The Ex

by Freida McFadden

  Although it makes sense. Now she understands why Lydia was so defensive of Francesca. Why Cassie couldn’t live up.

  “Francesca was my sorority sister,” Lydia says. Her eyes have become distant. “My little sister. I remember the first time I saw her walk into the Kappa house. She was taller than all the other freshman girls, and she carried herself like a woman ten years older. There was something about her that made everyone want to get to know her.”

  “Oh,” Cassie mumbles because she’s not sure what else to say.

  “And when Francesca moved to the city after she graduated,” Lydia continues, “and she started her restaurant, I did everything I could to help her. Because she was still my little sister, and my job was to take care of her. I mean, she was my best friend. Like I said, she was Violet’s godmother.”

  “I… I’m very sorry,” Cassie manages.

  “You have no idea,” Lydia snorts. “I thought introducing her to Joel would make her life complete. That’s the most important decision a woman can make, you know—who she chooses for her husband. And I couldn’t imagine a better man for her. He was with someone else back then, and I had a sit-down with him—convinced him he could do better. He listened to me.” Lydia’s eyes become moist. “I thought I was helping Francesca.”

  “It wasn’t your fault that she…” Cassie can’t bring herself to complete the sentence.

  “No, it wasn’t.” Lydia lifts her slightly bloodshot eyes. “It was Joel’s fault.”

  Cassie feels a buzzing in her head. It’s not a drunk feeling exactly. It’s something different. She feels almost woozy.

  “Joel is responsible for Francesca’s death.” Lydia’s jaw tightens visibly. “He broke up with her and then two weeks later, she killed herself. Tell me he’s not responsible.”

  Cassie tugs at her shirt collar. “Is it hot in here?”

  There’s a sensation of heat all over her body. God, what’s wrong with her? What kind of wine is this?

  “She was pregnant—did you know that?” Lydia says.

  It’s the first thing Lydia’s said in the last sixty seconds that got through. “She was?”

  Lydia nods. “Do you know what that must have been like for her to get dumped by the man she loved when she was pregnant with his child? No wonder she took her own life!” She frowns. “So when he started dating you, I felt angry that he was moving on. I didn’t think he deserved to be happy.”

  “Yes…” Cassie murmurs.

  “And that’s why I started following you.”

  Cassie’s eyelids feel heavy. She’s trying to focus on what Lydia is saying, but she can’t. She can’t focus on anything. She knows Lydia is trying to tell her something, but she hears each scrap of a phrase individually and is unable to piece it together.

  You…

  Joel…

  Needed to pay…

  Never forgive…

  And that’s the last thing Cassie remembers before she loses consciousness.

  Chapter 55: The Ex

  It doesn’t surprise me at all to find Joel in Francesca’s restaurant.

  He comes here all the time. Or at least, he used to in the year after Francesca died. A family member of hers bought it and kept the name in her honor. Angela was Francesca’s mother. She had the same name as my grandmother—yet another thing Francesca and I had in common.

  But since he’s been with Cassie, Joel hasn’t been here as much. He’s getting over it. He’s been happy again for the first time in a long time.

  I walk into the small restaurant that Francesca had once owned. The first time I came here, back when Francesca was still alive and kicking, I had been intensely jealous. She had the man I wanted, and she was living my dream of having her own restaurant. I had always imagined a small Italian bistro just like this one.

  Sometimes Dean tells me I should go for it. Follow my dream—open my own restaurant. But I can’t now. Not while Andrew is so young. And once he doesn’t need me anymore, it will be too late. No, that dream has passed me by. But at least I can cook for my little family. Francesca will never cook for anyone ever again.

  I enter the restaurant and walk to where Joel is sitting, drinking a glass of wine. He lifts his eyes when I approach his table, and he doesn’t say anything when I fall into the seat across from him.

  Joel is still as handsome as he ever was. These days I prefer Dean’s looks though. I never get tired of staring into my husband’s face. But Joel hasn’t lost his old appeal. He looks like he’ll age well. I bet all the women in the ER still hit on him.

