LIPSTICK AND LIES AND DEADLY GOODBYES

by Jodi Vaughn

  “Not happening,” I pouted.

  He said nothing, just turned to go.

  “I have another question.”

  “What?” he snarled as he stopped, but he didn’t turn to look at me this time.

  “What’s your name?”

  He stayed quiet, and I wondered if he’d answer.

  “If you don’t tell me, then I’ll have to come up with a name like…Vinny the Vampire.”

  He turned and glared at me. I was unfazed. At least I’d gotten a reaction out of him. It was more than I’d gotten from Miles.

  “My name is Khalan.”

  I watched him leave and listened as the door shut. Once again, I was alone.

  I looked at the ceiling and laughed. For some reason, I was more disturbed that my husband had cheated on me than becoming a vampire.

  * * *

  The ringing of my phone jolted me out of a sound sleep.

  I blinked and looked around. I was in the guest bedroom. Unease settled in my stomach at the new reality of my life.

  I glanced toward the windows. It was just getting dark outside. The ringing phone pulled my attention back to the present, and I searched the bed for my cell.

  My fingers finally found it tangled up in the comforter. I hit the button to answer without looking at the screen. I hated to admit it, but I was holding out hope that Miles was calling to apologize—or to at least check on me.

  “Hello?”

  “Mom, where are you? You were supposed to come pick us up two hours ago?” Arianna whined.

  I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Shit. I’d slept the whole damn day away and had forgotten to pick up my daughters. What the hell kind of mother did that?

  “I’m on my way, sweetie. Make sure you and Gabby have everything packed.”

  “Can we stop by the Sugar Shack and get some ice cream?”

  “Sure, sure.” I ran to my closet to throw on some clothes.

  “Mom, are you okay? You sound different?”

  “I’m fine. Just grabbing my purse. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” I hung up the phone and stuffed my legs into some black yoga pants. I pulled on a long-sleeved T-shirt that said Let It Snow across the front.

  I ran a brush through my hair and slid on my boots. I didn’t have time for makeup, and at this point, I really didn’t care. I needed to see my girls.

  More than that, I needed to pull it together. I didn’t know what I was going to tell them about their father. I didn’t know what the future held. I didn’t want them to worry.

  I grabbed my keys and dropped them into my purse. I was halfway out the garage door when I realized I didn’t have a coat on.

  I ran back inside and grabbed my North Face jacket. It wasn’t a snow coat, but it would have to do.

  I walked into the garage and stopped. I had forgotten that Khalan had brought my Volvo back.

  I climbed into my car and glanced at the passenger’s seat. There sat the Jimmy Choo shoes I’d left at Khalan’s when I escaped.

  I turned down our street, and a wave of sadness swept over me. I looked from house to house, remembering how excited we had been when we first built our home in this neighborhood.

  It was the most expensive neighborhood in the city and the only gated subdivision. We had struggled financially to get Miles through medical school, and when we picked the plot where we were going to build our house, I’d finally felt like things were looking up.

  We’d been here for twelve years now. We’d made friends that would last a lifetime. Or so I thought.

  I turned into the driveway of Maggie’s house. Arianna and Lilly Rose had been friends since kindergarten. They did everything together. Had the same classes, same friends, even played the same sports. I hadn’t been very athletic growing up, but both my girls had inherited their love of sports from their father and took both dance and soccer.

  I stayed on the road, taking them from activity to activity while Miles built his career and made a name for himself.

  It had felt like we were a team, working together for our family.

  Now, that team was fractured.

  I pulled into the driveway and checked my reflection one last time. I was relieved to see that my eyes weren’t red from all the crying. Instead, I looked bright and alert.

  I slid out of the car. The wind whipped around me, and I noticed that yesterday’s snow had melted a little. Now with the temps dropping, the ice would freeze, and I doubted that the kids would have school in the morning. That was one thing about the South. When it snowed, everything shut down.

  I didn’t snuggle down into my coat like I normally did. Tonight, I embraced the cold, hoping it would numb the pain in my heart.

