Page 38 of Everything After

“Great, and best turn down a bed, we’ll likely get rat-assed drunk and end up staying the night. I don’t do well with a belly full of alcohol and boats on the water,” Rick muttered.

“So can I talk now?” I heard Lennie ask.

Rick chuckled. “Sorry, darlin’, have at it.”

I heard the cell being passed back then Lennie huffed out a breath. “See what I have to tolerate?”

“You love his dominating ways,” I countered.

“Who doesn’t like a bit of dominating in the right circumstances?” Lennie shot back, chuckling.

“Okay, I’ll see you later… what time?”

“Give us an hour or two,” Lennie replied.

Right after they’d cut the call my cell phone rang again. I answered without looking, figuring Lennie had forgotten to say something.

“What?” I asked, sounding annoyed.

“Hey,” Alfie muttered quietly. Despite all the hurt from what we were going through, hearing him say that one word set my body alight. After my initial thrilled reaction, the same crushing weight I’d had on my chest since the moment he’d left, returned.

“Hi,” I muttered back, knowing I had so much to say but not knowing where to start. A rush of thoughts swamped me at once, and I became so overwhelmed that I might say the wrong thing that my brain completely emptied.

“Are you ready to talk?” he asked, like he was testing the water with me.

“I’ve been ready and waiting since you walked out. You’re the one who left,” I countered.

“I did,” he agreed. His flat, emotionless response made my chest tighten in frustration. My shoulders automatically hunched as I stared down at the cold cuts on the counter while my appetite shriveled to nothing.

“So, what are you suggesting?” I asked, sounding measured despite the uncertainty of the moment. My heart pounded because I had a sudden thought that he might want to talk, to tell me we were over, and he wanted a divorce.

“Maybe dinner this evening?” he suggested.

“Lennie and Rick are coming over. I’ll call and see if I can cancel.”

“No, I wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble if you’ve already made arrangements.” He sounded condescending in his tone.

“Alfie, us talking is far more important than their visit. It wasn’t a planned visit. They’re just dropping in on the fly.”

“Good to know you think we’re important now. Do they know about us?” Alfie’s pointed reply took me back and a pang of shock registered in my heart.

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No, the only people that know we’re not together is Elle, Drew and Jack.”

“Right. So, you didn’t tell your bandmates? Interesting.”

“What’s interesting about it? I haven’t spoken to any of them.” Well, I had—to Lennie, but that was only today about their visit.

“You went to the band barbecue, didn’t you?” he asked.

“No, I was sick and upset,” I mumbled.

“Bet Cody missed you,” he muttered in a tone laced with sarcasm.

“Stop it. Stop playing games. I can’t help how someone else feels about me. All you need to know is that I don’t and will never feel the same as he does. I love you, for all the good that’s doing me right now,” I argued.

“It’s not supposed to be doing you good, Lily, it’s supposed to be making you think.”

“I. Have. Been. Thinking. Fuck, I’ve done nothing but think.”