  “I really like Cassie,” I say to break the silence.

  Joel manages to lift his eyes. “So do I.”

  I raise an eyebrow at him. “So what are you doing here?”

  He sighs and rakes a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. The thing with Francesca… that was rough. I’m still not over it. Sometimes I think I am, but I’m not.”

  “I think you are.”

  “No.” He says it firmly, without room for argument. “That was… awful. My whole relationship with her was… well, tumultuous.”

  I offer a smile. “You said you wanted something different.”

  “Don’t remind me.” He rubs his temples with his fingers. “Things are getting really intense now with Cassie and… I…”

  I squint at him. “Wow, you’re really in love with her, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” he admits. “I am. But part of me doesn’t want to be because… I can’t take losing someone else like I did with Francesca. I just can’t.”

  “Why would you?”

  “I don’t know.” He sighs. “Cassie’s been saying all these crazy things. She thinks some woman is stalking her. I don’t know where that’s coming from.”

  “Here’s the thing.” I put my elbows on the table and lean forward. “I think she might be right.”

  He narrows his eyes at me. “Who do you think is stalking her?”

  I hesitate. “It’s Lydia.”

  “Lydia?” Joel snorts. “She can’t be bothered to stalk someone. She’s too important and busy working and… I don’t know… teaching Violet to speak Mandarin or something.”

  I pause, uncertain if I should reveal the next piece of information. But Joel should know the whole story. “Lydia and Pete are having a rough time, and she’s… she’s really missing Francesca a lot.”

  He winces. “She still blames me, doesn’t she?”

  “She does.”

  “I can’t fault her.” He rubs his temples. “I still blame myself.” He frowns. “But that doesn’t mean she’d—”

  “She told me she did it.”

  Joel’s eyes fly open. “She told you…?”

  “Yes. She told me everything.”

  He shakes his head, unable to comprehend what I’m saying. “I can’t believe Lydia would do that.”

  “You don’t know what’s been going on inside her head lately.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Look,” I say. “I wasn’t going to say anything about it because… well, I thought maybe it was something she needed to get out of her system and she wasn’t hurting anyone. But now I’m not so sure.” I take a breath. “Cassie told me she thinks someone has been in her apartment.”

  “Someone in her apartment?” His eyes widen. “Jesus, why didn’t she tell me?” He jumps to his feet so quickly that the chair he’s sitting in falls over backwards. “I’ve got to get to her. Now.”

  But he waits a minute for me to gather my belongings and follow him. As we walk toward the exit of the restaurant, I feel Joel’s hand tug at my arm. “Hey, Anna,” he says.

  I turn to look at him. “Yes?”

  His smile is crooked. “I’m really glad we’re friends again.”

  I return his smile. “Me too.”

  Chapter 56: The Ex

  The Uber ride to Cassie’s apartment takes under ten minutes. I debate whether I should give her a call to let her know Joel is coming, and in the end, I decide to sh
oot her a text. She doesn’t respond, but I figure she’s busy.

  When we get out at the building, I find Cassie’s name on the intercom and wait for her to buzz us up. After about thirty seconds of waiting, I turn to Joel. “I don’t get it,” I say. “She told me to come over.”

  “I’ve got a key,” Joel offers.

  I step back and allow him to open the door, but it’s certainly not what we expected. My stomach is doing flip-flops on the way up to Cassie’s apartment. Something is going on. I can feel it in my gut. The same way I knew Francesca was up to something.

  “I don’t get it,” I say again. “She said she was going to stay in the apartment and wait for me.”

  “Maybe she’s in the shower?”

  But I don’t think she’s in the shower. And I can tell from the look on Joel’s face that he doesn’t think so either. He presses the button on the elevator again, willing it to ascend faster. I think we’re both frightened of what we’re going to find up there.

  When we get to the Cassie’s door, I nudge Joel. “Don’t ring. Just open it up.”

  We exchange silent looks. He fits his key in the lock and opens the door.