  I knocked on the front door of the sprawling two-story, brick house.

  Maggie Nelson had decorated her home to the hilt for spring. A large wreath of brightly colored flowers and Easter eggs adorned the door. Two human-sized white bunnies stood sentry on either side of the porch, and large, pink, blue, and purple eggs were stuck in the landscaping around the front of the house.

  Usually, Maggie’s house made me feel all warm and cozy.

  Now, looking at all the garish decorations made me sad. It felt as fake as my marriage.

  Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked them back before pressing the doorbell. The kids didn’t need to see me like this. I had to stay strong for them.

  The door swung open.

  “Rachel! Come in, come in. You must be freezing.” Maggie smiled and waved me inside. She gave me a quick hug before scurrying off to the kitchen.

  “As you can see, the girls had a great time.” She nodded at the kitchen island littered with decorated Easter cookies, glittery, hard-boiled eggs, and a row of chocolate Easter baskets.

  “I see that.” I forced a smile and looked away. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

  “No worries. Lilly and Rose loved having your girls over for the weekend.” Maggie grinned. “So tell me. Was Miles surprised to see you home?”

  I froze. I’d forgotten that she knew I planned to surprise him.

  “You have no idea.” I swallowed

  “Mom! You’re here! We need to go if we’re going to grab some ice cream before the Sugar Shack closes.” Arianna gave me a worried look as she stuck her arms into her coat sleeves.

  “That’s right. They close early on Sunday.” I gathered her against me and hugged her. She pulled away.

  “Tell Gabby to hurry up.” She frowned. “I told her fifteen minutes ago to get her shoes on, and she’s still shoeless.”

  “Gabby, we need to go.” I looked up at the top of the stairs and saw my youngest peeking at me over the banister.

  She bounded down the stairs, dragging her coat and carrying her boots under her arms.

  “You’re late, Mommy,” she said as I kissed her cheek.

  “Sorry, sweetie. Time got away from me.”

  “It’s okay. I got to play longer.” She gave me her beautiful smile.

  My heart ached with all the love swelling in my chest. I loved my girls more than anything.

  And I feared that what Miles had done would destroy them.

  Looking into the depths of my daughter’s eyes, I knew I had to work this out, for them.

  “Thanks for watching them, Maggie.” I smiled at my friend. “I totally owe you one.”

  “Anytime.” She smiled. Her husband Harry came around the corner and waved as he spotted me before snatching up a cookie.

  The sight of their happiness was almost too much to bear. I herded my children out the front door into the cold night.

  “Mommy, why don’t we have bunnies like this?” Gabby brushed her fingers across one of the rabbit’s arms as we walked by.

  “Because Mom does a Christian theme at Easter, you know with crosses and lilies and stuff. She doesn’t do rabbits and eggs.” Arianna sighed and shook her head like she was trying to explain algebra to a child.

  “So why don’t we change it?” Gabby looked up at
me, sniffed, and swiped her arm across her nose.

  “Maybe I will.” Maybe that’s what we needed. To shake things up, try something different.

  If Miles saw that I wasn’t stuck in a rut and could bring some excitement back, maybe he’d be willing to work on our family.

  What about what I wanted?

  I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I felt like I was trapped inside someone with multiple personalities. One minute I wanted to kill him; the next, I desperately wanted to see him.

  “I guess the reason you’re late is because you and Dad had a ‘nap,’”—Arianna made air quotations with her fingers—“and you fell asleep.”

  “If they’re taking a nap, of course, they fell asleep.” Gabby glared at her sister.

  “Not if it’s an adult nap.” Arianna smirked.

  “What’s an adult nap?” Gabby asked.

  “Okay, okay. No more talk about adult naps.” I tried to keep the laughter out of my voice. As much as I tried, it was hard. I was emotionally exhausted, and that was the first thing I’d found funny since my life had changed.

  “Don’t forget about the ice cream,” Gabby insisted.

