the concussion.”
“Awesome.” I sound as bitter as I am.
“Right,” he agrees before helping me take the pills and placing the glass on the bedside table next to me. “Room’s nice, eh? Liz is living on pure hatred at this point, and Brent—that guy has spent a fortune today. I tried to pay for everything but he insisted. He’s crazy rich, isn’t he?”
I smile and nod slightly.
“You shoulda married him.” He laughs softly. “Liz is going to stay over and sleep with you. The doctor would prefer it.”
“Okay.” I try to settle in again and get comfortable, but the aches and pains and reality of this bullshit moment seem like too much.
Until the drugs kick in.
Then I can’t see anything but feel my dad tuck my stuffed bear, Leo, into my good arm and a swirling world of darkness takes me.
If I dream, it’s lost in the haze of being stoned off my butt.
A feeling I suspect I’ll have to get used to.
Chapter 5
December 25
I wake to the smell of bacon cooking. Certain I’m dreaming, I roll over to find Rod gone. I check my phone to see it’s nine in the morning and I’ve missed four calls from Shawnee. She’s clearly raring to go on the planning part of this all.
I call her as I get up and pull on my robe. “Hey, Merry Christmas,” I mutter.
“Don’t you Merry Christmas me, Lil!” she snaps. “Did you confront him and tell him you want to see his phone? Have you started packing his shit?”
“No, it’s Christmas morning and he’s making bacon. I can’t just walk in there and demand to see his text and call history while he’s cooking breakfast. He’s never actually done that before.” I peek out the door to ensure he’s nowhere near this part of the house. “I need proof before I say anything else to him,” I whisper. “He offered his defense yesterday and it sounded believable, to him. If I come at him and call him a liar, I need a reason for it beyond my hunch.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what being married is,” I say harshly.
“These are delay tactics. I don’t know why you feel the need to be vindicated or to stay until you have things figured out. Just leave! Come stay with me.”
“He’s not going to talk his way back with me, Shawnee. I’m done. And I love you and how much you worry about me. I promise, I am trying to figure out what to do. I’ll see you tomorrow at your parents’ house. We can talk then.”
“Fine. But I’m holding you to this.”
“Love you.” I click the phone off before she has a chance to argue with any more of her common sense. I should just leave and never look back. But I need a plan. And deep down, I want to see his face when I show him he never fooled me.
She texts a heart and I send a smile, knowing she’s on my side regardless of what happens.
Pushing it all aside, I make my way to the kitchen, forcing a pleasant look on my face when he sees me. “Good morning,” I say as if yesterday didn’t happen. “I didn’t know you knew how to cook bacon.”
“Merry Christmas.” He grins. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know,” he retorts cheekily but it hits differently today. He shakes his head when he sees my face. “That’s not what I meant. I Googled it, okay? I don’t know how to cook bacon. I just thought I might get a head start on the eggs Benny.” He rushes at me, pulling me into his arms and burying his face in my neck, inhaling me. “I am so sorry about yesterday. I should have told you about my history with Elaine. I just figured it happened before us, so it didn’t matter.”
This is new. He never apologizes first. He’s trying to throw me off the scent.
“Does Brent know?” I ask, trying not to sound heartless. But his story about Elaine trying to lure him into an affair only makes sense if Brent is aware of the relationship. How else would her calling up Rod every Christmas torment Brent?
“About me and Elaine before he even met her?” He pulls back, staring down on me with disbelief. “No. When he brought her around and I realized who she was, he was already smitten and convinced she was the one. I couldn’t do that to him.”
He is such a liar. And worse, he thinks I honestly