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“How are your finances?Has money gone missing from the savings?Are the bills getting paid on time?”I pushed, going the detective route as usual.
“I don’t have access to our bank accounts.”
Jesus fuck.
I scrubbed a hand over my face, pushing my half-eaten cake aside.
The boys came tearing back into the dining room, and Teresa called up the stairs to Alex that Aaron was ready to open his gifts.
My best friend, the man I had loved without question or hesitancy for years, wouldn’t meet my gaze when he came back downstairs.He was shifty as fuck.Antsy.He joked loudly, his words a little slurred when he hadn’t drunk any alcohol since I’d arrived two hours earlier.
Unless that was why he’d escaped upstairs where no one would see him slam back a few shots.
Teresa and I made eye contact a few times, our shared worry tangible in the silent space between our hurting hearts.
Aaron didn’t find a dog beneath wrapping paper, but Alex promised him they would go pick out a puppy at the shelter the following weekend.That was enough to placate the boy and deepen Teresa’s frown.
Obviously, she wasn’t too happy with him making a decision on the matter without discussing it with her first.
Alex brushed her off when she started in on him about it.“You worry too much,” he told her after the boys had taken Aaron’s new toys up to their bedroom.“Having a dog will be good for them.They’ll learn responsibility.Have more stars they can earn on their chore chart.”
“Alex.”
He wouldn’t lift his head from where he still sat at the end of the table, phone in hand.
“Alex!”I raised my voice, and he glanced up quickly before dropping his focus once more.
“Yeah?”
“What’s going on with you?”Teresa hadn’t given me permission to confront her husband, but I could poke a bit.Maybe peel back a layer and learn what I could so I could get answers for myself and stop stressing with worry.
Teresa sat silent—still, as though holding her breath.
“What do you mean?”he muttered, hands shaking a bit as he typed on his screen.
“Goddamnit, Alex, look at me!”
He gave me his focus unwillingly.Pupils pinned, he met my gaze.
Fucking hell, hewashigh.
“What are you doing?”I hissed, my frown deep and my heart heavy even though sudden pissiness replaced concern for his well-being.
He waved his hand, laughing my worry away.“No need to get your panties in a bunch.I twisted my back up playing racquetball at the gym a few days ago, and the doc gave me the good shit since anti-inflammatories weren’t helping.”
Shit.
I glanced over at Teresa.
She nodded, confirming his story.
“You can’t take that stuff,” I told him, my voice low and firm.“Youknowthat.”
“It’s just a couple of pills, JJ—I’m gonna be fine.”
His slurred voice didn’tsoundfine.
“If I find out you’re abusing pain meds again—”