  “I won’t.” And I frowned. “Are you sure you have enough room for something sweet? There were enough treats in that kitchen to kill a horse.”

  “Oh, we didn’t eat those.” Arianna cringed.

  “I ate the cookie dough. Before they put it in the oven.” Gabby confessed and then gave me a big smile. “But I have room for ice cream. Especially with caramel on top.”

  We loaded into the car, and I eased out of the driveway and onto the street. I turned onto the main road that led to the ice cream shop. The Sugar Shack was our favorite place to grab a scoop. Homemade ice cream with thirty different toppings to choose from. They even served burgers. The good kind, with real meat fried in a skillet.

  The Sugar Shack was a tradition in our family.

  I wondered how much longer we would be a family.

  I swallowed back the lump trying to form in the back of my throat as I turned into the parking lot. My headlights illuminated a couple seated in a booth by the window as I pulled into the parking space.

  I glanced up at the couple and froze. All the air whooshed out of my lungs, and I found that I couldn’t breathe. I blinked, trying to make sense of what the hell I was looking at.

  Miles was sitting in the booth with Nikki. He was holding her hand and looking like he was comforting her.

  Anger surged in my veins and burst my heart right open. How the fuck could he take that whore to our place, right in front of our family? In front of our girls?

  “Look, it’s Daddy,” Gabby said.

  “It sure is,” I whispered under my breath. I snatched up my purse and slid out of the car. I waited for the girls to get out, all the while keeping my gaze trained on Miles.

  Nikki shook her head and pulled her hand away. I wished I could be a fly on the table to hear what they were saying to each other.

  I hurried toward the entrance, shoving the door open as the tiny bell jangled happily.

  “Daddy! I didn’t know you were going to meet us here.” Gabby ran to her father.

  Miles looked up and quickly scrambled out of the booth. His face went white and for a second, I thought he might pass out. I hoped he would hit his head and get a bad concussion that would lead to brain death.

  I wondered if I would donate his organs. I probably would since I’m generous like that.

  “Arianna, Gabby. What are you two doing here?” He hugged Gabby who launched herself at him and then smiled at Arianna.

  “You didn’t know we were coming?” Gabby asked and then looked at Nikki and frowned. “Then what are you doing here?”

  Nikki’s face was white, and her eyes were wide with shock. She didn’t dare look at me. Probably in fear of me outing her in front of the girls.

  I wanted her to look at me. I really wanted her to look me straight in the eye.

  “I was just getting off work and stopped in for ice cream. Nikki was already here when I got here.”

  I wasn’t buying it. From the looks of it, Arianna wasn’t buying it either.

  My girl was smart.

  “Hi, Nikki.” Gabby ran to give her a hug, but I grabbed her by the arm.

  “Oh, sweetie. No. Don’t hug Nikki. She’s sick.”

  “She doesn’t look sick.” Gabby looked up at me.

  “I know. It’s a stomach bug that gives you horrible diarrhea and very bad gas.”

  “Like that hippo we saw at the zoo?” Gabby blinked up at me. “The one whose tail flew around in a circle while it pooped everywhere?”

  “Exactly like that hippo.” I knelt down to her.

  “Gross.” Arianna stepped back and wrinkled up her nose. She grabbed her sister’s hand. “Come on, Gabby, let’s go order.”

  The girls walked over to the counter, animatedly talking to the server. I looked back at my husband and ex-best friend.

  “Are you following me?” he asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Are you following me? How did you know I was here?”

  Anger made me tremble. I curled my fingers into fists and glared at him and then Nikki.

  “No, I didn’t follow you. The girls wanted ice cream, so I brought them here for a treat. You do remember that this is where we go. As a family.” I hissed out the last three words and noticed that my spittle had landed on Nikki’s nose.

  I wished I could infect Nikki with some hippo diarrhea that would last for weeks.

