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“What about you, Lex?” Vikki asked. “Do you see yourself getting married someday?”
Lexie snorted, a hot flush of anxiety coming over her. “Once was enough for me.”
“Wait, you’ve been married before?”
Lexie stared at her hands. “Technically, I still am. You know Kyle Garrett?”
“Asshole Kyle Garrett? Rich-and-likes-to-flaunt-it Kyle Garrett? Drinks too much? Tries to cop a feel every time I walk past him—that Kyle Garrett?”
“That’s the one.”
Vikki surveyed her with new eyes, like Lexie was insane, and she was only just now seeing it. “Wow.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s bad.” Her cheeks warmed even more. “But he wasn’t always like that.”
“It’s true,” Annie said. “Once upon a time, he was actually a decent guy. Until he wasn’t.”
Vikki’s brow creased in confusion. “What happened?”
Lexie lifted a shoulder. “I made the mistake of believing in a fairytale. He was a nice guy from a good family. By comparison, I was basically trash—”
“You were not trash,” Annie interjected.
“I walked to school in shoes with holes in them while he drove a BMW.”
“Yeah, like a douche bag.”
“Anyway,” Lexie continued. “I didn’t care about his money—I still don’t—but he was sweet to me, and he was a sexy, older guy which made him even more enticing.” She smiled. “I thought he would be good to me. He wanted to be with me even though his parents didn’t approve, even asked me to marry him.” She huffed out a sad laugh. “Guess he made me feel special. So, we drove to the mainland on a random Tuesday—”
“So as to avoid his father, the Mercy Cove councillor,” Annie provided for context.
“—and did the deed at Portland City Hall.”
“I bet his family were pissed.” Vikki gasped.
Lexie closed her eyes for emphasis. “Livid.”
“Huge scandal at the time,” Annie added.
Vikki’s sigh was wistful. “Young love.”
“Yeah, well, that’s where the fairy tale ended.” Lexie picked up her glass, settling back into the cushioned chair again. “Things turned sour not long after.”
“Understatement of the year,” Annie said. “And as your best friend, I still reserve the right to say, I told you so.”
“He has issues—”
“Uh, correction,” she interrupted. “He has a truckload of issues.”
“Which I’m sure you’ve already figured out by now,” Lexie continued, ignoring Annie’s jab. “Aggression, depression, and like you said, drinks too much.” She shrugged again, averting her eyes, hating how messed up the whole thing sounded. “Add wealthy entitlement to the mix and you’ve got, well, Kyle.”
Vikki took another pretzel from the bowl and held it at her lips as she tentatively asked, “Was he abusive?”
“He never hit me,” Lexie said. “But I knew it was only a matter of time before he did. So, I left. It’s been over three years, and he still won’t sign the divorce papers.”
Annie took her hand, squeezed it tight. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I know.”
