. He went straight towards his bedroom, glimpsing ever so slightly at Angela without stopping his strides.

"You got an hour to get dressed for dinner. Daniel comes too."

And bang. The sound of his bedroom door echoed in Angela's ears. Great. He had seduced her and now he wasn't even looking at her. And they were to attend dinner together with his friends. Oh, she mused, it was going to be a great evening.

Within the hour he had stipulated for her, Angela had dressed herself and Daniel. She chose to style her hair in a dainty bun and donned a black pencil dress. Her choice was deliberately against Steven's likings. He always liked her hair down and he preferred her in anything other than black. Daniel, on the other hand, was everything Steven favored. The little boy looked like a mini version of Steven in his matching navy pants and blazer and white shirt.

Steven hadn't even flickered his eyes at her during the whole ride to the restaurant. Even John had realized something was wrong. He peeked at them with concern through the rear view mirror every minute.

During dinner however, Steven was like a different man. He was full-on his lofty self and he was all flirty with her. He was all the Steven she remembered as her husband. His hands had rested on her thigh most of the dinner, his shoulder grazed her arm whenever he leaned in to listen closely to her, he winked at her when he knew both his friends were looking. He really knew how to put on the show of a loving husband. His sweet talk increased with every new glass of bourbon he drank. Upon his fourth glass and his comment involving the words 'later in bed', Angela reminded him that Daniel was present. Luckily, that made him slow his act.

After saluting the Jennings, Steven picked up Daniel into his arms. He didn't even bother to wake him. He gladly wrapped him in his embrace and trudged with him to their car. Once in the backseat of the car, Steven hadn't let go of Daniel. He sat him in his lap, snuggling the boy to him. Angela tried not to let the warm sight before her to affect her. She had only dreamt she'd ever see Steven caring for Daniel like that.

"You're quiet." Steven muttered at her.

Angela had been quiet because there were only two words on her tongue that she wanted to tell him. She never had the time. Until that moment. "You left."

"I did." He had no answer other than that to give her.