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It was his turn to laugh. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare. I heard poisoning your guests is frowned upon. How about you get your gorgeous self here by eleven, and then we’ll spend the day by the pool, drinking margaritas. Just like old times.”
“Sounds great. I’ll be there.”
“Love you, honey.”
“Love you too. See you Saturday.”
We hung up, and the tears welled up. Sofie had gone to the living room to watch one of her shows, so at least she wouldn’t witness my meltdown. I passed by the open door to make sure she was busy and sat down at Everleigh’s sturdy kitchen table, crossing my arms on the surface and then burying my head in them.
Silent sobs racked my body, and I allowed myself a minute to grieve my past life.
“Where is everyone?” Everleigh’s voice rang through the house. “Thea?”
Footsteps came closer, and then I felt a hand on my head. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
A sob slipped out, and Everleigh brushed her hands through my hair. “What happened?”
“They hate me,” I wailed. “They’re so mean, and I don’t even know why. I tried so hard to do everything right. And I miss William. I’m a mess. Useless. I’m not good at anything. I live in your guesthouse. And I have tuna in my hair.”
Everleigh pulled up a chair next to me. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“The other waitresses can’t stand me. They treat me like I personally offended them somehow. Which isn’t the case at all, since I’ve barely talked to them. But they decided from day one that they didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Then that’s their loss. Screw them for being such bitches.”
I took a deep breath, needing to get it all out. “I shouldn’t have left William. There was time left. I could have tried another college course. Or found another way to make money. But because I foolishly thought I had to do the right thing, now I have nothing. I could have stayed with him and still gotten a divorce. He didn’t want me to leave, married or not.”
“You did the right thing. And you gave him and Ciel a chance. And more importantly you gave yourself and Archer a chance.”
“But did I? Officially, they’re still only friends. And I haven’t spoken to Archer since leaving Chicago. What if he changed his mind?”
Everleigh pulled me closer, her arm around my shoulder. “There is no way he changed his mind. He loves you. And you don’t have nothing. You have me, and I’ll help you however I can. If the job is horrible, then quit.”
Another tear escaped. “Then I’ll feel even more like a failure.”
“We all struggle to find our way. And anything worth having doesn’t just fall into your lap. Fight for what you want. And you’re smart. You just have to find what works for you. And if you say you’re useless again, I’m going to push you into the pool next time we’re at William’s.”
A teary laugh replaced my sobs, and I leaned into Everleigh. “You’re wasted in accounting. You should have been a psychologist. Or a teacher.”
“Not sure anyone should trust me with their kids.” She pulled me up. “Let’s have a glass of wine and sit out on the porch.”
We spent the next hour watching Sofie build a tepee. Lucius came home not long after she started and helped her. He frequently looked at Everleigh, as if to check she was still there. His eyes were soft, and it was evident in his every glance how much he loved her.
Watching them together made me miss Archer even more. That night, I called him again, but like the other ten times I’d tried, the call went unanswered. I told myself that he was still out on his mission and not avoiding me.
19
ARCHER
The lightingin the diner was dim, the floor sticky. I wondered if I was in the right place. It was a dump, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was shut down if a health inspector ever set foot inside. I spotted Carter sitting on a bench seat in the corner, giving him a clear view of the door and the whole of the diner.
Why he wanted to meet me here was anyone’s guess. All this meeting was doing was delaying getting to Thea.
He waved to me in greeting, and I made my way over. I leaned on my cane with each step, my gait unsteady. I’d only started walking on my own last week.
But as soon as I’d been sure I could walk long enough to make it onto a plane without toppling over, I’d booked a flight and driven myself to the airport.
Technically, I wasn’t allowed to drive yet. But I also wasn’t supposed to fly. Or walk more than ten minutes at a time. But here I was, still in one piece, if in a lot of pain.
