Page 42

Well, I don’t know what else it could be. Maybe it is just the throwing thing and I’m delusional. Maybe I’m completely imagining the way her eyes linger on my mouth.

“I don’t want to be looking at you at all, but you’re the one that keeps intercepting my walk to my front door.”

I shake my head slowly, thoughtfully.

“I don’t believe that.”

“Believe it. You’ve done it so many times now.”

“I don’t believe that you don’t want to be looking at me,” I admit sharply.

Her brows raise, disbelief filling her expression.

“Are you that vain?”

“You said you liked my hair,” I say with a shrug.

“I should’ve never written that,” she mumbles, just to herself. “It’s hair. It’s pink. Get over yourself.”

Her tone is back to being sharp and annoyed, so I’m not surprised when she stands up.

I follow suit.

“Please don’t do it tonight,” I begin to plead. “I’ll beg. I’ll stoop as low as bribing you. My daughter is sound asleep in there, and I need her to stay that way.Please.”

“What would you bribe me with?” she asks calmly.

I look over to the row of pots filled with plants that are beyond saving at this point. Theyhaveturned into somewhat of a cemetery, I’ve been neglecting them for too long now.

“I’ll throw those away. You won't have to look at any more dead plants.”

“You should do that anyway. How does it not drive you nuts?” she asks.

“I’ve had other things on my mind,” I say through gritted teeth.

She has the audacity to smirk.

“So I’ve been on your mind.”

“Probably not more than I’ve been on yours. I’m sure you sit in there at night, relishing how miserable you make me.”

She shrugs.

“Sometimes, yeah.”

I’m dealing with a psychopath. It hits me like a flood of water that forces me out to sea. I should’ve taken this further sooner. I should’ve called the police weeks ago. I should’ve pushed harder, and gone back to Tim about it. I was right, she’s not doing it to take care of herself. Maybe it started out as some odd attempt at that, but now she’s doing it to hurt me. I have verbal proof.

What the hell have I been doing?

I feel so much more defeated right now than I’ve felt this entire time.

Unfortunately, I feel the tingle in my throat of an incoming cry. It’s the kind that you can’t will away, and it’s coming in hot.

“Please,” I say one more time. Without another word, I head for my front door as fast as my feet will get me there. She doesn’t deserve to see me cry, I bet she’d like that too much.

I’m almost to the threshold when she steps in front of me, and our chests collide.Hard.

Standing this close, I can see that her nose is red from the cold, and it’s almost enough to make me want to help warm it up.