AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stare at the screen, waiting for the moment to come, the moment when I feel a thousand times better about this whole situation. It doesn’t. In fact, I think I feel worse. Now the world knows I’m a fool, as well as someone who has to try all the worst tricks to get people to buy her book, someone who doesn’t even follow her own advice.
I finish the wine and ice cream and watch the credits roll onP.S. I Love You. Then I hit play onBridget Jones’s Diary, because at least she will understand how I feel.
24
BROOKS
Kit stands outside the boxing ring, talking to Drew and me as I hold pads for Drew to hit.
‘Just to recap. She was in the full Agent Provocateur–type getup. She’d lit candles all over the apartment. You’re more into this woman than any other woman I’ve seen you with. If the way you two argue is anything to go by, she must be like fire between the sheets.’
‘Too far,’ I tell him, absorbing a hook from Drew.
‘Sorry. But the point is, this was going to be a hot night, and you just left her there, with no explanation.’
‘Cady was sick, Kit. She was wasted. Anything could have happened to her.’
He shakes his head. ‘Man, your daughter has a lot to answer for.’
Drew stands down and we all move to the ropes. ‘Come on, Kit, we’ve all been where Cady was. Brooks did what he had to do.’
‘Would you have left Becky like that? God knows if Madge put stockings on for me these days, I’d feel like I won the jackpot.’
I help Drew unstrap his hands. ‘Yeah, well, Cady got her karma,’ I say. ‘She was pretty sick. Again. And again. And again.’
‘And Izzy just didn’t show up today?’ Drew asks.
‘Not seen her. It gives me a good idea of how pissed she is. I’ve been stuck here but trying to call her all day. At first, I think she was sending me to voice mail, then she turned off her phone altogether.’
‘How do you know if she sends you to voice mail?’ Kit asks.
‘It was a different number of rings each time before it transferred.’
‘Huh. I’m going to look out for that. I’m sure Madge does that when I call from work.’
‘To be fair, buddy, we all do that to your calls,’ Drew says. ‘Ah, I’d probably send me to voice mail too.’
For the first time today, I smile.
‘What are you going to do?’ Drew asks.
I shrug. ‘I know I should have told her about Cady. I just wanted to be uncomplicated, you know? The man she was into.’
‘I can speak from experience when I tell you, Becky once kept things from me for the same reason, and it didn’t go well, buddy.’
I nod and bring my forearms to rest on the ropes. ‘Yeah, well, I’m going to tell her everything tonight, as soon as I can get away.’
‘Oh my God! Are you fucking kidding me?’
All three of us turn to face the door and see Cady storming toward me, red faced with eyes like thunder.
‘I know you didn’t just swear at me, kid,’ I tell her.
‘You deserve it! I can’t believe this! How could you do this to me?’
‘Whoa there, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘The goddamn blog!’ She thrusts her phone toward my face, making me step back. When I take it from her, I see the heading:
