The Battered Heiress Blues - By Laurie Van Dermark Page 0,37
was open and the kitchen door was slightly ajar. His briefcase and papers were spread out over the table. He quickly shuffled them into a pile as I made my entrance, but he never acknowledged my presence. He was on the landline, conversing with someone, wearing a suit and tie- not proper attire for a casual evening at home with me. My heart sank. He screwed it up- again.
I sat down at the kitchen table while he closed his briefcase and walked outside. I heard the trunk close. I slid the diamond ring off my finger and laid it by his keys. He walked back in and sat down next to me, picking up the ring.
“What’s this?”
“The answer I promised you.”
“There’s a crisis at work. One of the lawyers I left in charge screwed up the land contracts for a big deal we’ve been working on for months. I’m the only one who can fix this. By the way, I got an ear full from your dad about not being able to get in touch with me. Would you know anything about that?”
The jig was up. I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out the battery, depositing it next to his grandmother’s ring. I stood up and walked to the island, leaning against it for support. I knew that this was a possibility. The odds were 50/50 at best, but I had hoped for a better outcome.
“That’s just perfect.” He took his keys and the battery, placing them in his pants pocket, purposefully leaving the ring.
“What do you want me to say? Sorry? I’m not sorry.”
“You have very little faith in me, Julia.”
“Well, you lived up to my usual expectations.”
Henry stood and walked over. He was geared up for a fight. He wanted an excuse to leave- just like before.
“You don’t trust me. You don’t trust that I can do both things well.”
“Trust is earned. I’ve been here before, remember- déjà vu.”
“Yes, I recall. Now we just need a bloke to stand in for Jackson. Gabe will do, I suppose.”
“You should go. You should go before you say something else stupid.”
“Why did you do it? Why did you sabotage me and put my job in jeopardy?”
“I knew you’d make the wrong choice. You couldn’t possibly put me above business. It was mean for you to get my hopes up this time- especially now.”
“You know a little bit about mean, don’t you sweetheart? That’s like the kettle calling the pot black. So now it will be another Jackson, huh? He’ll probably be here before the end of the night. My side of the bed won’t even be cold. I’ll always be the get over guy to you; the one to call in a pinch, when you’re in some major meltdown and need a safety net.”
“First of all, it’s the pot calling the kettle black,” I said light-heartedly. “Second, you can’t possibly think that’s what you are to me? You’re being ridiculous.”
“Pot-kettle- whatever. You know what I’m saying. I don’t want to always be that guy, Jewels. I want to be the chosen one- not the winner by default.”
He turned away and walked to the end of the kitchen island, where he seemed to pause and contemplate his next words.
“Haven’t you always known?” I cautiously took a step forward.
“Known what?” Henry replied exasperated, refusing to face me.
“It’s you…always has been.” I took a few more steps forward until stopping directly behind him. “Jackson was the get over guy…the guy to get over you.”
Minutes passed with no reply. I began to feel embarrassed for cracking the only wall I’d managed to keep intact. I slowly started to retreat, backing up, watching for any sign of movement on his part, but it never came. He couldn’t even stand to look at me now. I was hurt. Henry had been the one bright spot in a storm of very bad days. I felt truly alone for the first time since losing Conner.
“Silence wasn’t really the reaction I was going for.” I tried to sound sincere, but in an oddly humorous sort of way. I turned and walked toward the back door. Sensing movement, I quickly looked back, but he had barely changed positions. “I’m going to go now. You should go… Go home, Tru.”
Henry finally turned towards me. His face looked like a blank piece of paper. I couldn’t read our history in his eyes. In that moment of nothingness, I couldn’t envision a future.