I managed to start moving again. My legs felt heavy and everything my dad had said seemed pointless now. The last time I’d been broken over Creed Sullivan no one had been able to fix me but Griff. I didn’t even have that now. I didn’t deserve it.
“Sailor.” Creed’s voice stopped me from walking in the house just as I opened the door. I glanced over my shoulder to see him in my backyard. He’d stopped coming near me, but he was close enough that I could hear him easily enough. “I gave you time.”
I laughed then. Loudly and slightly frantic. “A week. You gave me a week,” I told him then shook my head in disbelief. Did he honestly think that was a good excuse? He had been in my house having sex with me less than two weeks ago and now he is having a sleep over with Ember. No. I was not okay with this.
“You went to Boston last night,” he said with clear accusation in his tone.
Angry now, I turned completely around to face him. “Yeah, I did. How the hell do you know where I went?”
He shrugged. “Does that matter? It’s a fact.”
I glared at him and took a step in his direction. “My going to Boston to spend time with my father who I never see is reason enough for you to bring that woman back to your house? Right under my nose? I’m sorry, Creed, that I made you wait a week then spent time with my dad. Please forgive me!” I was yelling now and I didn’t even care. It felt good. I needed to scream.
“I thought you were with Griff,” he said.
“I know exactly what you thought, Creed. But no. I cheated on Griff with you. Sweet, kind, loving Griff who would move mountains for me. I chose you. Not my brightest moment,” I said it before I could stop myself and I saw him wince. I wasn’t one to say things to hurt others, but I wanted Creed to hurt. He’d hurt me and I wanted to hurt him.
Creed looked away from me and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his leather coat. He said nothing and I didn’t know what else to say. A large portion of me wanted to apologize for what I said but the other part was too selfish.
“Why don’t you think about this, Sailor, if Griff is so fucking perfect then why wasn’t he making time to see you? Call you? If what you had was so great, why did you have sex with me? I can’t think of one damn thing the guy did for you that was selfless. Maybe if you’d open your eyes and,” he stopped then and closed his mouth. Shaking his head, he turned and headed back toward his house.
“Say it!” I called out to him. Whatever it was and however hurtful it would be, I wanted him to say it. If just to make us even.
He paused and turned back to me. “I didn’t sleep with Ember. I was never planning on it.” He said nothing more then turned and started walking away again. No more words. No more anger. He was just gone.
Twenty-eight
November 26, 2019
With no work this week, because the museum was closed for Thanksgiving week, I decided to decorate for Christmas and start buying some gifts. Today I had spent five hours buying more decorations than my house needed. I didn’t care, the retail therapy was good for me. While walking the aisles of Christmas cheer and listening to the holiday music over the speakers, it had made me forget for a moment that I was once again a broken lonely woman.
I was on my second trip to the car to unload when Margie came walking up my drive.
“Looks like someone is about to deck the halls,” she said cheerfully.
“I’m off work this week and thought I’d get started.”
She beamed. “I need to do the same but the boys are coming home and Dan has his wife and kids, then Dale has a new boyfriend we can’t wait to meet. Anyway, I was wondering if you had spoken to Creed lately.”
I shook my head no.
She sighed and looked at his house with a small frown. “Well, Dan and his wife were set to lease his house starting in December, but he canceled on them and said he was moving into it a few weeks ago. We were happy he was going to be home