  Joel’s face blanches when he gets inside. I take a step back, my breath caught in my throat. Cassie is lying on the floor by her dining table, unconscious. Her dark hair is splayed around her and her face is colorless. Her eyes are open to slits.

  And there’s Lydia.

  Standing over her, an unreadable expression on her face.

  Oh my God. It’s even worse than I had imagined.

  “Cassie!” Joel rushes to his girlfriend’s side. He’s in doctor mode now, checking her pulse, seeing if she’s breathing. He saved her the other night when she accidentally ate peanuts—this time it could be too late. “Cassie, wake up!”

  I take a tentative step toward Lydia, whose mouth is hanging open. “Lydia, what have you done? What’s going on here?”

  Lydia’s eyes dart around the room. “I didn’t do anything! We were just… I mean, I was chatting with her and she passed out.”

  “Call 911!” Joel barks at us. He looks up at Lydia, who still has the deer-in-headlights look. “Unless you already did?”

  “No,” Lydia says softly. “I did not.”

  The look of anger on Joel’s face is almost terrifying. “Why not?”

  “Because… I…” She rings her hands together. “I didn’t know what to do. She just… dropped. I’m not a doctor like you.”

  I reach for my phone within my purse and call 911. I tell them we’ve got an unconscious woman on the floor.

  “They’re on their way,” I report.

  “She’s still breathing,” Joel reports, a look of relief on his face. He looks up at Lydia. “What did you give her?”

  Lydia sinks onto the sofa and buries her face in her hands. “I’m sorry,” she whimpers. “I just miss Francesca so much… I wasn’t… I didn’t mean to…”

  But Joel isn’t listening. He’s crouched next to Cassie, whispering to her, “Hang in there. Please hang in there. You’re going to be okay…”

  Chapter 57: The New Girl

  Cassie has no idea where she is when she wakes up.

  The last thing she remembers is having drinks with Lydia. And Lydia was saying terrible things and looking at her like she wished she were dead. And then…

  Nothing.

  Cassie blinks her eyes and rubs them as her vision clears. She’s lying in a bed—that much is clear. She sees a white ceiling. An IV pole with a line leading to her left arm. A hospital gown.

  And Joel, fast asleep in a chair next to her bed.

  She isn’t sure what happened, but one thing is very clear: Joel saved her life. Again.

  “Joel.” Her voice cracks on the word and she clears his throat. “Joel, wake up.”

  His eyes flutter open. But when he sees she’s awake, he sits up straight. He smiles as wide as she’s ever seen. “Cassie, thank God.”

  “What happened?” she mumbles. Her mouth feels like there’s cotton in it.

  He hesitates. “It’s… complicated.”

  She rubs at her eyes again. Her head throbs dully. “Please tell me.”

  He leans forward, burying his face in his hands. He’s silence for nearly a full minute before speaking. “Lydia tried to kill you.”

  Cassie sucks in a breath. “What?”

  “I know. I can’t believe it either.” He lets out a sigh. “She and Francesca were so close. Like sisters. And she blamed me for Francesca’s death.”

  “That’s crazy!”

  He shakes his head. “Not really. I blamed me. I still blame myself.”

  He’s quiet for a moment, staring at the wall. “She wanted to punish me. She thought if something happened to you, it would push me over the edge.” He reaches for her hand. “And it would have.”

  Cassie swallows a lump in her throat. “How did you figure out she was the one responsible?”

  “Anna told me, actually,” he says.

  “Anna?” She frowns, remembering how she spoke to Anna on the phone before Lydia arrived. How worried she had seemed. “I didn’t realize you and Anna were even friendly.”

  He coughs into his hand. “I don’t know if you knew this, but Anna and I used to… date. No, not just date. She was my girlfriend. For a long time. A really long time.”

  That surprises her. Anna and Con seem like they’re so made for each other, it’s hard to imagine her with anyone else. But then again, it makes sense in a crazy kind of way. Like Cassie and Francesca, Anna has dark hair and eyes. Cassie heard Anna’s maiden name is Mascolo. She’s certainly Joel’s type. She wonders who ended it.

