The Young Wives Club

by Julie Pennell

  “I dunno,” Gabby said, grinning. “That sounds pretty genius to me.”

  The girls sat down at the end of the bench as the rest of the partygoers gathered around the keg. “You doing okay?” Claire asked, eyeing her shrewdly.

  Laura shrugged. “Just a little stressed with finals and everything, but holding up fine.”

  Gabby uncorked the wine and poured it. “Well, tonight we celebrate.” The three girls raised their red Solo cups. “To Brian’s recovery!” she shouted.

  Laura flashed a closed-lip smile, clinking her cup with theirs. “Cheers.”

  • • •

  A FEW HOURS later, the party had consumed a total of thirty hamburgers, twenty-three hot dogs, six bags of chips, four twelve-packs of beer, and six bottles of wine. The party had moved over to Kenny’s fire pit, and Brian was drunkenly holding court, detailing every painstaking moment of his recovery.

  Laura, Claire, and Gabby sat on a log away from the crowd. “So, has anyone talked to Madison since she left with Cash?” Laura asked, pouring some more seltzer water into her cup. She had stopped drinking wine an hour ago, since she was Brian’s designated driver.

  “We texted a little a couple of days ago,” Claire said. “I think she’s feeling guilty about George, but as much as I hate Cash, I told her she had to do what felt right. Otherwise she’s going to have too many lingering doubts and questions.”

  “Is it weird that I actually really liked George?” Gabby confessed, straightening her legs out on the grass.

  “No,” Laura agreed. “I thought he was good for her . . . in his own odd way.”

  “I actually liked him, too,” Claire said. “But she’s been in love with Cash since they were kids. I can’t blame her for wanting to give that a chance, I guess. I just wish he wasn’t the worst.”

  Laura sighed. “Maybe she’s in love with the idea of him, and doesn’t see the bad stuff.” She leaned forward on the log, her elbows propped on her knees. “Maybe she’ll wake up one day and realize he doesn’t make her as happy as she thinks he does.” As she said the words, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was projecting her own insecurities on her friend.

  “Well, as much as I don’t like him, I’m all for her doing this.” Gabby cradled the red cup in front of her. “If I learned anything this year, it’s that it’s important to be with the one you love.”

  Claire put her hand on Gabby’s arm. “Has Tony reached out any more?”

  She shook her head. “Nah. I mean, I wouldn’t have kept texting either if I wasn’t getting a response. It’s for the best, really.”

  “I don’t know why you don’t just tell him everything,” Claire said. “Your mom’s out now. Mr. Ford can’t put her back in or anything.”

  “We don’t know what he’s capable of,” Gabby said, shaking her head. “And I’m afraid to find out.”

  “You could take him,” Claire said, waving her away. “Do I need to remind you about the time you made Collette O’Conner cry in front of everyone at the prom?”

  “Well, she shouldn’t have talked about my mom like that.” She shook her head.

  The girls laughed, then fell silent. The crowd had gotten progressively drunker as the night wore on. The group was now making s’mores and having a sing-along, like they were at some adult summer camp.

  “Should we go over and be social, y’all?” Laura asked. She couldn’t see Brian in the crowd, but knowing him, he was the closest to the fire. Brian loved to roast marshmallows, and they’d always argue over whether they were best browned or blackened.

  “Meh,” Gabby said, but nodded.

  The girls stood up, and Laura brushed the back of her shorts to get rid of the dirt and leaves that stuck to them. As they walked over to join the rest of the party, she noticed that the bag of marshmallows was empty. “I’ll go grab some more,” she said. “Be right back!”

  Inside, she searched the kitchen counter but found only empty beer bottles and plastic food containers scattered across it. She headed over to the walk-in pantry and twisted the doorknob. As the hinges squeaked, a woman’s voice squealed inside. By the time Laura realized someone was in there, it was too late.

  Tanya Pothier, one of the seniors on her cheer team last year, peeked out from the doorway. Tanya’s dark eyes were a little unfocused, her brown hair mussed and her lips red.

