Jenny slammed the bedroom door behind her, tears of rage and betrayal burning her eyes. The hurtful things she and Joe had screamed at each other kept playing in her head. Why did he have to sleep with Diane too, the one person she thought she could count on outside their marriage?
She threw herself on the bed, conflicting emotions churning within her. Part of her knew she was being unreasonable--after all, she had cheated on Joe first and repeatedly. If she could have her fun with Jason, why couldn't Joe pursue his own happiness too? But a deeper part craved the simplicity of when she was the sole focus of Joe's desire and couldn't bear this turn onto shaky new ground. Her jealousy was irrational, emanating from deep within making her lash out before she could process her emotions. There seemed no one she could speak to openly about the tangle she felt caught in. No one but the person at the heart of it...
Jenny wiped her eyes and grabbed her phone, tapping Jason's number before she could reconsider. He answered on the second ring.
"Jen? Everything okay?" At the concern in his voice, fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
"Not really," she said, hating the tremor she couldn't keep out of her tone. "Jason, I...I need to talk to someone and I didn't know who else to call."
"I'm here to listen," he said quietly. "Is it about Joe?"
The gentleness of the question undid her. Haltingly at first, then in a rush of words, she told him about the blowup with Joe and the hurt left in its wake. "I don't know how we got so messed up," she confessed. "I thought opening our marriage could fix the problems, but it's only made more. I miss how simple things were, but I'm afraid we can't get that back now."
Jason was silent for a moment. "The situation got more complicated than you planned," he said at last. "But the only way to know if you and Joe can work through it is by really talking it all out honestly. Apologize for your part in the hurt, listen to how he feels, and decide together if the relationship is something you both want to commit to improving."
His steady advice eased the turmoil churning within her. Jason was right--the only way forward was to face what had happened with open eyes and open hearts. She needed to apologize and be honest with Joe about how she felt.
"Thank you," she said softly. "I needed to hear that."
"You're welcome," Jason said. "I hope you're able to work things out, whatever is the right answer for you both. Take care, Jenny."
Jenny ended the call with gratitude for Jason's support and a readiness to do what she had to for her marriage. She hoped her talk with Joe would go as smoothly, but the way she acted, maybe this time he would not forgive her. Maybe she had gone too far.
She wiped her eyes and went looking for Joe, but the house was silent. A sense of dread filled her as she walked through the empty rooms. Joe's car was gone from the driveway, and when she checked her phone, there was a text from him:
Staying at a friend's for a couple days. We both need some space.
Jenny sank onto the couch, fresh tears escaping. She couldn't blame Joe for needing a break from the hurt and anger between them, but his absence left an ache in her chest. If only she could go back and undo her mistakes.
For now though, sleep was what she needed after an emotionally and physically grueling shift. Jenny dragged herself upstairs and collapsed into bed, too drained to dream. She only hoped that when she and Joe came back together, it would be to start mending the rifts and rebuilding what they once had. If he still wanted that too...there was so much riding on the conversation ahead.