  “If not for Anna,” Joel says, “we wouldn’t have gotten there in time to save you. And I might have lost you.”

  Cassie imagines that possibility but it’s hard to wrap her head around it. She nearly died twice in one week. She wonders if Lydia was responsible for the peanuts in her Chinese food. She has a bad feeling about that one.

  Joel gives her hand a squeeze. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Cassie. When I thought I might lose you, God… it was like the end for me.”

  She squeezes him back. “I feel the same way about you.”

  “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he admonishes her. “I… I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she says.

  Of course she does. After all, he saved her life.

  Epilogue: Two Months Later

  Cassie

  “Andrew is such a good baby!”

  Cassie’s got Anna’s baby on her lap and is bouncing him up and down. He laughs with each bounce, a dimple poking out on his cheek just like his dad. Cassie doesn’t have a lot of experience with babies, but she can’t imagine a cuter baby than this one.

  “He’s really well-behaved,” Anna says with a smile. “He’s always smiling and happy.”

  “Of course,” Con says, “that’s only because Anna is the best mother in the world.”

  Anna laughs, but Cassie’s not sure it’s an exaggeration. Anna dotes on little Andrew so much. She tends to his every need. She really is a supermom. Cassie’s not sure Con’s a superdad, but the way he dotes on Anna, she would definitely call him a superhusband.

  Con nudges Joel, who is sitting on the couch. “This giving you guys any ideas?”

  Joel laughs and doesn’t say anything, but the two of them exchange meaningful looks. They’ve decided to go ahead with moving in together, and Cassie feels like she’s ready. And when she looks at little Andrew, she thinks maybe having babies in the near future might not be such a bad thing.

  Of course, she’s got a lot on her mind lately. Business at Bookland has picked up considerably lately, in no small part thanks to Joel. When she complained to him about how half their “business” seems to be turning away medical students looking for textbooks, he said, “And you don’t carry medical books because…?”

  It was a valid point. He helped her set up a contact with the
medical students and residents to buy their used textbooks for cheap. Now she’s got six full shelves of medical books, and they’re flying off the shelves—each one selling for far more money than a book of poetry. She doesn’t want to betray her grandparents’ vision of the bookstore, but this is what’s going to keep the doors open. It’s the perfect solution.

  And it means she got rid of the dresser at the back of her closet. Yes, she could have saved it as insurance, but she didn’t want the temptation. And she can’t afford the risk.

  “My turn!” Joel says, holding out his arms for Cassie to pass him the baby. “Come to Uncle Joel.”

  Andrew gurgles with delight as he gets into Joel’s arms. Cassie’s gotten more comfortable with holding him lately, but she still feels a bit awkward. She tries not to think of Lydia’s comment about her not being “maternal.”

  Not that Lydia had a right to comment on anything, given what she tried to do to Cassie. She admitted that she was the one who threw paint on Cassie’s bookstore entrance and wrote “slut” on her apartment door. She admitted to vandalizing the bookstore, although swore the door was unlocked. She admitted she slipped Maureen the Homeless Lady a twenty to forget her face. Then slipped her another twenty to follow Cassie around and freak her out.

  But she won’t admit to other things, even though the evidence is smacking her in the face. She denies making any calls to Cassie, even though the police found multiple burner phones in her home that they confirmed were used to call Cassie’s phone. She denies ever being inside Cassie’s apartment until she was invited in, even though they found a set of keys to Cassie’s apartment deep in Lydia’s dresser—God knows how she got her hands on those. Cassie imagines she took Joel’s keys when he was visiting Pete.

  Lydia also insists she came to Cassie’s apartment that night to make peace, not to poison her. Except there was an empty bottle of the same sleeping pill in her medicine cabinet that they found in Cassie’s bloodstream when she was taken to the hospital.

  And most damning, Joel and Anna caught Lydia standing over Cassie, while she lay unconscious on the floor. Lydia hadn’t called 911. She was simply waiting for Cassie to die.