Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“It says nothing about you. It says a lot about your husband though. It says he’s a dick.”
I leave the vase on the side and face her slowly. Leaning my weight on the counter, I bite my lip. Letting her believe that will be a terrible lie, and I already feel horrible enough about concealing the truth. Plus, I don’t want her to think badly about Leon when I’m the one who drove him to drinking.
“It wasn’t his fault,” I say. “It was me. I did something that hurt him badly.”
She takes the vase and carries it to the table. “Looking for answers at the bottom of a bottle isn’t a very mature move.”
“It’s…” I hesitate. For lack of a better word, “Complicated.”
“If you want to talk to someone, I’m your friendly neighborhood advice giver.”
My laugh is halfhearted.
“No, seriously.” She sticks the flowers in the water and fluffs them out. “I’m a good listener. So if you ever feel like talking, I’ll keep my advice to myself.”
I smile. “I appreciate that.”
“’Kay. Now that that’s out of the way, where’s that coffee you promised?”
While I make coffee, she tells me about their plans to add a nursery to the house. By the time we’ve finished our first cup, I know every hack for making a house baby safe. After our second refill, I’m also familiar with all the suppliers of jungle gyms and which ones are the best quality for money.
“Gosh,” she says, carrying her empty mug to the sink. “Will you listen to me? I must be boring you out of your mind with all this baby talk.”
“Not at all.” Zelda is like a ray of sunshine. Her visit is exactly what I needed.
She pulls her phone from her pocket and checks the time. “I better get going. I have a load of washing in the machine that should be done by now.”
“Thanks for the rusks and the flowers.”
Giving me a finger wave, she says with a wink, “You’re welcome.”
After seeing her out, I tidy the kitchen and change the sheets on the bed. On my way to putting the sheets in the washing machine, I pause in front of the window. The day is sunny, and the sky is a deep, happy blue. Outside of these walls, there’s freedom. Inside, there’s not. In here, I’m meant to serve a sentence. It’s tempting to break our unspoken vow of silence and to tell Leon the truth, but I have to remember why I’m doing this, for whom I’m doing this. I’m doing this for my mother.
CHAPTER 10
Leon
Not a word is said about last night. No questions are asked, and no apology is offered. I take a few hours off for all the overtime I put in and go home early. It’s not to make up for coming home late and drunk yesterday. We have an appointment with Damian. I don’t look forward to facing him, but I may as well let him rub my face in my mistake and get it over with.
Violet is loading washing in the tumble dryer when I walk into the kitchen just after lunch.
She straightens with a start. “You’re home early.”
Crossing the floor, I take her in. She’s wearing a T-shirt and yoga pants. Her dark hair is tied in a ponytail. A strand that came loose is stuck to her temple where a sheen of perspiration coats her skin. It’s a hot day, but the AC is on in the house. She’s been working.
I frown. “You don’t have to clean the house.”
“It’s not going to clean itself.”
I hated the way Gus made her work. The last thing I want is to turn her into some kind of Cinderella in my house. Correction, our house. The idea takes some getting used to but only in the best way possible.
Reaching out, I twist her ponytail around my fist. The thick strands are heavy and silky. I coil them into a rope, playing the long tresses over my fingers. “Did you have lunch?”
She stands dead quiet, looking like a mouse that’s being teased by a cat. “Yes.” Her throat bobs. “You?”
It’s not my objective to make her nervous. I let her hair slip from my fingers. “Yes, but thanks for your concern.”
She doesn’t smile at my attempted humor. She remains serious, studying me with careful attention. I don’t like it. If she’s on her guard around me, I only have myself to blame.
“Have a shower and get dressed.” I step back, putting space between us. “We have an appointment in town.”
More caution sparks in her eyes. “What appointment?”
“With Damian.”
“Damian? Your brother?”
“Do you know another Damian?”
She blinks. “Why?”
My tone is business-like. “You need a ring.”
She looks at the simple band on her finger. “I have a ring.”
“That cost me all of eight hundred bucks from a cheap chain store.”