Page 17 of Bad Husband

“Do you want to hold him?”

He saw the tears in her eyes and she shook her head as if to say no, but then she nodded. “Yes, yes, I really want to hug him,” she said.

He held Poodles out, and he watched his dog settle into her arms, twisting his head so it rested on her shoulder. It was so adorable, and she let out a little gasp.

“He’s perfect. You see, this is what I hoped. I went and adopted him so you’d finally have that dog you always wanted.” She let out a little sob.

“He’s a brilliant gift, Chiara.”

He watched Poodles and Chiara, and he saw the regret within her eyes. Chiara surprised him with the way she handled Henry and Gabrielle. The old Chiara would have bargained for their lives. This Chiara didn’t bargain, she took.

She let out a sniffle. “I want to go home.”

“I don’t think I can let you leave.”

“It’s not up to you.” She let out a sob. “Why do you have to do this to me?” she asked.

“Because I fucked up and made a mistake and I want you back.”

Chiara laughed, and she kissed Poodles on the back of the neck. “If you shot me, you could never have gone back. The least you can do it let me go.”

He watched her walk away, and he did admire her ass.

This was hopeless. They were going around in circles with no hope for the future. There was no way he’d be able to live in this world, knowing his wife was elsewhere and he couldn’t have her.

He might be a selfish bastard, but he didn’t want anyone else to have her.

****

Several Days Later

Chiara woke up and stared at the ceiling of her trailer. Marco had let her go. Her father dropped her back in No Point, and she went to her trailer. She felt a little different. The truth was finally out. Gabrielle and Henry were gone. Now, she got to live her life, but it hurt.

It hurt now more than it did before, and she wanted to do nothing more than sob. There was no point in crying, though. What was done was done. She was alone now.

Being in Marco’s home, all she wanted to do was get back here, to her home. Now, she had those blasted memories—the ones where she was excited to see Marco, to be with him.

He’d shocked her by conceding and actually letting her go. Marco drove her back to the house, but took Poodles with him and left her so her father had to drop her off. They shared numbers, as now she was not banished, and they could talk. Beforehand, that was part of the punishment. Rosemary was happy for her to be back, as were many of the locals as well. It was still summer, still busy, and still hot as hell.

Chiara climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She took care of her business, washed her hands, brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair. Everything felt mechanical, like she moved through the motions. She lived, but wasn’t exactly living. It was a little bit surreal.

She didn’t need to worry about Marco coming to kill her. That was all in the past. She was free.

She didn’t need to put on clothes, so she got to work making herself coffee, and seeing as she didn’t have a coffee machine in her trailer, all she needed was a kettle, which she put on the stove, and instant coffee. Her time away had allowed some of her food to spoil, but she cleaned that out last night.

She still had cereal, which she had come to love as a breakfast food. Usually, with Marco, there were bacon and eggs, along with fresh fruits, and even smoked salmon and little pancakes, she couldn’t remember what they were called. Cereal did the trick.

She grabbed her coffee and cereal, and much like she had done back at Marco’s home, she stepped outside and looked out across the trailer park. Several kids were already playing in a paddling pool. It was going to be another hot one, and she saw a couple of mothers rubbing sunscreen on their kids. She smiled. This is what she wanted.

As she took a seat, she realized something was different. There was a new trailer, close to hers. Usually, she was alone in her little patch of the world, but this trailer was a little too close, and she stared at it, a little taken aback. And then, she heard not one dog, but several.

When Marco opened the main door of the trailer, and five little dogs, along with a mommy labrador came out, she was amazed. Even more amazing, Poodles came right over to her and butted her legs, kind of like a cat would.

“Morning,” Marco said.

He was not dressed in any way she ever saw Marco dressed. Gone was the expensive suit, and in its place a pair of jeans and a shirt.

“What is going on?” she asked.