  “Oh my god—I’m so sorry,” Laura said, backing away from the door. “Carry on!”

  Tanya covered her mouth and hiccupped, stumbling out of the closet. The door swung wider, and Laura’s mouth dropped when her eyes locked on Brian.

  “I’m sorry, babe,” he slurred. “I can explain.”

  Laura felt like she was going to vomit. She turned to Tanya, who at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “Out. Now,” she said, pointing to the door to the yard.

  After Tanya slunk away, Laura focused her rage back on Brian. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the den, slamming the door behind them.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” she screamed, not even caring who heard.

  “Calm down . . .” he mumbled, sitting on the green-and-red-plaid couch. Brian tapped the cushion next to him, inviting her to join him. Was he out of his freaking mind?

  She scowled at him and paced around the room instead. The den’s wood-paneled walls were covered with animal mounts, all of which were staring at them. “How could you do this to me, Brian?” It felt like her heart was beating a thousand times a minute. “And at a party with all of our friends? I just cannot believe you.”

  He leaned heavily against the couch. “It was an accident.”

  “So, you just accidentally went into the pantry and started making out with another girl?” She paused her pacing, her head pounding like she’d been the one drinking all night.

  Brian frowned, clearly trying to think through his excuses. “I’m drunk, babe. I didn’t know what I was doin’.”

  How many times in her life was Laura going to hear some lame justification for Brian’s bad behavior? All of a sudden she felt exhausted, like she’d been holding up a wall for months and it finally was collapsing around her. She sat down on a worn armchair across from him and knew what she had to do.

  “Brian, I can’t do this anymore,” she said.

  “No, don’t say that,” he begged. “You’re overreacting. I just messed up.”

  Laura took a deep breath and held her shoulders back, looking directly into his glazed eyes. “Brian, this is so much more than an argument about you kissing some girl. I know you’re drunk right now, and maybe you won’t remember any of this tomorrow, but I need to say this.”

  He sat back and stared at her.

  “Since we’ve been together, everything I’ve done has been for you. Our whole relationship has revolved around what our lives are gonna be like once you go there and when you do that.” She looked down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap, and spoke the truth she’d been feeling for months. “I don’t feel like you ever encouraged me or even supported me.” Her mind flashed to Vince, who always pushed her to do better.

  “That’s so not true,” Brian interrupted.

  “Brian, you told me to quit high school!”

  “That’s not fair—you wanted to do that,” he said, his face growing red.

  Laura bit her lip and looked away from him. “I thought I did . . . but everyone makes mistakes, right?” She pointed in the direction of the kitchen, reminding him why they were arguing in the first place. “This year, going back to school, I realized that what I really need is to focus on my plans, not yours.”

  Brian swallowed and lowered his head.

  Laura took a deep breath, her stomach clenching. She couldn’t believe what she was about to say—that it had come to this, after everything they’d been through this year—but she knew it was the right decision. “I don’t think that we should be together anymore.”

  Brian’s eyes widened as his face went slack with shock. “Oh baby, you don’t mean that,”
he slurred. “You love me.” He held out his hands toward her but didn’t move from the couch. “C’mon. I’m gonna make you so happy. It’s what we both wanted.”

  Laura stood from the armchair. “Brian, I’ve always loved you. I will probably always have a place in my heart for you. But this is something that I need to do for myself.” She looked him in the eyes. “There will be other girls who will cheer you on. But it’s not going to be me anymore.”

  “Stop it,” Brian hissed, leaning forward so suddenly that he almost toppled off the sofa. “Don’t say that. We can get through this, I promise.”

  Laura glanced back at Brian. He was now sprawled across the couch, his beer-stained T-shirt straining over his belly. His drunkenness only reminded Laura of all the promises he’d made her over the past year and how few of them he’d actually kept.

  “I just don’t think you’re ever gonna change. But the thing is . . . I have.”

