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I yank her into my chest and hold her tightly, my forearm braced against the back of her shoulders. “Don’t even go there. None of this is your fault,” I whisper into her ear. “It’s mine.I’m sorry.I should’ve been here to protect you. It won’t happen again. Please don’t leave me over this. I can fix it.”
She pushes away from me, her face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”
Staring right at her open suitcase, I ask, “Were you going to say goodbye or just disappear in the night?”
Her eyes pop into big circles. “You thought I was leaving you? I ran out of clean underwear, Dex. I had to dig into my backup stash. I can’t find the washing machine in this place.”
“There isn’t one. We just send laundry off with the housekeepers.”
She rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated grumble as she balls up her fists. “Okay,enough.Surely, this place has washer and dryer hookups somewhere. We’re buying our own machines, Dex. I can’t live like this. Having to be so reliant on everyone. I don’t want anyone managing my schedule, I want to do my own laundry, and I want a car for fuck’s sake. I don’t want to call Joe every time I’m craving Taco Bell. Maybe all the convenience works for your schedule because you’re actually working. But all I have going on is humiliating my family members in interviews, so I have plenty of time to do my own shopping.”
“Okay…okay,” I say. “Whatever you want. Just promise me you’ll stay.”
“Of course I will.” She kisses my cheek. “But out of curiosity, why do you want me here if you’re not going to be?”
I inhale deeply then release my breath in a loud exhale. “Fair point. Do you want to get dressed, and we can talk?”
“Let me drain the tub first,” she says, rising to her feet.
“You didn’t finish your bath?”
“No, I heard my husband collapse so I hopped right out mid-soak.”
Standing up, I grab her hand, leading her back into the bathroom. The thick white foam is still coating the top of the tub, looking like a fresh layer of snow. There are bath salts and little bottles of oil lining the tub rim. Starburst wrappers are bunched into tiny balls and tucked into the corner of the tub. A beer, dripping from condensation, sits next to them.
“You really went all out, huh?”
She laughs. “I was hoping to just move into the tub forever, never having to face the world again. I’m so embarrassed.”
I squeeze her hand. “It’ll pass. No one’s going to care about it tomorrow.”
“I don’t care what people think, Dex. What bothers me is how Kat made our marriage sound like it was some kind of money grab. I know this all fell into place in an unexpected way, and we’ve been on a giant friendship detour for the past few years, but…this is real to me. I want to be withyou.If anything, your money and your company are a real pain in the ass right now. You don’t believe any of that stuff she said about me, right?”
I hang my head and shake it. “Not a goddam thing,” I say.
“And the stuff about my dad?—”
“I don’t believe that either,” I assure her.
“It’s true, though.” She wraps her arms around herself, clutching her towel tightly. “In a way.”
Crossing the space between us, I stand in front of her, rubbing the outside of her arms. “What happened?”
“It’s so far over my head, my mom had to explain to me why so many lawyers and law enforcement were involved, tearing our house apart, asking for phone records, confiscating all our laptops. She said my dad’s bosses were doing some shady shit. He found out they stole a lot of money from their clients and employees and lost it. Many families were going to be impacted, so he said that they should do the right thing and fess up. I guess declaring bankruptcy would help recover some funds. They all agreed…to his face. But when my dad went to give his statement to the SEC, his bosses pinned it all on him. They forged documents, put his name on secret accounts he didn’t know about… They set him up. Even their lawyers were in on it. They created an iron-clad case, and no matter how much my dad told the truth, nobody believed him. A fall guy was easier than watching such a lucrative company crumble to pieces. I would’ve told you sooner, but I didn’t think I would ever be called a criminal by association. Especially when my dad didn’t do anything wrong. He was the good guy.”
“Oh, Len. I know.”
“To make matters worse, the company recovered. A few stocks went the right way. They invested in some big tech companies that had a great return on investment. Had my dad kept his mouth shut?—”
“He’d be complicit,” I say.
“And his life wouldn’t have been ruined. I feel like over and over again, the universe teaches me that when it comes to money, assholes reign superior.”
I give her a sheepish smile. “You think I’m an asshole?”
“No,” she whispers. “You tricked me, Dex Hessler. You got me to fall for you well before I knew the stakes.”
“I’m sorry, baby… About not preparing you. But making you fall for me was the smartest thing I ever did.” I tap her nose, then make my way back to the tub. Dunking my hand in, I confirm it’sstill warm. “Join me?” I pull my shirt overhead, then unbuckle and drop my pants and boxers before kicking them to the side.