Page 25 of Apex of the Curve
“The day after Copper died, I was wrung out. Exhausted. I’d been at the hospital all night, worked all day, and when I got home…” she shrugged. “I don’t know. I cooked dinner in a fog and when I finally sat down,” she shrugged, “I just fell asleep. Charles was on his phone and leaning against me. I woke up and happened to see his screen.”
“Texting another woman?” I guessed.
“A man, actually.” She snorted. “He was texting back and I quote, ‘Well, I was trying to come over and suck your cock but you didn’t answer me in time.’”
“Oh, shit,” I said, and she closed her eyes and just looked tired.
“It was the day after my brother had just died, exactly a month after my mother died. I’m surprised I didn’t lose it.”
“You didn’t?”
“Mm-mm. I just demanded to know who he was talking to and told him not to lie to me.”
“Let me guess, he lied.”
“Oh, of course he did.”
“What’d you do then?”
“I packed a bag, told him to leave me be, and that I would have the rest of my belongings out by the end of the week. I came here.”
“Atta girl,” I said evenly, suppressing my savage pride.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said. “He’s going to take everything from me.” She gave a bitter laugh and said, “Never mind that I was carrying us, and he was hiding money from me. Never mind that, come to find out, he actually made more than me last year. I don’t think I can fight him. All of my savings went to inheritance tax… I can barely afford my attorney for the divorce!”
“Hey, hey, hey!” I tried to head off her getting more wrapped around the axle, untangling my hand from hers and smoothing some of her wild blond curls away from her face.
“One thing, one day at a time.”
She sealed her lips into a grim line and with a slight whimper nodded, trying valiantly to stave off tears.
“You were right to call me,” I said, and I took a deep breath and let it out slow. “Nobody should have to deal with this alone.”
A tear escaped and dripped down her nose and she squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth through what had to be an unimaginable pain. I thumbed the moisture away and said, “Come here, no fuckery. Just come here.”
She came to me and let me hold her tight while a fresh storm went through her. I sighed and had to wonder why was she alone? I mean, where were her kickass gal pals? Or had that wild snatch back at the bar been her only friend? God, I fucking hoped not.
There was more to this. I could feel it. All in good time, though.
She had a friend, now. A friend in me. I just hoped it would be enough.