  As she walked out of the room, Laura fought back tears. Leaving Brian was the scariest thing she’d ever done, and the hardest. But she couldn’t deny that it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She’d spent so long carrying his dreams for him. And now, finally, she had the freedom to find her own.

  41

  gabrielle

  “MAMA, HOW ABOUT this one?” Gabby asked, holding up a beige silk top.

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Elaine said. “See, I told you it was worth comin’ all this way. This mall is way better than Geauxchamp’s.”

  Gabby laughed. For a forty-five-year-old, her mom had quite the trendy taste. Everything she’d seen at the Toulouse department store was too “old lady” for her style. And that’s why they were twenty miles away at the Lafayette mall, shopping at places like H&M and Forever 21, which Gabby had to admit had some seriously cute work clothes.

  “Does this one say ‘Hire me!’ or ‘Take me to the club?’ ” Elaine asked, holding up a little black dress.

  “Ooh, I like,” Gabby said, giving it the once-over. She walked over to the rack and grabbed a gray blazer. “Pair it with this for the interview,” she said, holding them together. “And take it off when you go dancing,” she said, moving the blazer away.

  “My daughter’s a genius,” Elaine said, laughing. “Add it to my pile.”

  They collected dozens of skirts, tops, shoes, and belts until finally Gabby reined her mom in. “Why don’t you go try these on?”

  “Something’s bound to work, huh?” Elaine sighed and headed into the dressing room.

  Gabby sat outside on the plush white leather bench, watching all the people scurry around the store. A tween was rolling her eyes at her dad as he told her the shorts she had picked up were way too short. A couple holding hands perused the lingerie section, shooting each other shy grins. Gabby spent a moment checking out a handsome guy looking at belts in the men’s section . . . and then he turned around.

  Oh my god. Tony. Every muscle in her body froze up. She looked away quickly, trying to hide her face and hoping he hadn’t seen her. A few seconds later, she heard a familiar voice right behind her.

  “Hey.” Tony stood next to her, wearing dark blue jeans and a gray T-shirt. Gabby’s heart stopped in her chest and her stomach felt like it was turning over. He was even more gorgeous than she remembered him. She felt torn between looking for somewhere to hide and wanting to reach out and touch him.

  “Hi,” she said softly, resisting the urge to do either. She pushed her hair behind her ears and stood up. “How, um, are you?” she asked awkwardly.

  “Well, I really wish you would have called me back,” he said, scratching his head. “But I’m surviving, I guess.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, lowering her gaze.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “What do you want me to say to that, Gabby? I’m sorry, too. It’s a real shame that you ended things like that.”

  She swallowed, not knowing how to respond. If he was standing here, still wondering why she broke it off, his dad had held up his end of the bargain and not told Tony that she’d lied to him. But that meant she couldn’t tell him, either. She had to get out of here before Tony saw her mom. “I’ve gotta go,” she said, feeling suddenly panicky and grabbing her bag.

  But it was too late. “Gabby!” Elaine came out of the dressing room wearing a navy dress. “What do you think about this one?” She ran her hands down the pleated cotton dress.

  Gabby’s hands began to sweat, her heart beating as fast as the store’s blaring techno music. “Looks great,” she said, nodding her head. She prayed that her mom would go back into the dressing room immediately.

  “Great!” Elaine smiled and then turned her gaze to Tony. “Oh, who’s this?”

  She wondered if she could make a run for it—just distract both of them by throwing her bag on the ground and sprinting out of the store, through the mall, and into the parking lot, where she would get into her crappy little car and drive far, far away. Surely that would be easier than what she knew she had to do. With a pit in her stomach, Gabby answered: “This is Tony.”

  Elaine’s eyes widened. “Oh Tony, yes,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Elaine, Gabby’s mom. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Emotion flitted quickly across Tony’s face—his brows furrowed in confusion, his jaw clenched with anger. No doubt the pieces clicked into place. He coughed and glanced at Gabby. “I’ve heard so much about you, too,” he said, slowly drawing his gaze back to Elaine and plastering on a smile that Gabby recognized as fake.

