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As Hudson walks me onto the street, I turn to him. “You’re a good man, Hudson Carmichael.”
I lean up to hug him and kiss his cheek and he wraps his arms around me, and it feels like I found a brother, there’s no sexual chemistry at all. As he releases me, he lifts his hand to swipe my cheek. “You have panda eyes.”
“Well, thanks for telling me now.”
His laugh is deep. “Sorry.”
I wipe my cheeks and he smiles before bending to kiss my head.
“Tell him. He’ll forgive you.”
“I will and thanks again, Hudson.”
“My pleasure, Violet.”
I cross the street and hop into a cab and head home. I have a lot to think about before Linc gets home.
27: Linc
I’m practically floatingas I enter the jewelers. The ring I bought Lottie for our wedding was loud and obnoxious and can be seen from the moon, but it’s not the ring I would’ve given her. That’s tucked in my pocket where I’ve just retrieved it from my safety deposit box at the bank.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Coldwell, how can we help you today?”
My family has used this store for generations and are the original crafters of this piece. The man worked here during the thirties when my grandfather had it crafted for my grandmother.
“I have a ring I’d like cleaned up for me please and perhaps the stones checked to ensure they are secure.”
“Of course, Mr. Coldwell.”
Mr. Zedner takes the ring from the box and tilts his glasses to better see before his eyes flash to mine. “This is one of my father’s pieces.”
“I believe so. It was my grandmother’s engagement ring. My grandfather had it designed and made here.”
“It’s one of his earlier designs and, in my opinion, one of his finest. The sapphire is cushion cut and then set laterally with the two diamonds on either side transitionally cut. It really is a work of art.”
“I agree and I know I bought my wife the other engagement ring, but I’d like her to have this one too.”
“A fine choice. I’ll clean it and reset the stones as the claws need tightening.”
“How long will that take?”
I’m eager to tell Lottie how I feel and have the strongest desire to run toward my future with her at full speed.
“I can have it done by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Fantastic, thank you.”
“No, thank you. This is a treat and gives me a wonderful sense of nostalgia.”
I exit the store on cloud nine and head down the street feeling almost light. I pass a pastry store and see apple fritters in the window and duck in to pick one up for Lottie. They’re her favorite and I know she doesn’t like to eat them in front of Eric. If I head home now, I can surprise her before my afternoon meetings start.
I pay the lady, adding a bear claw for me, and a diabetic-friendly cookie for Eric before stepping out. I glance across the street as I go to cross the busy intersection and stop still. People curse as they bump into me, and I don’t care. My eyes are glued to the scene in front of me.
Lottie is the arms of my enemy.
I feel frozen in time, numb with shock as I watch in painful fascination as she reaches up to wrap her treacherous arms around him and kiss his cheek. He holds her tight before releasing her and tracing his thumb over her cheek. She laughs and then he kisses her on the head with so much tenderness I feel like I’ve been sucker punched. The bag of pastries falls from my hand and are crushed in seconds by the stampede of people rushing around New York and it’s fitting because that’s how my heart feels. Like it’s been trampled into the ground by a lying, deceptive bitch.
I turn on my heel, not bearing to look at the scene in front of me for another second and walk towards the nearest bar.
