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“Get used to it, Tony, because I think I’m going to be pissed off for a while.”
“I’d do anything to take it back.”
“You can take back one or two indiscretions, but ten years’ worth? Good luck.”
“I told you it wasn’t often during the last year.”
“What about the nine before that? Was it weekly, every other day?”
“No, not that often.”
“You know, the more we talk about it, Tony, the more convinced I become that I want to call it quits.”
“Oh, Kassie, I’m so sorry to hear that.” He hung his head, near tears.
“Yes. I want you to leave.”
“Can we try a separation?”
“As long as you’re out of the house.”
“I’ll pack a bag,” he said. “I’m so, so sorry.”
She watched him walk to their bedroom, anger multiplying. The kitchen was a safe place, so she went there to find her mother’s old Betty Crocker cookbook. She’d make bread. The dough could sit in the oven and proof overnight.
Ten minutes later, Tony called out for her. “I just wanted you to know I’m leaving.”
She walked around the vast marble island to get a last look. Seeing him standing in the hallway, his hand on the doorknob, made her so sad. And so angry.
“Goodbye, Tony. Have a safe trip. Please don’t call me.”
Tony wanted to lash out, but it was just an emotional reaction. He had no grounds. She was right.
“Goodbye, then.”
He left the house. The trailer that he’d filled with his belongings still sat in the driveway, packed. He debated hooking it up and hauling it back to his condo, but he hoped the situation with Kassandra would end in his favor. It wouldn’t look good to her if he was moving completely so soon. Feeling sick, he began the journey north.
At the stop sign, he changed his mind, got out his phone, and unblocked Janine’s number.
Chapter 11
The sun streamed in through Kassandra’s bedroom window Sunday morning. Sitting up, she shielded her eyes while trying to decide if she’d had some kind of time travel experience in the night. The weather had gone from winter back to Indian Summer in twelve hours.
Jumping up, she ran to the doors leading out to the terrace and flung them open. Warm air flowed into the house, a cornflower blue sky all the way to the horizon. Clouds zipped across the sky, and a sailboat, taking advantage of the last days of boating weather, tacked through the water.
She couldn’t wait to get out on the sand. This kind of day, her mood, was precisely why she had wanted to move to the beach. Quickly dressing, she laced up shoes appropriate for jogging, made sure the house was secure, and left out the back.
Heading north to the causeway first would ensure she’d get some time in before seeing new neighbors, not that it would be a bad thing. But she wanted to get serious about exercise in order to stay fit while she was pregnant. Most of her health goals were accomplished in secret when Tony was around because she didn’t want to make him feel guilty.
“You’re so fit, and I’m so fat,” he’d mutter.
Now that he was out of the house, she faced a new freedom. No longer using Tony as an excuse to eat more junk food than she should or not exercising meant she would be in optimum shape for childbirth.
She’d just reached the causeway and was about to turn around when Lisa and Megan caught up with her.
“We’ve been yelling for you for the past half mile,” Megan said, laughing.
“Oh, no! I’m so preoccupied with thinking about the baby that I’ve blocked out everything.”
