Page 42 of Escape Girl
Before I got within ten feet of Jo, her team of three swarmed by me to flank her in the kitchen, all wide, worried eyes and defensive postures. As if I were going to raise a machete to their beloved leader.
Jo filled a mug from a coffeepot on a burner and offered it to me. “Milk? Sugar?” She sounded so calm that Sloan, Heather, and the third girl relaxed their shoulders.
“I don’t want coffee,” I shouted. “I want answers. I’m tired of being in the dark.”
“Hmmm.” Coolly, she raised an eyebrow at me. “Well, you’re not the only one.”
What in the hell did that mean? “Can we please not speak in riddles? Why did you connect me with Bella? How in the hell are you engaged to Jamie?”
“Oh,” both Heather and Sloan breathed.
“Exactly,” the third one chimed in. “She’sEmily.”
“We’re very stupid,” Heather said to Sloan.
Mystified, I scanned their faces looking for clues. Except for Jo, they were staring at me with unabashed curiosity, as though they were children in a fairy tale and I was a family member who’d been on a long, adventurous journey. How did they think they knew me? If Jo had talked to them about me simply as Sven Saturn’s daughter, they’d be more cautious. They wouldn’t be looking at me in such a friendly, interested way.
The third girl, Buns, marched from the kitchen to one of the vacant desks I’d noticed earlier and grabbed a framed photo. Practically shoved it in my face. “You’re Bobby’s Emily.”
The photo registered before her words did. It was a selfie Bobby took during that first week we were married. In it, we’re simply sitting on our sofa in our pajamas, our heads against the back cushion. Right before he clicked the button, Bobbyhad turned his head to kiss my cheek, and I’d laughed. So the photo was mostly of my surprised face, smiling with my mouth open. Bobby’s face was in profile, his lips to my cheek. Jesus, we looked so happy.
Then her words sunk in.You’re Bobby’s Emily.That’s how they knew me. They knew me because Bobby talked about me. Because Bobby…oh my God. My eyes widened on the sixth desk. This was where Bobby worked? He had moved here?
A panicked gasp escaped my mouth, and my gaze flew from the desk to the door. Was he going to walk in any minute too? Oh shit. Oh no. I wasn’t ready. I had to get out of here. I stumbled over my feet, looking wildly toward the sofa. Where was my purse?
“He’s out of town,” Jo said firmly. I forced myself still, humiliated to be so seen through. I couldn’t stop my ragged breath though. I was breathing like I’d just sprinted a mile.
“He’s on a fundraising trip to Atlanta,” she explained. I met her light brown eyes. “I would never spring him on you out of the blue. Or you on him,” she added carefully.
My mind was blank from shock, and my body felt numb too. I sank back down on the green sofa, out of words, out of air, out of ideas.
Before I could even think about recovering, Sloan, Heather, and Buns surrounded me in the little sitting area like overexcited golden retriever puppies. Jo stood still in the kitchen area, her brow furrowed.
“You’re the one who dumped Bobby? How could you?” Sloan demanded. “He’s so sweet! And fun! Everyone loves him!”
The woman who attempted to seduce my husband was really asking me why I’d left him? I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my head in aReally? Seriously?look at her.
She knew exactly what I meant. “Oh, you can’t blame me,” she announced, rolling her eyes. “You guys were already separated then and he wasn’t actually interested in me anyway.”
“It’s true,” Heather piped up. She waved her hands up and down near Sloan’s incredible face and physique. “Once he got over the initial Sloaniness Effect, he didn’t want anything to do with her.” She leaned forward. “He’s been working so hard since he started, and he’s so great at this! He’s even tied with me for raising the most capital.”
Sloan’s bottom lip slid out in a pout. “Only for the last month,” she muttered.
The third girl spoke to me for the first time. “I’m Andie, by the way. You know those virtual escape rooms Bobby’s been sending you? I taught him how to create them. He kept the actual rooms private, but I know that he worked for days on each one.”
I held up my hands as if I could shield myself from their tidal wave of irritating praise. He was my husband, for God’s sake, I knew how wonderful he was. “Why are you all giving me his résumé?” I snapped.
The three of them went silent. In unison, they looked back at Jo. Sure, why not? Bring in the big guns.
Jo didn’t even hesitate. “Because Bobby thinks it’s his fault you left him. He thinks that after you two were married, you started to find him ridiculous and contemptible. That it was embarrassing for you to be married to a man with no career.”
Wh-what? My peripheral vision vanished and all of the sounds in the room dissolved into white noise. As if through a long tunnel, all I could see and hear was Jo. “Th-that’s what he thinks? That’s the reason I left?”
Jo nodded, eye contact steady.
A nasty spiked weight began to press on my chest, smashing the air out of me. My stomach roiled in pain.Oh, Bobby. I am a terrible person.
“It’s not about that at all,” I whispered to Jo through our tunnel.
