AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A drop of blood fell onto his shirt.
I barged forward and past him with a new plan—frontal assault.
“Is—” I stopped my motor-mouth as soon as I saw the purse on the couch. It didn’t look like Marge’s. “Marge around?” I asked to recover.
Boone followed me in. “No. She and my mom went to Charlotte for a few days.”
Footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and then she rounded the corner.
“Oh,” Lisa said, taking me in, her tone bright as a songbird. “I didn’t know you’d invited someone over.”
She’d dressed like a vixen tonight. A fair amount of her red lace bra was displayed by the extremely low-cut blouse she wore—red, Boone’s favorite color, I’d learned. And did her lipstick match her bra? That was going too far.
But it was the longing in her gaze as it shifted to Boone that stopped me cold.
Her chest jutted out, and she tugged lightly at the hem of her top, exposing even more of her abundant cleavage. “Hi. I’m Lisa.”
Boone’s mouth was open again. He seemed stuck in neutral with no words coming out. Whether it was surprise or cleavage-induced paralysis didn’t matter.
I wasn’t paralyzed, and I had zero interest in seeing any more of them together. In several fast steps, I made it past Boone and out the door without uttering any of the strong things I’d had in mind to tell her.
“Angela,” Boone called after me from the door. “Should I tell Marge you stopped by?”
Without answering or even looking back, I marched to the four-wheeled rust bucket, rounded it, and slammed the squeaky door closed.
Boone had already given up on me and closed the house door.
With a racing heart, I laid my head on the old steering wheel. “I guess it could have been worse,” I said out loud. She could have been in only the bra, a fucking red bra, or even less.
Fucking hell. He has his ex over.
Then, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was reverting to an old pattern and doing exactly what had gotten me—no us—into this situation in the first place. I’d made assumptions and run from the situation instead of facing it to talk things through or get clarification. I hadn’t tried any of the things Grace had mentioned—having the confidence to give a little, talking it out, or finding the middle ground.
Guilt racked me. Even worse, I hadn’t gotten to step two and thanked him, ex or no ex. Now I wasn’t merely rash, I was also an ungrateful bitch. That last part was the hardest to acknowledge, and the truest.
“I can do this. I can and will be better,” I said to the dirty windshield. “I can and I will.”
When preparing to leave Kevin, repeating, “I can and will take control of my life,” to myself out loud had steeled my resolve. Riding my new bravery high, I stepped out of the rust bucket again.
Walking back to the house, I mentally cinched up my big-girl panties. It didn’t matter how much it hurt to see him with Lisa. I would not be the ungrateful bitch. I wouldn’t spend the night riddled by guilt. I would make Grace proud and fight, not run. She’d said confidence was the key, and that’s what I had to remind myself.
“I am not a horrible person, and I will be better,” I said softly to the door before knocking again.
Silence.
I knocked again, louder this time. If they were getting naked on the couch, I might puke, but at least I’d thank him for getting rid of Kevin before I hurled.
Footsteps approached.
“Back so soon?” a surprised Boone asked upon opening the door. He was still dressed, and without any telltale lipstick on him.
“May I come in?” I asked.
He swung the door open, but not before his eyes drifted lower, reminding me that Lisa might be sporting a low-cut top, but I was also dressed for battle. My tank wasn’t tight, but it was thin, and I was armed with the ultimate weapon, pokey nipples showing my lack of a bra. “Of course.”
Lisa stood in the middle of the room, but with her purse shouldered now. “Thanks, Boone. I’ll show you how flexible I can be on Monday.” She added a wink. “Sorry I can’t stay.”
I moved to the side. “Bye, Lisa.”And good riddance.
