Ari had come over a little bit after I had sent Ashton the text telling him to not come back that night.

I sent Gracie up to my room to play while I talked with Ari. I could tell the little girl was confused but I honestly didn't know what to tell her.

"Hey." Ari said as she walked through the front door, a half smile on her face.

"Hey." I replied from where I sat cross legged on the sofa.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Not really." I answered.

"Stupid question, I know." She said and sat down next to me. "I'm sorry I left. I was just too angry. Did you and him talk?"

"Not entirely. More like I yelled at him. He wanted to talk about it but I didn't want to." I sighed lightly. "What did you say to him."

"That he was a horrible person for doing this to you."

Biting my lip I rested my head against the cushion.

"Is he coming back?" She asked.

"Not tonight. I told him to find somewhere else to stay."

She nodded.

"What are you going to do?" Her voice asked softly.

"I don't know. I mean I want answers but I don't think I'm ready to face him."

"What's there to face? He lied to you Carter. Not only to you but to Ender, Gracie. That's not good, I think you should just break it off."

"I love him Ari...it's not that easy."

"I never said it was easy, I said it's not good to be in a relationship with someone like him."

"You don't know him like I do." I said defensively.

"Well you obviously don't know him as well as you thought you did." She said and I blinked. She wasn't wrong.

"You're right."

Here I was defending him after he had been lying to me about who he was for the past six months we had been together.

Why hadn't he just told me when we first met? Did he think I would only be into him for his money?

It explained so much though.

Why he always left for a week or two at a time. Why he always took business calls or calls from the guys in another room or outside the house.
How he always put on sunglasses and a hat whenever we went outside in public places together.

How whenever I'd ask him about work he'd give me short, no content answers.

It explained why those girls were surrounding him when we were at the zoo, and when the girl asked for our picture in the grocery store.

But it never felt like he was hiding something from me, I guess that's how he wanted it. I had no idea until today, not even an inkling of suspicion.

I was so angry at him, livid to the point where I don't think I could look at him without screaming at him and bursting into a river of tears, but I was also so curious. I wanted answers for why he had done this, why he decided not to share that part of his life with me. I couldn't decide what I was more: angry or curious.

There had to be a reason why.

I had been walking around Haven Harbour and Sydney with a famous celebrity for almost half a year and had absolutely no idea. I felt so incredibly stupid.

Ari left a little while later, leaving me to sulk a bit more until Gracie came downstairs saying she was hungry.

I wasn't really in the mood to cook tonight but I was still parent to two kids and I didn't really have much of a choice.

I made grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, accidentally grabbing the ingredients for four and then realising, putting some back.

Gracie sat at the bar and ate while I leaned against the counter taking tiny bites of my food. I wasn't hungry.

Ender still hadn't come downstairs and I was getting annoyed.

"Ender, dinners ready!" I called up the steps and a few minutes later he came down, sitting at the bar and looking down at his sandwich as he ate.

He then left his plate on the counter and went back to his room when he was done which aggravated me even farther. Tonight was not the night for his bratty games.

Pissed off, I marched up to his room and opened his door. He was sitting on his bed reading a comic book.

"Can you go do your dishes please?" I asked him politely, trying not to snap at him.

"No." He answered, not even looking up at me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my eyes wide in disbelief.

"I said no." He said and I lost it.

"I'm not in the mood for your eleven year old attitude crap. Go downstairs and wash your dishes." I said through my teeth.

"Tell me why Ashton isn't here and then I'll do it." He said looking up at me.

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"Oh, so you can act like a jerk to me but I can't act like one to you? That's fair." He said in a snobbish tone.

"Exactly. Because I'm the adult."

"Why won't you just tell me, he's part of my life too you know?"

"Okay you want to know? Fine. Ashton is in a band."

"What?" Ender asked, looking confused.

"He's in a band. A pretty famous one at that?"

"You're mad at him because he's in a band? That's stupid."

"No, I'm mad at him because he's been lying to us for the past six months about who he is." I fired back.

"Well now you know, can't you get over it?"

"No I can't just get over it. He betrayed me Ender."

"Whatever." Ender shook his head.

I breathed heavily, trying to calm myself down.

"I want your dishes washed in five minutes or your grounded for two weeks." I said and walked out of his room, slamming the door shut behind me.

Gracie was still downstairs so I called her up so I could give her her bath.

"Is Daddy going to say goodnight?" She asked me as I sat her in the bubbles and my heart broke even more than it already had.

"Not tonight, love." I gave her a soothing smile and continued to get her cleaned up.

After she was dried off I got her into her pyjamas.

"Hey Gracie, why don't you sleep in my bed with me tonight." I told her and she nodded happily, grabbing her bunny, Ellie the elephant, and Olaf in her tiny arms and waddling up the stairs.

Thankfully Ender had washed his dishes so I turned off the lights and locked the front door before heading to bed so I could try and sleep this off.

It didn't help that my sheets smelled like him. Every time I turned in the blankets it was like getting slapped in the face with the reminder of what he did.

I didn't sleep that night.

The next morning was an absolute nightmare trying to get the kids together. I didn't realise how much Ashton actually did for me until he wasn't there.

The travel situation was unique.

Ender rode his bike while I sat Gracie in my lap and rode my bike a little slower to the school. Thankfully she didn't fall off.

When I got back to the house she decided to play with Bear who Ari had brought back yesterday as well outside in the front yard.

I was in the shop with the door open, sitting at the computer when my phone rang.

My worst fear confirmed, it was Ashton.

I couldn't talk to him, not yet.

I let it ring twice before I hit decline, sending him to voicemail.

--

okay, poor carter:(

I feel bad for them both.

as always, vote and comment if you'd like, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

much love xx -m