by A. M. Myers
“What are you saying?” I ask, horrified that she might actually be suggesting that we do nothing.
“I’m saying if he’s hurting her, his hooks are already in deep and if we say something, we might just push her away when she needs us the most.”
I stare at her with my mouth hanging open and voices roaring in my head. “You can’t be serious. I won’t just let him hurt her.”
“If we do this and she pulls away, she won’t have anyone to turn to when she is finally ready to leave. Believe me, child, I want to do whatever it takes to get her out of there, but I know this is something she has to do herself, even if it kills me.”
“So, we do nothing?”
She shakes her head. “No. You be there for her. You let her know that no matter what happens, you are always by her side because she will need you. Maybe not right away but someday, she’s going to need her big sister to be there for her.”
“I can’t believe this,” I mutter, dropping my head into my hands and sucking in a breath.
“I know it feels like everything that you shouldn’t be doing, Carly, and trust me, I briefly considered grabbing my gun and going for a drive, but it won’t fix anything. And even worse, Ivy would never forgive us.”
“At least she’d be alive,” I hiss, looking up at her.
She nods, taking a sip of coffee with an eerie calm settling over her. “We take this one day at a time, Carly, and if things get worse, we’ll be there to help her. But if you charge in now, you won’t be around and you won’t know if she needs you.”
“I hate it.”
“I know. I do, too.”
Silence descends over us and I take a sip of my coffee before taking a deep breath in an attempt to relax.
“So,” Dottie prompts, watching me with a raised brow. “Anything else on your mind?”
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“Whatever happened with that boy of yours?”
After another sip of coffee, I set the cup down and sigh. “I took your advice and let him in.”
“And?” she asks as she fights back a smile.
“And, turns out the asshole is married.”
“No,” she gasps, shaking her head as she lays her hand on the table in front of her. I nod, my chest aching with all the things I’ve been avoiding as I look away from her. “Tell me everything.”
With a sigh, I turn back and step completely out of character as I spill my guts – telling her everything from the moment I met Chance until last night when he was pounding on my door and telling me he couldn’t walk away from me. When I finish, she’s quiet – studying me intently.
“Could it be a mistake?”
I scoff. “No.”
“Did he confirm it? Did anyone else?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re the first person I’ve talked to about this.”
“So, it could all be a misunderstanding.”
“A secret wife is not a misunderstanding.” My phone buzzes on the table and I grab it, thankful for the distraction.
Ivy:
Julian has tonight off.
Family dinner at 6?
“Ivy wants to have a family dinner tonight at six and she’s bringing Julian,” I mutter, already uncomfortable with the thought of being in the same room with the man who I’m convinced is hurting my baby sister.
“Okay,” Dottie says, looking toward the kitchen. “I think I can scrounge something up.”
Me:
Sounds good.
After pressing send, I stand up and offer Dottie a smile. “I’ll see you tonight then, I guess.”
“We were still talking about your beau,” she points out and I shake my head.
“There’s nothing to talk about and I have an appointment to get my nails done. Hopefully, a little relaxation will help me forget this shitty week.”
She makes a noise of annoyance as she stands up and wraps me in a hug. “See you tonight, Sweetie.”
* * * *
“Ready to do this?” Aunt Dottie asks, looking a little pale herself, as we grab a few plates full of food and turn toward the dining room where Ivy and Julian are waiting for us.
“I don’t know. Are you?” I’m not feeling anywhere close to okay, but I have to keep a straight face and be polite to Julian for Ivy’s sake. After some time to think about what Dottie said this afternoon, I realized she was right. As much as I want to rush in and whisk my sister away somewhere safe, she has to make the decision but as soon as she does, as soon as she’s sure she wants to leave, nothing will stop me from helping her. I have to believe she’ll come to her senses eventually because Ivy is smart and it won’t take her long to come to the realization that this relationship isn’t good for her.
She shakes her head. “No.”
“All right,” I sigh, trying to psych myself up. “Let’s do this.”
Dottie leads the way, stepping into the dining room with a smile on her face as she sets a platter of food down in the middle of the table. “Hope y’all are hungry. I made plenty.”
“Thank you, ma’am. This all looks delicious,” Julian says, charm oozing out of every word he says. It’s easy to see how my sister fell for him. If I had met him before I saw that bruise on her arm, I would have been equally as charmed by his southern gentleman routine but now I see the snake beneath his mask.
We all sit down and fill up our plates in silence before Ivy nudges me under the table. When I glance up, she shoots me a look that implies I should talk to Julian but, for the life of me, I can’t think of anything to talk to him about. Actually, that’s not true. I could ask him what made him believe it would be okay to hurt my sister, but I have a feeling Ivy wouldn’t appreciate that.
“So,” Dottie says, cutting the tension in the room. “How did you two meet?”
