he yelled.
I was wrong. There was space for the dagger to go in deeper, after all.
"Fuck you, Christopher!"
"Do you really think you're in love with him, huh? That what you feel for him is true love?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets and walking around the living room like he owned it. "I know how your mind works, love. You've always wondered if you really know what true, unconditional love is, because Pam never gave you that kind of love and she never taught you how to give it back.
"Well, you know what? You're just like her—all wrapped up in your own inner world, no idea about what the hell is going on around you half the time. No wonder you had to quit your job. I mean, how can you do your job adequately if you can't even understand what's going on with the people you're closest to?"
That was the moment Aislynn's mind disconnected from her body. The last thing she registered was the sound of breaking glass seconds after she threw a vase at Christopher that landed square in the middle of the living room wall.
Jace walked out of the airport and to his car, happy that he had made it back home a whole day early. He had told Aislynn he would be busy with meetings, but he had caught an earlier flight home instead. He planned to surprise her the next morning with breakfast and a trip up the coast.
Once home, he checked out the new furniture in the guest room and then started undressing to get into the shower. He was very surprised to hear the doorbell ring, followed by a persistent knock.
It's one in the morning. What the hell?
Nothing could have prepared him for who was waiting for him on his doorstep.
"What the hell are you doing here, Chloe?" he asked, holding the door ajar.
"Jace, finally! I needed to see you," she said with a noticeable slur and a heavy smell of alcohol on her breath.
"Please, just go away. You're drunk," he said, and motioned to close the door when he noticed her car was parked behind his. The back of it was sticking halfway out into the street, and the headlights were still on. "You drove here like this? Are you crazy?" he snapped and pulled her keys forcefully from her hands.
"Please let me talk to you. Please, Jace," she begged. She tried to touch his face with her hand, but only managed to stumble forward and almost fall as he pulled back to avoid her touch.
"Damn it!" he said under his breath. "Sit down, and don't move," he ordered, and watched her clumsily sit down on the floor and take off her shoes. Jace walked over to her car, parked it on the curb, and walked back to his doorstep. "You're not driving home like this. I'm calling you a cab."
He walked her into the house and got his phone to find the number for a cab company. Chloe threw herself down on the sofa and started crying.
Oh, hell.
He walked over to the living room and sat on the coffee table in front of her. "Please stop crying," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry, Jace," she wailed. "I'm sorry for showing up like this. I'm sorry for showing up at that party…and I'm so sorry for leaving you when you needed me."
"Stop it, Chloe. I don't need any of this from you anymore. I don't want any more blocked calls in the middle of the night, no more texts, no showing up at the office. Just stop it all."
"But I need to tell you this. I realize now what I did to you, and I hate myself for it. I see it now. I see it," she said, tears rolling down her face, her makeup smeared down her cheeks and on her dress.
"What happened to you? Why are you coming to these conclusions all of a sudden?" he pressed, not ashamed of being suspicious of her intentions.
"I…My dad…He's dying. He had a stroke. He's been in the hospital for months, trying to learn how to talk, and how to walk, and how to do everything he knew how to do before," she said, and grabbed his hands. "It's killing me. I wasn't there for you when you needed my help, my support. I see it now," she repeated, and lowered her head. "He had another stroke a few days ago. He's in a coma, and we're going to let him go."
Jace took