One Thousand Miles

Chapter  |  The Downfall of Us

Part  |  One

I was finished with college, and was living in a dream come true. It wasn't long before I got myself a job as a news anchor. They thought I was wonderful for the job and wouldn't let them down. I was so proud of myself that day. My life was finally falling into place. Everything was just perfect. Well, everything except for one thing...

Ever since John's father passed the company over to him, he's been stressed out a lot more. The argument between John and I at the party was what started it all. Tanya asked about the bruises on my arm, but my response was rough sex. She didn't look like she believed me, but she didn't question it afterwards.

John and I had had about ten or more arguments over stupid stuff in just these past three months. He'd get upset over little things, like if I stayed out too late with my friends, or when I wouldn't hang up the phone when he wanted me to. I remember the first time he'd done that while I was speaking to my mother. I was lying there on the bed when he came storming in the bedroom looking quite furious.

"Tell whoever you're talking to you'll talk to them later, and hang up," he says as he stands at the end of the bed with him arms crossed over his chest.

I look at him in disbelief. "Um, mom hold on for a second." I pull the phone away from my ear cover the speaker. "What?"

"I said tell whoever you're talking to you'll talk to them later, we need to talk and we need to talk now," he says before walking to the side of the bed and reaching for my phone.

I quickly move it away from him and shake my head. "No, if you want to talk to me about something then you can talk to me while I'm on the phone. Or you can just wait until I'm finished talking."

He growls before snatching my phone from my hands and throwing it across the room. "When I tell you to do something, you god dammit do it, do you understand me?"

I look at where he threw my phone then back to him. I narrowed my eyes at him and growled in frustrated. I hopped off the bed and quickly went to where my phone lie cracked on the floor. "What the hell was that for?" I pick it up and hold to my ear, but there is no sound on the other end. "Thank you for breaking my phone."

"Well maybe if you had listened to me and did what I said, then your phone wouldn't be broken now would it?"

We argued for a good ten minutes before finally I had walked out the house with him calling my name. I drove over to Tanya's house and told her what had happened. Well the less scary version of what had happened. I didn't want to scare her by making her think John was hitting on me when I he wasn't. I knew Tanya would think that if I told her what had actually happened which is why I didn't. The story was, John came in the room upset about me spending too much time with Tanya and I threw my phone in frustration. Of course she believed it. It was true that I had been spending a lot of time with Tanya since John was busy at work, and of course he'd be upset that Tanya was hanging with me. He still thought she was a bad influence after all these years.

Of course when I'd returned home that night I was greeted by a dozen white roses. I quickly forgave him and swiftly picked me up and carried me to our bedroom where we made love for the rest of the night.

The next argument wasn't until three days later...

It was now the Fourth of July and we planned on having friends and family over for a barbeque. So far it was going great. People were in the pool, both my father and John's were handling the food, John played football with my brother and some other, and I sat at the edge of the pool holding Taylor.

I smiled down at her just as she gave me a toothless smile. I laughed just as Tanya took a seat next to me. 

"She didn't give you hard time while I was gone did she?" she asks, as she takes her daughter and places her in her lap.

I shake my head smile. "No she was good for aunt."

Tanya laughed. "Well that is a first. She is usually a hassle when it comes to Tyler and I."

"Well maybe she just liked me more," I say as a smirk slowly appears on my face. She looks at me with her mouth open before reaching into the water and splashing some on me. I scream and giggle before standing up and running over to where my father stood grilling with Michael.

"Hey dad, food almost done?" I ask as I take a look inside the grill. Hot dogs, burgers, and ribs. My mouth watered at the sight.

He smiles and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand before placing a kiss on the top of my head. "Not yet kiddo, but almost. I'm sure you can wait a few more minutes."

I shake my head just as my stomach lets out a loud grumble. Michael and my father look at each other before bursting into laughter. I blush and quickly head over to where Tanya now sat at of the picnic tables with Tyler and my co-worker Todd.

As I approach them, Tyler lets out a whistle. "Man Steph, is it just me or do you get sexier every day?"

I glare at him playfully before taking a seat next to Todd. "Is that something you really want to say to a married woman, especially with your girlfriend right there?"

"Yeah, I'm right here Tyler. I would sock you in the jaw, but Taylor is the only thing holding me back," Tanya says as she glares at him too, but I can see the corner of her lips fighting to hold back a smile.

He laughs runs his thumb over his daughter's forehead. "Well she's just trying to protect daddy that's all."

Todd and I laugh at the two and watch as Tanya continues to threaten Tyler. After a while Todd stands up and I look up at him. "Where are you going?"

"Swimming, want to join?" he asks as he holds his hand out.

I smile and take it. Once we're close to the pool he lets go of my hand and jumps into the pool causing water to get all over me. I gasp and look down at my wet body before looking up at him. He laughs just as I run in and jump in, almost landing on top of him. When I resurface I grab onto his shoulders and pull him underneath the water. He grabs onto my ankle and pulls me down with him. I open my eyes and stare at him as he stares back at me. After a while my lungs start to burn so I quickly come up for air. He comes up too, laughing.

"Haha, I won," he says childishly.

I roll my eyes and smile. "I didn't know we were having a breathing contest."

"Well we were," he says with a smirk before wrapping his arm around me and pulling me over his shoulder.

I laugh and smack his back. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

He laughed too. "I won, so this is my rewards. I get to do whatever I please with you, and right now I feel like just doing this."

"Why to piss me off because it sure did work," I say as I roll my eyes and smile. He spins around laughing while I continue to demand he let me down. As I'm laughing and demanding he put me down, I notice somebody at the edge of the pool glaring at us. I look up and meet a pair of blue eyes.

John.

He turns around and heads into the house. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Hey, Todd put me down for a second. There is something important I need to take care of."

He stops spinning and lets me down with a smile. "Okay, but when you get back we're continuing where we left off."

I laugh and slapped him on the arm playfully. I quickly get out the pool and speed walk to the house. When I enter a gust of cold air hits me causing goose bumps to form on my arms. I wrap my arms around my body and mentally scold myself for not bringing a towel. I shake my head and close the door before slowly making my way into the kitchen which is where I found John. He was leaning against the kitchen island staring at a picture we took on two year anniversary.

He turned towards me, and I gulped. He didn't have a smile on his face. He had this furious look that I had only seen once at John's congratulations party. An emotion I hadn't felt in a while suddenly took over my body.

Fear.