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“I knew it was too good to be true.” His words were so soft, I could scarcely hear them, laced with a deep hurt I couldn’t understand.
He took a few careful sips of his coffee while he bored holes into me with those beautiful dark eyes, then spun on his heel and disappeared down the hallway.
I collapsed onto an island stool, trying to catch my breath, because the new and painful hole in my chest was like a knife wound–and I knew what those felt like.
He’s done.
It’s over.
He’ll leave you.
He didn’t come back into the kitchen. Instead, he showered and dressed and, in the darkness of the early morning, walked down the hallway and let himself out the front door without another word.
I put my face down on the counter and let my heart crack.
Adam didn’t come home that night, or the next, or the next.
I was wild, panicked, and I called him no less than twelve times that first night and each time he sent me to voicemail. It was immediate, again and again, and since I had no idea what I was going to say to him, I hung up every time.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, Kennedy showed up with Teagan and walked into the house without knocking. That, I supposed, was the sign of a close friend.
Teagan was endlessly fascinated with Daniela, and the two of them sat on the living room rug and Daniela watched with rapt attention while Teagan stacked the collection of toys we kept in a bin in the living room.
I didn’t even try to offer her tea, soda, water, coffee…she knew the instant she saw me that I was wrecked, and she sat on the opposite end of the sofa with her hand on my knee, the large glass of seltzer water in her hand that I’d pressed on her.
Me? I couldn’t stomach the stuff. I’d been throwing up since Adam left and I knew she’d shown up because someone had sent up the Bat Signal, or her Spidey sense had alerted her to the fact I was right on the edge of Not Keeping it Together.
“What the hell happened?” she asked softly, and I was perilously close to tears as I told her about the passionate night we’d spent together, followed by Adam becoming completely unhinged.
“I was afraid of this,” she said softly, setting her glass on the nearby coffee table and eyeing Teagan, to make sure she didn’t snatch it. “Steve said he went radio silent a couple days ago. He wasn’t responding to texts or phone calls, and I guess they had something to discuss about Daniela.” She shrugged, casting a smile at my daughter.
“Come with me tomorrow,” she invited.
Sunday.
“Why, so I can light a candle for the man I lost?” I asked bitterly, and something in her expression expanded–opened–illuminated.
“You haven’t heard the story about Jess, have you?”
Kennedy looked almost smug.
Of course I hadn’t heard the rumor about the queen bee herself, and I wasn’t entirely certain I wanted details.
“Adam didn’t tell you.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Of course he didn’t; apparently we hardly even know each other yet.”
Kennedy coughed so hard, I thought she’d hurt herself, and she cradled one hand protectively around her belly.
“You’re cute. You two have been joined at the hip since you were kids and neither one of you is willing to admit it. And now…now, when you’ve both finally gotten what you wanted, you’re willing to screw that up because of…what? A rumor spread by someone who’s a perpetual liar and cheat? You know she only came back because she knew you were home, Mad–she knew she’d lost him for good.”
She looked genuinely confused, almost half as much as I felt.
“You’re both so stupid.” She smacked her forehead with one hand. “Hereallydidn’t tell you?” Her eyes widened. “Wait…Steve didn’t either?”
She looked like she was going to kill someone and my money was on my brother.
