No. He was going to ignore the agonizing pain deep within his chest for leaving her in such distress. The one that hurt far more than her lie. He would ignore it if it killed him.
He opened the door and paused, feeling her eyes burning through the back of his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, before closing the door behind him.
As a single tear formed in his eye, he remembered his wife’s words.All I could do is picture you walking away from me.
Chapter 2
LIZ
Liz turned on the light in the private bathroom and examined herself in the mirror. She knew she hadn’t helped herself by staying up and crying all night, but the tears just kept coming. At one point, she’d become so delirious, she started crying about something completely different. Now, she had to go out there and face a house full of people who probably all knew by now. Her eyes briefly drifted toward the window. They were on the first level. She shook the crazy thought out of her head and turned on the knob for cold water. She tested the temperature and closed her eyes, splashing icy water on her face. In the darkness behind her eyelids, there was her husband’s face again, as it appeared every time she closed them.
Liz tried to convince herself that she planned on eventually telling Matt the truth about that horrendously stupid night with Ben. She knew the likelihood of it ever coming out was small. But the more time they’d spent together, the more she had to lose. It came down to whether the lie would be a deal-breaker for him. It was a tug of-war-between what hurt him more, the act or the lie. In the end, neither won.
Another set of tears threatened and she pushed them aside. She wouldn’t do this again. Liz reached for the cover-up in her makeup bag and applied it under her eyes. It was the next best thing from wearing sunglasses in the house. She put on her light blue jeans and her favorite white button blouse and reached for the soap dish, retrieving her wedding ring. She hadn’t stopped to admire it since they were newlyweds. Looking at it now just made her heart ache. She braced herself with a breath as she walked out of the bedroom to face the rest of the house.
The smell of coffee filled the kitchen and the adjoining family room. Given its location, the Owens kitchen had a very beachy theme to it. Everything from the kitchen island to the cabinets on the walls, were a neutral taupe. Even the tiled backsplash had a sandy tone with a faux texture. The stools were padded light blue with a pale orange starfish pattern. There were small lanterns lined up along the counter. Not for any real use, but the kind you’d find at a beach party as decorative pieces.
The adjoining family room had a very different theme. Nothing really matched anymore. Various knit throws covered couch cushion stains. The coffee table held a variety of published entertainment; sports sections, beauty magazines, sci-fi novels, and book two of Liz’s witch-hunt trilogy.
The family room led to the den with an open frame that once held two French doors. Liz’s heart dropped to her stomach the minute she remembered that Matt had been sleeping there last night. She walked toward the room, heart thudding, even though she knew he’d probably gone out for his morning run.
She was right.
The room was empty. The dark blue sofa had been cleared of any evidence that someone had slept on it. She glanced around the rest of the room, picturing her beloved in there the night before. Had he been pacing back and forth? Perhaps too upset to sleep, or considered sweeping back into their bedroom for another passionate round? Her stomach rolled at the thought that she’d never have him that way again.
Liz walked back toward the kitchen. If she was going to gear up for the day, she would need a fair dose of caffeine. With her fresh cup of black coffee, Liz walked over to the glass doors that led to the back porch. Francis Owen, Matt’s slim, blond, and gracious mother was watering her perfectly tended plants. If it weren’t for her, this house wouldn’t have had the welcoming homey feel it always had, which drew the family together every summer and holiday.
Liz stepped out onto the deck, watching her mother in law garden. The variety of plants, flowers, and slow-growing vegetables were neatly lined up along the edge of the white planked deck.
“Morning, sweetie,” Francis said without looking up.
“Morning.” Liz struggled to meet her cheerful tone, settling into the white cushioned bench.
Francis continued her task, crouching at one purple-flowered plant. “How’d you sleep?”
“Oh great,” she lied. “Thank you so much for having us again this weekend.”
Francis shot her a glance, her lip curved on one side. “You don’t have to lie to me honey,” she said sympathetically, standing up to look at her.
“So, you’ve heard I’m good at that, huh?”
Francis walked over and sat next to Liz, looking out into the ocean. “I just meant you don’t have to put on a strong face for me.” She tapped Liz on the knee.
Liz looked at Francis genuinely. “I’m sorry to bring all this drama to your house.”
“Well, I’m sorry that my eldest son’s stupidity years ago is threatening your marriage,” she said as if she were simply apologizing for bad weather. Francis was known for outright saying what everyone was thinking.
Still, her candid words struck Liz. But she needed to remind her that she was forgetting an important fact. “I was there too, Fran.”
Francis stared into the ocean. Her eyes far away. “Honey, I’m a strong believer in leaving the past in the past. Nothing good ever comes of bringing it back up again,” her voice determined. “Trust me. There’s no reason to cause any pain when it’s so unnecessary.”
“Why is it unnecessary?”
“Because we can’t change the past. No matter when or how you would have told Matt the truth, it wouldn’t have changed what happened.” She looked at Liz thoughtfully. Then gave her a serious, firm look. “If you had asked me years ago what you should do, Liz, I would have advised you to take this to your grave.”
Liz’s eyes widened in shock.
Francis smiled, “But I’m also biased.”
