Chapter 17

"Do you still want to be with me, Emma?" Punk asked warily. He now knew that she had been feeling neglected over the years and that it didn't seem like she was much more than just his wife and the mother of his kids. He had wished that had all that had been bothering her; but at least now Jenna's paternity was behind them. He didn't want to stop the divorce proceedings just to have her live her life frustrated with him and eventually growing to resent him and the kids.

"I don't know..." she said softly as she looked down at her hands. "We have to deal with what happened with Scott, but I was serious too when I told you that I'm finding the housewife life suffocating, Punk. I'm more than just a wife and mom, but the problem is...I don't know what the hell I should be."

"I know, Emmy. I just don't want to get back together and then a few more years down the road, you want a divorce again. I can't go through this again; our kids can't go through this again. I might have just fucked Jack up permanently after what he saw last Saturday night. I feel like shit about that and I don't know how to fix it or if I even can fix it."

"I feel bad too. Jack saw everything and then asked my mom about everything. She's pissed as hell at me for having to explain what happened that night. Josh doesn't understand why we can't get along and why you can't live with us. And then there's Jenna. Well, Jenna's still so little and doesn't fully understand what's going on, but I know she's sad that you don't live here with us anymore."

They sat in silence, side by side on the couch for a few minutes. "Let me move back in," he whispered. "Emmy, I don't want to lose you. The world might think that I'm a fucking idiot for still wanting you, but I can't lose you. I just can't. Whatever you want or need, I'll get it for you. Whatever you want to do with your life, I'll figure out a way for you to do it. I just...I can't stop loving you. I really can't. When I proposed, I was dead serious when I said that I didn't want to live my life without you. I want you. I need you. Please, Emma, don't give up on me."

Emma nodded. She knew how hard it was for Punk right now to admit these deep feelings; the sensitive side of him was one that anyone rarely saw, even his wife, but when it came out, you had better pay attention. "I don't know. It's going to be confusing for the kids."

"I'd rather have them confused for a couple of weeks than all fucked up because mom and dad can't get along. Emmy, those kids needs both us of. I know my travel schedule is fucked up, and that I'm not home a lot, but I'm living my dream. And the money I make from that dream, keeps us in this nice house-"

"Hold on. It's never been about the money, Punk," Emma said defensively. "Hell no, it's never been about that. I could care less if you were a cook at the damn Waffle House, if that was your dream, I would support you no matter what. That's what it's about—your dream. I've supported you since day one. I don't care about the money or the house or the car, what I care about is you being happy." With a surprised smile on his face, Punk pulled Emma closer to him and they sat close together in a comfortable silence for a few minutes; both of them lost in their own thoughts about what had happened.

"Today's Thursday, I have to head back out on the road Sunday night," Punk said quietly.

"We have one more weekend to figure this out then," Emma said as she moved away from Punk and headed upstairs. She needed a shower and five minutes to herself to think. And then she had to find Scott and slap the shit out him for lying to her for the last three years.

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Scott had just unlocked the door to his apartment when his phone beeped with a message. He wanted to smile when he saw who it was from, but at the same time, he was scared shitless. It was a message from Emma, saying that they had gotten the paternity test back on Jenna this morning and that she wanted to stop over and talk to him about it.

Without thinking, he dialed Beth's number and begged her to come over. She moaned and groaned about having to deal with his bullshit today, but eventually gave in and promised to come over in a little bit.

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"Emma, I don't want you to go over there by yourself," Punk said sternly. His wife had just told him that she wanted to go over to Scott's and that she had fully intended to slap the shit out of him. "You're not going without me."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why can't you let me do this by myself?"

Punk didn't say anything and his gaze shifted to the floor. It clicked for her. "You don't trust me, do you? You think I'm going over to his place, not to confront him, but to let him know that the jig is up and that you're on to us? You are fucking unbelievable!"

"Damn it, that's not what I was thinking at all. Fucking calm down..." he mumbled as he tried to figure out how to get his thoughts out. "I just don't want you to go over there by yourself. I want to come with. I got a few things to say to Scotty myself."

"Fine. I'll be in the car," she said before she stomped out of the living room and slammed the front door behind her, leaving Punk to wonder why he was in love with such a difficult woman.

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The ride over to Scott's apartment was quiet, except for the sound of Punk grinding his teeth and mumbling to himself. "Stop. You are going to drive me insane with your grumbling," Emma said softly as she pulled into the parking lot of Scott's apartment complex.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he watched her park the car and turn it off. "You ready to do this?" he asked with his hand on the door handle. She shook her head; she was never going to be ready to do this. Ever.

A few minutes later, the couple found themselves in front of Scott's door; neither one of them wanted to be the one to knock. Finally, Emma just swallowed the fear that she was feeling and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Scott opened the door. There was a smile on his face and he whispered, "Hey, you," before the smile quickly disappeared when he saw his former lover's husband, and his former best friend, standing behind her.

"Can we come in?" Emma said softly as Scott moved away from the door and Punk followed Emma. Before Scott could close the door, Punk drew his fist back and sucker punched Scott in the jaw, sending him backwards into Emma.