Julian smiles, glancing over at my sister as her lips tip up and it makes my blood boil. “I saw her at a charity function and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen but I needed a little liquid courage before I could go talk to her and by the time I was ready, she had disappeared. For days afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about her and I tried just about everything to find out her name but came up empty, so imagine my surprise when I spotted her as I was grabbing lunch one day. Of course, she wouldn’t even give me the time of day but I was determined to win her over, so I kept coming back to the restaurant every day after that, hoping she would show up and when she finally did, I convinced her to give me a chance. The rest is history.”
“What a lovely story,” Aunt Dottie says, smiling at Julian, but I can see the insincerity on her face. Julian asks her a question about the house and I turn to study my sister, my gaze immediately going to the spot where the bruise was yesterday. I can barely make it out but it’s still there like she tried to cover it with makeup. Glancing up at her face, something catches my attention and I stare at her upper arm, just under her shirt, where a fresh bruise colors her skin.
I turn my gaze to Aunt Dottie, who casually glances over at me before following my gaze to Ivy’s arm. She skirts over the area, keeping up her conversation with Julian and I wonder if she even saw it until I notice her knuckles turning white. When I glance over at Ivy, she’s watching me warily, so I flash her a smile and she relaxes back into her seat a little.
How can she just sit casually next to him after he’s hurt her?
“Ivy tells us you work for your father?” Dottie asks, slipping a dainty bite of food into her mouth and chewing slowly. I know how she feels. The thought of eating right now makes me feel ill also.
Julian laughs and shakes his head. “Ah, not really. I’m a political consultant so I do help my father out from time to time, but I don’t work for him.”
“Oh, I see,” Dottie replies and glances over to me like she wants me to help out with this façade of a dinner but all the things I want to say to this man would upset my sister.
“Carly, Ivy said you’re a writer?” Julian says, turning on the char
m as he stares at me, waiting for my answer and I try not to glare. Clearing my throat, I fold my hands in my lap and nod.
“Yes, that’s right. I work for Mercedes Richmond at Champagne Dreaming.”
He nods, taking a bite of food. “Yes, I know her father. Excellent golf player.”
I force a smile to my face, hoping that it doesn’t look like a grimace. It’s not surprising Julian knows Mercedes’ father since he’s one of the wealthiest men in the city. I have to wonder, though, why they always bring up how well someone plays a sport like I give a damn. It’s like some kind of measure of their manhood. What am I even supposed to say to something like that anyway?
Ivy gives me a pleading look and when Julian looks away to talk to Dottie about something, I shrug. I really don’t know what the hell she wants from me. I’m doing my best here. Besides, there isn’t much I don’t already know about him since I googled him as soon as I got home from my nail appointment today.
“Carly, could I see you in the kitchen?” Ivy asks and my gaze snaps up to her. I nod and she stands, tossing her napkin to the table before she calmly walks out of the room. Dottie and Julian watch me carefully as I follow her.
“What are you doing?” she seethes, twisting around and pointing a finger at me.
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Are you trying to sabotage this? You promised me you would help convince Dottie that he is an okay guy.”
My jaw drops and I shake my head. “Yeah, well, that was before I saw the bruises on your arm and don’t think I didn’t notice the new one.”
Her hand flies to her upper arm before she can stop herself and I nod, vindicated.
“You don’t understand,” she hisses, stepping closer to me and lowering her voice.
“What I understand, Vi, is you’re in a dangerous situation and I’m so worried about you that my stomach is in knots most of the time.”
“Car, you don’t understand…”
“Ivy.” Julian’s voice cuts through our conversation, hard as steel, as he stands at the entrance to the kitchen. “I just got a call from my father. I’m afraid we have to go.”
She tears her gaze away from me and nods at him. “Okay. Let me go grab my purse.”
Her hand falls from her arm and she brushes past both of us, leaning up to give Julian a kiss on the cheek as she passes, before disappearing into the dining room. Julian smiles, his gaze lingering on my chest for just a bit too long.
“It was lovely meeting you, Carly.”
Ivy comes back to the kitchen, saving me from having to respond and wraps her arms around me.
“Talk to you later, okay?” she whispers in my ear and I nod. As she pulls away, Julian takes her hand and gently pulls her out the front door. Dottie rises from the table and goes to the window, pulling the curtain back just a fraction to spy on them. I join her, peeking through the other side as my heart climbs into my throat. Julian’s body is tense as he leads Ivy to his car, rougher than he was just a moment ago. She looks like she’s pleading with him and he stops in the middle of the street and slaps her across the face. Dottie and I both gasp. My hand flies to my mouth and my eyes burn as a tear slips down my cheek.
Chapter Twenty-One
Carly
The vase of white roses sitting in front of my apartment door stops me in my tracks as I step off the elevator and I sigh. Damn. I really wish there was a way to get into my apartment without picking them up. Why can’t he just let this go? Crossing the hallway, I stop in front of them and sigh again. I don’t need to read the card because I already know who they’re from and I don’t want to hear anything he has to say. What could he possibly say anyway? There’s nothing that will change the fact that he’s married or that he turned me into his mistress. Deep shame rises up inside me and I shift the bottle of wine I picked up on the way home to the crook of my arm as I bend down to grab the vase. As I jam my keys into the lock and open the door, I consider leaving them on my doorstep before shaking my head in annoyance and closing the door behind me.
