as though it was nothing. But she wouldn’t dwell. Never did. Old wounds became armor. Why she had stripped herself of that armor for Hugh was beyond her understanding. It wasn’t something she did. But his lies had been so pretty. Shiny little things that she had run to like an eager child.
A cold chill shook her as she imagined herself as a little girl, her face open and trusting as she watched her dad smile before putting a finger to his lips and tiptoeing backward through the door. “Cover your eyes with both hands. Count all the way up to fifty,” he’d said in a whisper, and she’d eagerly played along.
But what if she hadn’t? What if she had run after him instead, claiming she didn’t want to cover her eyes? Would he have lifted her into his arms and nuzzled her neck as he had done so many times before?
She wouldn’t know. She had followed his rules.
The scars that he’d left had healed into a very tough skin. Untouchable.
So Hugh hadn’t hurt her. Not really. She would never truly fall for someone. He was only a pathway to my future, she reminded herself as she wiped away an unwelcome tear. One pathway of many. But he’d proven to be slippery. Deceitful. And for that, he would pay.
Oh, he would pay dearly.
Too bad, so sad.
There was nothing Sylvia hated more than a liar.
CHAPTER TEN
Glancing at the clock, Riki wondered if it was too soon to check on Sylvia. But it was almost eleven, so it should be fine. And the rain had subsided to a gentle mist. She pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and headed to Sylvia’s apartment. The doormat was red with the words HOME SWEET HOME, printed in white font.
She tilted her head after knocking, listening for footsteps, but the door suddenly swung open without a sound. Sylvia stood in front of her, wearing a faux-fur robe and a darling pair of gray bunny slippers with ears that stood up. Kate Spade, she thought, noting the gold spade charm in the center of each. Only Sylvia would wear designer slippers.
“Hello, Riki. Or should I call you Florence Nightingale? What brings you out on this fabulous day?”
“Hi, I just wanted to see how you’re doing. I was worried about you last night.”
Sylvia smiled without showing her teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot, as though she’d been up all night. “Oh, that’s sweet of you. But I’m fine. It was just a sprain.”
“What a relief.”
“Indeed.”
She shifted her feet, waiting for something more. Seconds ticked by, and the silence became too loud. “Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.” She smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes. In fact, if Riki were to simply go off the look in her eyes, she’d say Sylvia’s arm hurt a lot worse than she was letting on.
Riki turned to go, but Sylvia’s voice stopped her, and she spun around. “Thank you for taking me last night. I’m pretty sure I failed to say much yesterday. I wasn’t myself.”
“It’s okay,” she rushed out. “I figured you must’ve been in a lot of pain.”
Sylvia nodded. “Yes. It was a double dose. My boyfriend stood me up last night. I was thinking about him when I slipped. And then,” she said, staring off in the distance, “just this morning, I discovered that he’s married. Married with a baby. What kind of disgusting human being cheats on the mother of his child?”
Riki’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t even know! That’s awful. What an asshole!”
Sylvia narrowed her gaze like she was zeroing in on Riki’s thoughts.
She blinked, trying to block the piercing stare, but she couldn’t escape it. Oh, jeez. Had Sylvia caught her ogling Brandon the other morning when he’d waved? Or had she somehow witnessed her staring through the window on a random Saturday morning? Riki shifted her feet and looked at the brace on Sylvia’s wrist, trying to think of something else to say.
Sylvia finally answered. “Yes, that’s what I was thinking. What an asshole. Apparently, he lives in a mirrored bubble and can only see himself. He clearly wasn’t thinking about his child when he was busy seducing me. What a terrible role model for that poor baby.” She clamped her lips into a flat line and inhaled through her nose. For a second, Riki wondered if she would explode, but instead, with a sad smile, she closed the door.
Riki shivered and started down the stairs. This was a