"What the fuck, Punk?" Scott shouted.

"Let's get one thing straight, Colton. You are to never, and I mean ever, come near my wife again," Punk growled at Scott, who was holding his jaw, trying to rub away the throbbing pain he was feeling right now.

"Punk, stop," Emma interjected. "This is why I didn't want you to come with. I knew you were going to do this."

"Em-" Before Punk could get the words out to try and reason with his wife, another voice entered the room.

"Punk. Punk. Punk. It's a good thing you came with; otherwise, your little wifey here, might have just forgotten whatever bullshit promises she made you and laid down for Colton again. I'm sure that was what she had in mind, anyways, wasn't it, Emma," Beth snarled at Emma as she came out of the kitchen and stood next to Scott.

Emma rolled her eyes; she never cared for Beth. "Shut up, Beth Not even sure why you're sticking your nose into my business in the first place," Emma mumbled. Before Emma knew what was happening, Beth had wrapped her hands around Emma's slender neck and was pushing her against the wall. As Beth lifted her up and slammed her head against the wall, Emma desperately tried to kick her legs and make contact with Beth so she could get down; Beth was trying to choke the breath out of her. "You don't deserve Punk. You never have and you never will. You trapped him, Emma with those damn kids. He shouldn't be with you; he should be with someone who knows the business; not some pretty Barbie doll who spreads her legs for anyone walking-" Beth was cut off by Punk grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her off his wife.

"What the fuck is your problem, Beth?" Punk yelled at her.

"My problem? My problem? My problem is your wife, Punk. I don't like her. In fact, I hate her. You could do so much better than her, but no, you keep insisting that she's the most perfect woman in the world. Oh, she promised me forever and a day, and forever isn't over yet. Please. Do you even realize how much a douche bag you sound like when you believe her bullshit?" Beth spat at him, her blue eyes flashing with anger.

"I don't know what you're talking about,Beth. Emma is my wife. We have a family together, why is that so hard for you to understand. I've told you this before: I don't love you, I love Emma, and I'm always going to love Emma. There is no me and you. There never will be a Punk and Beth. It's Punk and Emma! You need to get that through your thick skull!" Punk shouted at her.

"Why are you saying that to her, Punk? What do you mean you've told her this before?" Emma asked as she rubbed the spot on her neck that Beth had grabbed roughly.

For a split second, Beth looked hurt; then she looked pissed. "Punk, how much of what happened between Scott and Emma do you really know about?" She asked as she started pacing around the room, while Emma cowered behind her husband; Beth was scaring the shit out of her right now and she just wanted to grab Punk's hand and run, but she knew her husband well enough to know that he never back down from a fight.

"I know more than I need to know. I know my best friend betrayed me and seduced my wife into bed and then lied to her about Jenna's paternity test," Punk spat out.

Beth chuckled. "Oh, Punk. There is so much more to it than just that. I suppose Perfect Emma just told you that her and Scott had sex a couple of times and then when they almost got caught they stopped? That couldn't be farther from the truth."

"What is she talking about, Em?" Punk asked as he turned his attention to his petrified wife. "Did something else happen with Scott?"

Emma shook her head, her brown eyes were starting to well up with tears. She should have stopped this a long time ago, she didn't mean to hurt Punk this way. "She's lying, Punk," Beth said softly. "How can you still want to be married to someone who can't tell you the truth? Scott...tell our buddy Punk what Emma promised you," Beth said with an evil smile on her face. If Punk didn't finalize his divorce after what Scott was going to tell him, then the man truly was an idiot, Beth thought to herself.

Scott was refusing to look at anyone; this had gone far enough, he didn't want to break Punk and Emma up anymore. "Scott!" Beth shrieked at him.

"Before Emma filed for divorce from you, she promised to marry me once everything was final. She was going to try and get everything and leave you with jack shit. We were going to raise the kids together, have some more of our own and..." Scott stopped talking when he realized that Punk's eyes had glazed over with hate.

"Shut the fuck up," was all Punk said before he grabbed Emma's arm and made her look at him. "Is this true? Were you going to screw me in the divorce? How long had you been planning on doing this, Emma?" he growled at her.

"We had planned this a couple months after Jenna was born. She didn't want to be married to you..." Scott said softly. "I love her. I know it's wrong and it's real shitty of me to be in love with my best friend's wife, but I can't help it, man. Me and Emma have something special."

"Correction. You two had something special. You don't have anything anymore. Whatever bullshit story you and Beth are trying to come up with right, I don't believe it. I have no reason to believe a damn thing that comes out of your mouth anymore, Colton." And with that Punk grabbed his wife's arm and they walked out of the apartment together.

"Punk! Think about what you're doing! You're a damned idiot if you take her back after this," Beth called after him.

Punk stopped in his tracks, and turned to glare at Beth and Scott. "Well, then, I guess I'm damned idiot. Stay the fuck out of our lives. Both of you," Punk spat as he slammed the door behind him.

He took a deep breath and looked at Emma. "Home. Now."