Vanessa clapped a hand over her mouth, and Paul gave a wry smile.The story might have been funny if it hadn’t ended in tragedy.
“My mom was spitting mad and soaking wet when she left.She was too upset to drive, but my father shouldn’t have been behind the wheel, either.On the way home, he swerved to avoid a collision with another vehicle and went over a guardrail.They were both killed instantly.”
Vanessa made a sound of dismay.
Paul drank his beer, wondering if he’d ruined the mood.This was not a conversation that inspired sexy vibes.
She dropped her arm to her side.“Does your brother feel responsible?”
“Of course.”
“Who do you blame?Or are you neutral?”
He set the bottle aside and leaned forward.“I’m not neutral.I blame my mother for starting the argument with Allison.I blame my brother for causing the tension between them.I blame my father for driving in his condition.And I blame myself for doing nothing.”
She studied him sadly.“What about Allison?”
“What about her?”
“Do you blame her?”
“No.My brother blamed her enough for the both of us.”
“Did they stay together?”
“They did not.He never forgave her for the part she played in it.They got divorced a year later.”
Her lips looked pale.“You said he cheated.”
“They both did.It was a competition to see who could hurt the other one more.”
Although his eyes were dry, hers filled with tears.She glanced away, blinking rapidly.“What a horrible way to end a marriage.”
“Is there a good way?”
“I suppose not.They always say cheating is a symptom, not the cause.”
“That was true in his case.”
“Why can’t people split up before they start sleeping around?”
“Or not get married in the first place,” Paul said.
She bristled at his suggestion.“You think your brother should have listened to your mother, and never gotten married?”
Paul made a noncommittal sound.He wasn’t going to share his thoughts on matrimony.He knew from experience that his opinions didn’t go over well with women, especiallybunnies, as he’d termed them.
Vanessa continued as if he’d argued with her.“People get married because they believe in love, and hope, and togetherness.They intend to be faithful.”
“But they don’t follow through.”
“So we should expect disappointment instead of loyalty?That’s like saying both partners are at fault because one was naïve enough to take their vows seriously and assume the other would do the same.”
Paul rested his arm on the back of the couch.“What excuse did your ex give for his infidelity?”
She considered the question.“He claimed the other women didn’t mean anything, and he still loved me.”
“He wanted to stay together.”
