don’t want your money, Helen. I don’t want anything from you, or from my brother.”
“Don’t be that way. It’s not his fault and you know it. Frankly, the fact that you are playing blameless in this is rich. Just like you to play the victim,” she sneered.
“It’s not me who fucked Luca. That was you.” He pointed and scowled as I pressed up close to his back, my hands curled around his biceps.
I didn’t speak but I could tell in the line of his body that he was angry and concealing that anger by being as passive as possible. He was hurting and whoever this woman was, she was the source.
I curled around his side, ducked my head under where he was holding the door jamb, and pressed my cheek to his pec. “Hey.” I waved to the tall brunette whose hair was cut at a severe line at her pointed chin. She was super thin, with an angular, pretty face. A little like Sandra Bullock from her Speed movie days. “I’m Simone.”
“Helen. Here.” She handed me an envelope, one I just accepted automatically, hoping it would make her leave.
“I can’t believe you came here. How could you?” Jonah groused.
“It’s Thursday, same night of the week you have dinner with your folks when you are in town. I took a shot.”
“I wish you hadn’t. Please leave and don’t ever come around again. It’s over in a way it’s never not going to be over.”
“Cash that check. Half of the money is yours. And, have a nice life, Jonah. I know I will without you,” she huffed snidely.
“Fuck you.” He spat the words as though he couldn’t get them off his tongue fast enough.
She made a pinched ugly face. “Nice. Real nice. Good luck with that one, Simone. You’re gonna need it.”
“Aw, thanks. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got. You know, you should look into some Botox for those frown lines around your mouth.” I canted my head to the side and pursed my lips. “Nah, never mind. You’ll still be ugly. Don’t bother.” I let out a long breath. “Well this was fun, but I need to tell my man some really great news and you’re kinda putting a damper on my joy. Hope to see you never.” I curled my hands around Jonah’s hips and pushed until he let go of the doorjamb and backed into the house. I gave a jaunty wave before slamming the door.
“Guess what!” I pressed my hands together still holding the envelope. “Your dad offered me a job!”
Jonah looked at the door, then at my face, down to the envelope, and back up to me. “What?”
“Your dad said he needs a new office manager. I told your parents about being one class away from my associate’s degree and he practically offered me the job at his company!” I bounced up and down on my feet. “Honey, this is huge for me. Ginormous. Gargantuan.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Big news. Got it.” He pointed to the door. “Do you uh, have questions about what just happened with my ex-wife?”
The word wife had me clamping my mouth shut for a moment before I blurted, “That was your wife?”
“Ex-wife.”
“Huh. And she cheated on you with some dude named Luca.” I frowned for a moment as I put it all together. “Oh, hell no!” I covered my mouth in shock. Then my entire body got hot. Sweltering hot. Burning with rage. I clenched my hands together, my wounded one smarting a bit as it was just scabbing over, so it didn’t need more than a couple bandages to cover it. I narrowed my eyes and reached for the door. I pulled it back so hard it jarred my shoulder which I barely felt.
Jonah looped me around the waist and pressed me back against his form, grunting in the process. “Where are you going?”
I shook out of his hold. “I’m going to start one helluva cat fight with that skank! She fucked your brother! She deserves to have her ass beat!” I roared and pushed myself further out the door.
Jonah hooked me more firmly around the waist and hauled me up and off my feet like he’d done at Navy Pier today bringing me right back inside. “Easy, tiger.”
I smacked at his arm. “Let me go. She’s gonna get away,” I argued. “That woman is the worst of the worst. Not only did she cheat, she broke every girl code known to mankind, not