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You see, my sister blamed me for taking Margaret away from her, and when Margaret died, my sister vowed I’d never be happy with anyone. She was right. I wasn’t. She made damn sure of that. To make matters worse, I became the very person I abhorred, all because I wasn’t strong enough to protect the one woman I loved.
John Stanley
“Jesus,” King whispered while everyone sat quietly, trying to absorb what I just read. Even Shug was having a hard time with what she heard. Her hands shook uncontrollably. Laying the letter on the table, I gathered her in my arms, holding her tightly.
“Why did he marry me if he didn’t love me?”
“Because grief makes people do things they normally wouldn’t, Shug. It’s not your fault. None of this is.”
“Eugene is right, Sugar,” Martha agreed. “Look how I behaved. You had nothing to do with my daughter’s death and yet I took my pain out on you.”
“Martha, can I keep this letter?” King asked, reaching for it.
“Take it. It’s yours.”
“Don’t know about you all but I’m thinking me and that bitch need to have a talk,” Bailey grumbled, and Jessica nodded in agreement.
“Never met the bitch, but I agree.”
“No,” Shug muttered, sitting up. “No one is going to do anything. We are going to leave it alone.”
“Shug, you can’t mean that?” I questioned.
“I mean it, Eugene,” she said firmly, getting to her feet. “I’m tired of all of this. John is dead. He can’t hurt me anymore. Words only hurt if I allow them. I’m finally in a good place. I have you, my friends, my boys, my shop. I’m happy. I don’t want to mess with that. Please. Just leave it alone.”
Nobody said anything when she headed back up the stairs.
She was done with all of it.
She just wanted it all to be over with, and the longer everyone talked about it, the longer it would be relevant. She just wanted to live her life in peace.
She wasn’t asking for too much.
At least I didn’t think so.
We all knew she did nothing wrong, but for years this town ridiculed and belittled my best friend, all because of one hateful woman. While I wanted to give Shug what she wanted, there was no fucking way I could let this go. I firmly believed in giving as good as I got, and that fucking bitch was going to get everything she deserved.
“Are we really going to do nothing?” Jess asked no one in particular as my sister chuckled, shaking her head.
“When pigs fly. My brother may be many things but letting go of something isn’t in his DNA.”
Yeah.
My sister knew me well.
Now, where in the hell did Cameron and Ben run off to?
It was time to plan.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sugar
“Shug. You need to take a break.”
Sighing, I shook my head.
No way in hell.