  “Well, you kids catch up.” Elaine waved her hands at them. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got forty other outfits to try on!” She bustled back into the dressing room.

  Tony turned to Gabby, his eyes narrowing. “Your mom?” he hissed.

  She bit her lip. “It’s . . . complicated.” Her body temperature shot up. She could only imagine what was going on in Tony’s head. She wished she could explain it to him, explain everything—how things spiraled, and her deal with his dad.

  He paused and raised his arms. “What the hell is going on, Gabs?”

  She looked around at all the people surrounding them—the women in line waiting for a dressing room . . . the employees folding tank tops and T-shirts . . . the little girls spraying each other with vanilla-scented body mist. She’d imagined this moment—when he’d catch her in a lie and she’d have to be honest—so many times, but she’d never imagined it would be in such a public place.

  “What’s going on?” he repeated, leaning toward her, the scent of his familiar cologne making her heart wrench. “Were you lying to me this whole time?”

  Here we go, she thought to herself, taking a deep breath for confidence. It was time. “You assumed my mom was dead, and I never corrected you.” She lowered her head, knowing she’d have to come clean. “I figured it was easier than telling you the truth. She was in jail for four years, and I lost everything when she left. Her. Our house. My chance to go to college. She just got out. I tried to tell you the truth so many times, Tony, I really did.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “But then I fell for you and I just couldn’t do it. Once the wedding date neared, I realized I had to get out of your life.”

  “I can’t believe you,” Tony said, his dark eyes flashing with anger. “How could you lie to me? We were weeks away from getting married!”

  She lowered her head. “I’m sorry.” A lump formed in her throat. No doubt he hated her as much as she hated herself right now. “I never deserved you, and I’m sorry.” Her voice began to crack as she held the tears back. “But for what it’s worth, I want you to know every stupid lie I led you to believe was only because I was madly in love with you.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s supposed to make it acceptable?” His voice got angrier. “This entire situation is so unbelievable. I just can’t even process this right now.”

  “Oh, there you are,” a tall girl with short black hair shouted to Tony from across a display of neon-colored bikinis. “I’
ve been looking for you. We’re late!” She looked at the silver watch on her tiny wrist. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah,” he said, turning around and glancing back at Gabby. His gaze was cool and unfamiliar. “I’m done here.”

  She watched as the two of them walked away. The girl linked her arm through Tony’s, throwing her head back in laughter at something he said. Gabby could only watch as the man of her dreams walked out of the store—and her life—for good, with another woman at his side.

  Elaine came back out of the dressing room, gripping the navy dress tightly. Gabby withered under her mom’s appraising gaze. “So, that was the Tony, right?”

  Gabby stood there in silence. Every muscle in her body was tight as she replayed that painful conversation over and over again in her head.

  “Are you okay?” Elaine asked, putting her hand on her shoulder.

  She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes, trying to get rid of the image of Tony . . . except that when they were shut, the picture of him was even clearer. She couldn’t forget any of the amazing moments of their near-perfect relationship. And now, alongside all of the good—the laughs, their conversations, the feeling of his arms around her—would be the memory of how his face looked when he’d realized what a liar she’d been. Gabby thought her mom’s arrest was the worst moment of her life, but this was right up there. It was a different kind of low, though, with a deeper cut in her soul. Perhaps because she had only herself to blame.

  42

  madison

  THE NEON COCKTAILS sign at Dre’s Dive Bar in Birmingham flickered in and out. Madison found the sign ironic. The bartender could barely make a gin and tonic. She shoved her ice cubes with the skinny black straw and shuddered, thinking what one of his martinis would taste like.

  “Did you see that guy crowd surf during ‘Raise Your Voice?’ ” Cash yelled over the loud music. He was standing a few feet away in a closed circle consisting of one of his bandmates and a group of eager fans who had cornered him after the show. He held his longneck beer bottle tight—tighter than he had held Madison the entire week they had been on the road together.