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Leah

When her mom called that morning and invited her to lunch, Leah couldn’t have been happier to accept.

She needed to talk with her about Nova wanting Skye to move in and about Quinton being upset over Lance’s visit.

Normally, Leah didn’t discuss her relationship issues with her mom, but she was the wisest woman Leah knew, especially when it came to relationships.

More than anything, Leah needed the reassurance that everything would be okay.

For the first time since they’d been married, Quinton didn’t sleep in their bed.

When Leah crept downstairs in the middle of the night, she found him asleep in the guest bedroom.

She couldn’t believe he was acting like that.

She’d explained why Lance was at her office, but Quinton refused to understand.

It was almost as if he was looking for a reason to be upset with her, but why would he do that?

Leah couldn’t stop thinking that the change she saw in Quinton had more to do with Nova than Lance.

Was he starting to regret marrying her? Maybe he realized he still loved Nova and didn’t know how to tell Leah.

Leah thought of waking him and telling him to come to their bed, but she didn’t.

Clearly, he was where he wanted to be, so she went back to bed alone.

By the time she’d dressed and come downstairs this morning, he was gone.

She didn’t realize until later that he’d sent a text letting her know that he had an early meeting and would be unavailable all day.

What was happening with them?

Whatever it was, it was bigger than Leah could handle alone, which was another reason she needed her mom.

However, everything she planned to say disappeared when she saw Nova sitting at the table with her.

It was then that Leah understood that her mother already had an agenda and there wouldn’t be time or an opportunity for Leah’s.

Since her relationship with Nova was also an issue she desperately wanted to fix, Leah didn’t mind that her mom tricked her into coming.

Not that she had to be tricked. Leah would’ve shown up even if she’d known Nova would be there.

Especially if she’d known Nova would be there.

That’s strange, Leah thought when she pulled into the empty driveway. She looked at her phone, but there wasn’t a message from Quinton. His meeting must’ve gone longer than he thought. Leah sent him a message letting him know that she’d made it home and would be ready by the time he got there.

She and Quinton tried to get to the school at least thirty to forty-five minutes before the game started.

The time never felt long because they were always talking and eating snacks that Leah stopped to buy before they got to school.

She figured they donated enough money throughout the school year, so she didn’t have to feel bad about not visiting the concession stand during every game since the proceeds went back to the school.

Plus, they didn’t sell the snacks she liked anyway.

Leah was tying her tennis shoes when her phone dinged.

She tied them faster, thinking it may have been Quinton telling her he was outside or pulling up.

That didn’t make sense, though, because he had to change too.

Leah tapped the screen, and part of her thought was correct: it was a text message from Quinton.

Meeting ran over. Going straight to the school.

Leah stared at the message and tried to make sense of it but couldn’t.

Skye had been playing basketball since elementary school, and Leah and Quinton always made it a point to attend the games together, wearing their matching T-shirts or sweatshirts, depending on the weather.

Even when Leah had events or meetings that ran over and insisted that Quinton go without her because she didn’t want him to miss a second of the game, he still waited for her.

By the time Leah made it to the school, the parking lot was packed, as expected. She drove around looking for a space, but it was no use. She’d have to park down the road and walk back to the school.

Leah pulled over and called Quinton. Maybe he could come out and walk with her back to the school.

There was no way she was going to walk down that dark road alone.

Quinton didn’t answer, but Leah wasn’t totally surprised.

The games could get really loud, and he wouldn’t hear his phone.

Unless he was holding it, he wouldn’t know she’d called.

After sitting outside in the dark for longer than she should’ve, Leah gave up.

The only time Leah missed a game, or any of Skye’s events, was when she’d had the flu years ago, and the thought of missing this one filled her with dread.

Leah didn’t want to go home, so she called Harper.

“I need an ear,” she said when Harper answered.

“And I need a drink. Wanna meet at our spot?” Harper asked.

Leah drove away from the school and out of Bayou.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to the game and the guilt she’d felt from missing it.

She’d have to find a way to make it up to Skye.

Leah knew how much it meant to Skye to look in the stands and see Leah and Quinton cheering her on.

Leah’s emotions ping-ponged from guilt to anger.

She had no doubt that Quinton was purposely trying to hurt her.

Before, she questioned if his attitude was about Nova, but now she knew without a doubt that it was all about her meeting with Lance.

If Quinton thought she was going to sit quietly and accept what increasingly felt like manipulative behavior, then he was dead wrong.

As Leah merged onto the interstate, she thought of the best way to approach Quinton.

Throwing out accusations, which she knew to be facts, would only lead to denial and more conflict.

But she also had to stand her ground and make it clear that she would not be ignored or left behind ever again.

She was his wife, and she needed him to remember that and treat her as the partner and love of his life, just as he’d always done before.

Moments later, Leah had pulled into a parking spot at the Wine Loft, a wine bar she and Harper used to visit often. They called it their wine-down spot after a long week of work. Harper was the genius who came up with wine down , and tonight that name was fitting because Leah definitely needed it.