Tense Silence Home

Hayley

The sound of a car passing broke up the trance.

I looked down putting an end to the serious eye contact going between us.

"Where you going to go home with him?" Kyle asked quietly.

"What?" I reared back in shock. The audacity for him to ask me such a question!

"You heard me Hayley." His body was tense and his jaw clenched tight.

"I don't see how that is any of your business. You lost the right to ask me any question of that magnitude." I tapped my fingers against his hard chest angrily.

"In case you forgot, you are still my wife and mother of my children." He gritted out.

I gasped in disbelief. His wife? This man was delusional.

"I can't do this now." I turned away from him.

"Get in the car, I'm taking you home. And this time don't test my patience or else you will regret it." He swore after me as I stomped to his stupid vehicle.

This was going to be a long drive.

The air in the car was too stifling and the awkward silence was getting to me. I pressed myself far against my seat not wanting to brush any parts of my body against his.

Done with the silence, I turned on the radio. It was currently playing a trashy rock song but that was better than being in silence.

Kyle turned it off. I glared at him and turned it on.

He compromised this time, reducing this volume and changed the channel to a soft ballad.

"Tammy watching the kids?" Now he wanted to make conversation.

"Yes." I answered grudgingly.

He nodded jaw tight with what? Judgement? It better not be. I wasn't the one leaving his family just because his lovely Simone was back in town.

"Are you calling me a bad mother?" I turned on him. How dare he?

"Don't put words in my mouth Hayley. I never said that." He glared at me before focusing on the road.

"You didn't have to say it for me to know you were thinking it." I threw at him peeved that he thought that I was an irresponsible mother to our kids.

"I think you are misunderstanding Hayley, I didn't mean it that way." He tried to explain tossing me a 'don't turn this around' look.

"Oh, I perfectly understand. That's why you think Simone will make a perfect substitute mother for the twins.."

"Shit." Kyle swore as he swerved the car roughly to the left parking at the side of the road.

"Yeah and I know that you are getting ready to marry after we finalize the proceedings of our divorce." Right now, I was fuming with anger. Like he couldn't tell me himself. I had to hear everything from that spiteful bitch.

"Jesus Christ! Hayley where did you hear that from?" He looked at me surprised.

"Where else if not from your sweet and precious Simone? You know after you told her about the stupid mistake we made." I spat out bitterly.

"Told her what?" His expression was bewildered.

"Oh my gosh, can you stop behaving like you don't know what I am talking about?" I had definitely lost my patience.

"Because I really don't know what you are talking about!" He yelled stunning me into silence.

"You don't know?" I whispered.

"I don't. Please enlighten me." He replied softly.

"Well, Simone paid me a visit at work earlier this week, insinuating that you told her about what happened between us. And she also went to great lengths to inform me about your upcoming nuptials and our impending divorce." I ended sarcastically.

"Shit, Hayley. I am so sorry. I don't know how she found out." He sighed dragging his fingers through his hair roughly.

"Somehow she found out. But were you ever going to tell me?" I asked.

"Yeah. I was going to tell you but at the right time."

"Okay. Whatever, just know after our divorce is settled, I retain custody of the kids." That was something I was not relenting on. I hoped that Kyle continued his silent rule of not introducing Simone to the kids. But at some point, he would have to since she was going to be a permanent fixture in his life soon.

"Hayley.." I cut him off.

"You know what? Just drive." Flipping him off, I turned my attention to the window gazing at the buildings and enjoying the breeze.

We kept silent after the argument and soon he pulled up at the house.

The lights were off, I was home early than expected. But it was 9:39pm and Tammy must have put the kids to sleep.

"Do you want me to walk you to the door?" I looked at him strangely.

"Sorry my bad." He had a sheepish look on his face.

"Thanks for the ride." I tried to be polite. They was the best I could do.

Inside the house, Tammy was sitting in the living room watching a movie.

"Oh Mrs Banes, you are back." She stood up.

"Yeah, I decided to have a early night in."

"Okay, I hope you don't mind that I am watching a movie. The kids are already asleep and I had nothing to do." She rambled anxiously.

Tammy was a shy teenager who was always nervous around me, no matter how many times she had watched the kids.

"It's okay Tammy." The main reason why I rejected Kyle's offer to walk me to the door, not that I would have accepted was because of Tammy.

I didn't want to give her ideas that Kyle and I were getting back together. And because her mom was a terrible gossip.

"Okay I will get going Mrs Banes." She switched off the TV.

"Hold on Tammy. Here take this." I ravaged my purse and brought out a hundred dollar bill.

"Thank you Mrs Banes." She gasped when she saw the denomination.

"Take it." I smiled pressing the money in her hand.

"But it's too much Mrs Banes." She argued.

"No, I will be offended if you don't take it." I forged displeasure.

Tammy hesitated before reluctantly taking it.

"Thank you Mrs Banes. I really appreciate this."

"You are welcome. Use it to buy something nice for yourself."

Tammy left, I watched her from my door to make sure she arrived home safely. She stayed two houses from ours.

I checked on the kids and kissed them good night on their foreheads.

Done with a bath, I slipped into bed.

Me: You still awake?

I texted Amber. Waiting for her reply, I checked on my emails.

Nothing, it was either she was asleep or getting freaky with her British Gentleman.

Either way, I would be getting the gist of what happened.

I needed to talk to someone, so I decided to check in on my family. We had a group chat where we converged and checked in with each other.

Me: Anyone up?

Immediately, Joe answered and Mom was not so far behind.

Joe: Yeah I am. What's up?

Mom: Speaking for me and your dad, he is asleep.

And then she used a crazy emoji. Parents wanting

I burst into laughter. How did Mom and Dad make marriage look so easy? Mine was never easy, not that I was complaining. From the beginning, Kyle never wanted to give us a chance.

Me: I just wanted to check in.

Joe: Or you miss your twin brother so much that you couldn't keep away. Perhaps, how are my adorable niece and nephew?

Me: They are fine.

Mom: Stop flattering yourself. She probably misses her parents especially her 'momma'.

I couldn't help it, I laughed hard.

This was just what I needed. A little time spent with them was enough to almost make me forget what happened tonight.