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I can feel him shrug behind me. “We weren’t exactly on the best of terms in the early days.”
“Well, you hiding things from me doesn’t exactly put us on the best of terms now,” I grumble but there’s no heat to my words.
He ignores my interruption and continues. “Then there was the fact that Violet keptdisappearing,your words, not mine. That’s when I first got the inkling that they might be together.”
“That seems pretty thin, Detective.”
“Yeah, but when I set up my security system, I caught her climbing into his truck a few times late at night. I figured it wasn’t for work.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” I say twisting around to look him in the eyes. I mean he had visual proof and didn’t say a goddamn word to me.
“Back up, Sparky. I didn’t know anything for sure and it wasn’t my business. I don’t really know either your father or Violet and everything I had was circumstantial. If you had wanted to see what was going on, you would have figured it out yourself, but I think you were firmly living by the ignorance is bliss creed.”
I turn back around in his lap and grumble to myself again. He’s probably right. I had even more pieces than he did, and I hadn’t put it together. I can’t believe I was trying so hard to get Mom and Dad to reconcile. Things seemed to be progressing on Mom’s end, but Dad told me time and time again to back off. I guess I should have listened. It’s just, sometimes when I get these ideas in my head, it’s hard for me to let them go.
Besides, I was honestly worried about him. I haven’t seen him date in twenty years. Not since their divorce. I was a little worried that maybe he had been pining away for her all these years. Obviously, that isn’t the case. I just didn’t want him to be alone forever like I was going to be. Then again, as I feel Carson firmly holding me to his chest and I can see Oliver’s slightly open door down the hallway, I wonder if maybe I won’t be alone after all. It’s a dangerous way to think but I’m already past the point of protecting myself. My heart is firmly involved already. It doesn’t matter if we stopped seeing each other now or if he rejects me once he finds out about my health issues, the results will be the same. I’ll have a heart that will be broken beyond repair.
“I know you were shocked finding them that way, I’m sure you want to rub your eyes out with soap—”
“Bleach,” I correct.
He lets out a low chuckle. “Okay, bleach. But what’s really upsetting you about this? Do you not want them to be together?”
It’s a good question. I’ve been running on shock since I left Dad’s and dropped Mom at her new place. She’d been ranting and raving the entire ride, acting about ten times worse than Oliver ever has, and I pretty much just blocked her out. I haven’t really had time to assess what my issue truly is.
“I guess I’m mostly mad that they lied to me, and I’m hurt that they thought they couldn’t tell me the truth.”
“If they had told you the truth before you walked in on them, what would you have said?”
“I… I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t have acted the way I did tonight.” Suddenly I’m realizing how badly I behaved. I basically stood there yelling at Dad and ignored Violet for most of the confrontation. I was so angry at my father that the nasty things Mom was saying to Violet didn’t even register with me until much later. I’m going to need to have a few words with my mother about that. Nobody should say those things to other women, let alone Violet who is one of the sweetest people in the world.
While I’m thinking about Carson’s question my phone starts buzzing violently in my purse. I’m almost scared to know who’s calling but let out a sigh of relief when I see it’s Hollie. I try to pull myself off Carson’s lap to take the call but he holds me firmly to him. “You can talk in here.”
I shrug, I was just trying to not be rude. “Hey, Hollie.”
“What the hell is going on over there, Bianca?”
“I see you’ve spoken to Violet.” I let out a sigh. I know Hollie will be a neutral third party. Of the three of us she’s always been the most pragmatic and has always been good at reading people in general.
“Yeah,” she says more softly. “I just got off the phone with her. She’s kind of a mess. She’s worried she’s lost you and that you’re going to hate her forever.”
I can immediately feel myself deflate. I may be angry for the moment, but she hasn’t lost me. “I don’t hate her,” I practically whisper.
“I know you don’t sweetie. She’s just scared and upset right now. You know you and I are the only real family she has.”
I close my eyes and take in a deep breath letting the guilt wash over me. She’s right. I may have a family support system, but Violet doesn’t have that. Her parents are social climbing pieces of shit who don’t care about her unless she conforms to the mold they want to put her in. Hollie and I are all she has.
“You know that she would never hurt you on purpose right, B? She was scared of how you’d react, and I think she’s been really happy with Dante. I think you should talk to her.”
“I know, you’re right. Thanks for the call, Hollie. What would I do without you?”
“Oh, just fuck up all the relationships in your life. So if you want to tell me about that cop—”
“Goodnight, Hollie.” I say loudly, ending the call. I surreptitiously move my eyes to look at Carson and see if he caught that last part, but his face is inscrutable as he strokes my hair.
“You gonna go talk to Violet?”
“Yeah, I think I need to. I know she’s worried and I don’t want to make her have to wait until morning. Plus, I have a few questions of my own that need to be answered.”