My apartment is uncomfortably quiet as I flick on the lights and I wonder if I should have called Izzy or Ali to hang out instead of coming straight home after work. I set the flowers and wine down on the island before searching through the blooms for the card I promised myself I wouldn’t read. Pulling it out, I roll my eyes when I see the “I’m Sorry” printed on the front. Does he think that’s going to fix anything?
Carly,
I don’t know much about flowers but the woman at the shop said fifteen roses symbolize an apology so that’s what I ordered for you. I’ve been racking my brain, going over that night again and again in my head, but I still don’t understand what happened. Whatever it is, whatever I did to upset you, please know how sorry I am. I would never intentionally hurt you, baby. The night of the party, something changed between us and for a little while you were mine. It was everything I wanted and the greatest thing I’ve ever felt. I would fight for you until I took my last breath, but I’ll try and let you go if that’s what you really want. If this is really the end for us, I just need to hear you say it and I’ll be gone from your life forever.
Chance.
My heart seizes in my throat and the card falls out of my hand, fluttering to the floor as my mind races. I don’t know what to think about his note. On the one hand, this is exactly what I wanted but now that it’s a reality, I don’t know if I can push him away. God, is that what I want? The thought of losing Chance, of never seeing him again, is more devastating than I can even express. How can I even hurt this much? Didn’t he reach into my chest and tear my heart out when I discovered he was married? Jesus, what am I saying? He’s married. He promised his life to another woman and I have no right to want him like this. I have no right to love him.
Tears sting my eyes as I think about letting him go and before I can completely lose it, I grab my phone off the counter to distract myself. I check my messages for the millionth time today, hoping Ivy finally answered me but my messages are the only thing staring back at me. As I start pacing through the apartment, I dial her number. This was my original plan for after work and I’m not going to let Chance or his note derail that.
“Pick up the damn phone, Vi,” I whisper, my stomach churning. It’s been a long stressful day at work and I’ve worn down almost all my nails worrying about what Julian did to my sister last night. Her lack of contact today has me thinking the worst. At several points today, I sent up a prayer she’s just mad at me about not backing her up last night, but I can’t help but imagine the worst. Not with what I know now. Dottie hasn’t been much better, either, and she’s been texting non-stop to ask if I’ve heard from Ivy.
“Hello?” Ivy says into the phone and I let out a breath.
Thank God.
“Hey, what are you up to?” I ask, trying to sound casual. It doesn’t work. Even I can hear that my voice is higher than normal and my chest feels tight.
“Uh…” she hums, her voice dimming like she pulled the phone away from her ear and then she’s back. “Not much. Just unpacking some things I haven’t had a chance to get to yet.”
“Oh, okay. Well, do you want to grab dinner with me? I wanted to talk to you after last night.”
She pauses and my breath gets stuck in my throat. “Actually, I still have a lot to do but maybe I’ll call you back later, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” I answer, my voice cracking and I purse my lips.
“Bye.” She doesn’t even wait for my reply before she hangs up and I pull the phone away from my ear, fighting back tears. Glancing down to where the phone sits in my hand, I stare at the black screen for a moment before sinking to the floor. What the hell am I supposed to do for her?
No matter how many times I think it over, I just can’t understand how she can stay with him. She has enough money to go anywhere in the world and if she had called Dottie or I, we would have been there for her in a heartbeat. The first time he laid a hand on her, she should have been out
the door. Why can’t she see that?
Tears sting my eyes again and I grab onto the island to pull myself up before sliding my laptop in front of me and opening it. After bringing up the search engine, I type “abusive relationships” in the search bar and suck in a breath before pressing the arrow that will start my search. In an instant, pages of articles pop up in front of me with taglines that are intended to entice me to open them. It’s overwhelming. Clicking on the first one, I start reading and before long, I’m lost in article after article that make my heart ache. I can’t stop picturing what he’s doing to her when no one is around and even though I found some answers, I’m still struggling to understand why she wouldn’t just come to me. How scared does she have to be to not trust I would keep her safe?
A tear slips down my cheek and I brush it away, trying not to picture Ivy all broken down and bruised as I stand up and grab a wine glass from the cupboard. The tears keep coming as I pour wine into the glass and a knock at the door has me glancing over my shoulder.
“Shit.” I set the bottle down and quickly wipe my eyes, checking my reflection in the mirror to make sure my mascara isn’t smeared before I yank the door open. My heart jumps into my throat when Chance looks up, meeting my eyes.
“Chance,” I whisper, a riot of emotions rocking through me. Between his note and dealing with my sister, I feel like I’m being tossed around on an angry sea.
“Hey,” he answers, looking casual as ever except for the uncertainty in his eyes. He glances over my shoulder. “See you got my flowers.”
“Um, yeah.”
What exactly am I supposed to say here? It hurts to look at him and know he can never be mine. Why did I go and fall in love with the wrong guy again?