  “I’m sorry.” Nikki grabbed her purse and hurried out of the ice cream shop. Miles didn’t watch her leave.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I hissed and then glanced around the near-empty store. “Meeting your fuck buddy out in the open like that?” Nausea rolled around my stomach. “Does the whole town know?”

  My eyes widened. Holy shit! Did the whole town know? Was I the last idiot on the face of the planet to realize what was going on?

  “No, nobody knows.” Miles’ eyes widened, and he waved me back down to the booth where he’d been sitting with Nikki.

  “I’m not sitting there.”

  He said nothing but moved to the next booth down and sat. His gaze wandered from me back to the kids. A thin sheen of sweat had gathered on his top lip.

  His discomfort actually made me happy.

  I justified that he should suffer after everything he’d done.

  “Have you told them?” he whispered.

  “Tell them what? That Daddy is fucking around with my ex-best friend?” I hissed.

  “Keep your voice down.” His gaze darted back to our girls.

  My heart was pounding in my chest, and I wasn’t sure what would come out of my mouth next.

  “I’m coming home tonight.” He looked back at Gabby, who gave him a funny face as they served up her ice cream in a waffle bowl.

  I felt defeated. “That’s it. No apology, no remorse? Just that you’re coming home.” Anger was an emotion I was starting to embrace.

  “We’ll talk about this later.” He got up from the booth and went over to pay for the girls’ ice cream.

  I watched his back as he walked, considering how a human being could be so cruel and evil to do what he’d done to his spouse, to his children, and to his future.

  I could not understand why he would cheat and then feel no remorse. My mind went back to the numerous web pages that had said that spouses sometimes won’t show remorse because they are compartmentalizing their emotions. They put the affair in a different box, away from marriage and family, and they don’t think the two have anything to do with each other.

  I forced a smile as the girls walked over to me, holding large waffle bowls of ice cream with their favorite toppings.

  I slid out of the booth and stood up. I couldn’t sit there with Miles and pretend that everything was okay. I needed something to do, so I walked over to the ice cream counter and pretended to look at their flavors.

  “H
ello, Mrs. Rachel.” Sam Seyler, the owner, smiled. His weathered face and white hair stood on end as if he’d forgotten to comb it after taking off his hat. Sam had owned the Sugar Shack for years. He’d started it with his wife in the fifties, and it was still going strong.

  “Hi, Sam.” I returned the smile without feeling. “Looks pretty empty in here tonight.”

  “Yes, with all that snow, no one is wanting ice cream. They are home playing in the snow and making hot chocolate. No one wants anything cold to eat.”

  “I’ll always come here, Sam. Even after a snowstorm.” I looked up and gave him a genuine smile.

  “You are good people, Mrs. Rachel. A good mother, a good wife.” His gaze flicked to Miles and then back to me.

  My heart nearly stopped. Did Sam know? Had he suspected something from Nikki and Miles sitting together?

  Holy shit.

  “I’ll let you look. Let me know what you decide.” He nodded and walked to the end of the counter to wash out his scoops.

  The doorbell chimed, and immediately the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention.

  I didn’t have to turn around to know who I’d be smelling soon enough.

  I wrinkled my nose as his scent hit me. There was still a faint whiff of skunk, but something else had been added to the odor. He smelled a lot like cat pee.

  He didn’t say anything, just stood next to me and looked down at the ice cream.

  “What are you doing here?” I whispered under my breath. I glanced over my shoulder at the girls. They were each sharing a spoonful of ice cream with their father and laughing at something Gabby had said.

  “What are you doing here? Following me?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “Keep your emotions under control. The rage you keep putting off is making it hard for me to concentrate on my work.”

  “What work is that? Decapitating and kidnapping?” I snapped back.

  He glanced at me with a little smile on his lips. “Maybe, Roadkill.”

  “Don’t call me that. It sounds horrendous.”

  “Your emotions are horrendous.” He arched his brow and glanced in the direction of where my family sat. “Is that the Cheater?

  “Yes.” I crossed my arms and studied the rocky road.

  “Want me to kill him?” Khalan looked into the freezer.