Page 137
Story: Now and Forever
“I’m going to call the police and report you both.”
“Call them then,” Frida and I say in unison.
That idiot takes out her cell phone and shrieks in frustration, “Why is there no service here?”
Frida and I laugh.
“Get out of here. I’m sure you’ll have service outside. Go on ... Call the police. It’ll be great for your future in-laws and your little husband to know you were here.”
Andrés comes in, holds on to his wife, and scolds her. Frida protests and leaves the restroom angrily. She can’t stand Betta. Björn, who had been standing to one side of the door, murmurs when he sees his friend so angry.
“This is over. Come on, let’s go back in,” Björn says.
Eric isn’t saying a word when he leaves the restroom. Betta smiles. Incapable of keeping myself in check, I give her a shove that puts her back against the sinks.
“I swear to God this won’t end here.”
Once I stomp angrily out of the restroom, Björn grabs me by the arm and makes me look into his eyes. “That’s not how you fix things, precious,” he says.
“What are you talking about? I don’t want to fix anything with that bitch!”
“Never mind,” he says after I fill him in on what she did to me in Madrid and the split she caused between Eric and me. “Hell, I’m about to walk in there and slap her myself.”
That makes me laugh. When he sees my face, Björn gives me a hug. Eric comes up, fury in his eyes, and hisses, “I’m going home. Are you coming with me, or are you staying with Björn to keep playing?”
Surprised, I stare at him.
“You asshole.”
“Jude ... ,” Eric says.
“Don’t Jude me. What are you trying to insinuate when you say that?”
Eric doesn’t answer. Björn, amused, pushes me toward Eric.
“C’mon, lovebirds, finish the argument at home in bed!”
We don’t speak in the car.
We’re both irate, but I can’t understand his anger. Betta deserved it. And on top of that, she had the gall to touch him. To touch us.
Damn that woman!
On the way, our phones go off. We’ve received several messages. Neither of us looks at them. I’m sure it’s Frida and Björn making sure we’re all right. When we get home and put the car in the garage, I slam the car door so loud, Eric looks at me. Now in the mood for a fight, I shout, “What’s wrong?”
“Could you not be so rude and close the door more carefully?”
“No.”
He raises an eyebrow, surprised.
“No?”
“No, I don’t want to be careful! I’m so angry with you. First, for shouting at me in front of that bitch, Betta, and second for the bullshit you said about Björn.”
Eric closes his eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Betta?”
“Call them then,” Frida and I say in unison.
That idiot takes out her cell phone and shrieks in frustration, “Why is there no service here?”
Frida and I laugh.
“Get out of here. I’m sure you’ll have service outside. Go on ... Call the police. It’ll be great for your future in-laws and your little husband to know you were here.”
Andrés comes in, holds on to his wife, and scolds her. Frida protests and leaves the restroom angrily. She can’t stand Betta. Björn, who had been standing to one side of the door, murmurs when he sees his friend so angry.
“This is over. Come on, let’s go back in,” Björn says.
Eric isn’t saying a word when he leaves the restroom. Betta smiles. Incapable of keeping myself in check, I give her a shove that puts her back against the sinks.
“I swear to God this won’t end here.”
Once I stomp angrily out of the restroom, Björn grabs me by the arm and makes me look into his eyes. “That’s not how you fix things, precious,” he says.
“What are you talking about? I don’t want to fix anything with that bitch!”
“Never mind,” he says after I fill him in on what she did to me in Madrid and the split she caused between Eric and me. “Hell, I’m about to walk in there and slap her myself.”
That makes me laugh. When he sees my face, Björn gives me a hug. Eric comes up, fury in his eyes, and hisses, “I’m going home. Are you coming with me, or are you staying with Björn to keep playing?”
Surprised, I stare at him.
“You asshole.”
“Jude ... ,” Eric says.
“Don’t Jude me. What are you trying to insinuate when you say that?”
Eric doesn’t answer. Björn, amused, pushes me toward Eric.
“C’mon, lovebirds, finish the argument at home in bed!”
We don’t speak in the car.
We’re both irate, but I can’t understand his anger. Betta deserved it. And on top of that, she had the gall to touch him. To touch us.
Damn that woman!
On the way, our phones go off. We’ve received several messages. Neither of us looks at them. I’m sure it’s Frida and Björn making sure we’re all right. When we get home and put the car in the garage, I slam the car door so loud, Eric looks at me. Now in the mood for a fight, I shout, “What’s wrong?”
“Could you not be so rude and close the door more carefully?”
“No.”
He raises an eyebrow, surprised.
“No?”
“No, I don’t want to be careful! I’m so angry with you. First, for shouting at me in front of that bitch, Betta, and second for the bullshit you said about Björn.”
Eric closes his eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Betta?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173