Nikita stared up at the ceiling, Joel’s form peacefully snoring next to her. He’d stumbled in piss ass drunk in the early hours of the morning, reeking of perfume and lipstick staining the collar of his shirt. She’d thought he’d been at work, but apparently not. In the two years since Evie had been born, he hadn’t tried to better himself or get a better job or even help her around the house. He appeared to be stuck in a rut, unable to move past the fact that his star career as a football player had been shattered. Nikita had tried to convince him to apply for college, or any vocational training for that matter. But Joel had always procrastinated before finally refusing. He said they needed the money but whatever money he made, Nikita didn’t see a cent of it. He was barely even around to ke
