Page 95 of Lawbreaker

He shrugged. He grimaced. “You take care.”

“You, too.”

She smiled and closed the door behind him. She went into the bedroom and put on her gown, climbed under the covers and cried her eyes out.

It had been almost three weeks since Tony had invited Mauve over as Odalie was leaving his apartment. Odalie had gone home for Thanksgiving. Tony and Ben had planned to go with her originally, but Ben had called. In a subdued, reluctant voice, he said he was sorry, but the boss was spending the holiday with Mauve and Ben was going to Jersey to have dinner with Tony’s cousin Connie and her family.

It broke Odalie’s already shattered heart. But it was just one thing more to prove that Tony had put her out of his life.

She wished Ben a happy Thanksgiving and hung up, tears in her eyes. Even though she’d half expected Tony to back out, it was painful. She remembered lying in his arms, being kissed so hungrily that she thought her passion would set them both ablaze. She remembered sitting next to him while they watched movies, walking beside him as they went around town, looking at the holiday decorations that were already going up, holding hands in the nippy cold wind.

And here she was, on Thanksgiving, sitting back home with her family, pretending to enjoy herself. While inside, she was slowly being smothered by sweet memories of another time, another place. It was the most painful holiday she’d ever had. The Brannts came over to visit and she and Maddie talked about the Met, but Odalie’s heart wasn’t really in it. It was almost a relief to get aboard the big jet and go back to New York.

Odalie was rushing around to get ready for her first performance, while her family lounged in her living room trying to help her keep her cool.

“Don’t go loopy,” Stasia laughed as Odalie picked up and discarded the same skirt twice. “Just put on anything. You’ll have to change into a costume at the Met anyway!”

“I know. I’m just...” She looked at Stasia with eyes tormented with anguish.

Stasia understood more than Odalie realized, because she’d talked to Ben earlier. She drew her back into the bedroom while the others were talking.

“What happened?” she asked solemnly, because there had been little opportunity to talk at the ranch on Thanksgiving for all the visitors.

Odalie sighed. “I don’t know. We were a couple, really a couple, for weeks, and then, all at once, he started distancing himself. Finally, he had Mauve come over and he kissed her in front of me and sent me home.” She looked up at Stasia. “It’s like whiplash, only worse. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Stasia hugged her. “Men are hard to understand. Tony especially.”

“He had second thoughts,” Odalie said quietly. “That’s not hard.”

Stasia sighed. “Well, we aren’t going to let it ruin your first performance, now are we?” she asked with a sympathetic smile. “Not after you’ve worked so hard for so long to get here.”

Odalie looked at her with wide, wild eyes. “If I can just manage not to throw up onstage...!”

“Odalie, if this isn’t what you want, you should tell them,” she said softly, meaning the family.

“They’ve all sacrificed for it,” she argued. “All the voice lessons, the travel, the expenses...!”

“They love you. So do I,” Stasia replied. “None of us want you to do something that threatens your health. You know that.”

She looked down at her feet. “It’s all I have left,” she said in a faint whisper. “I thought I had Tony...”

“You’re going to go onstage and give a magnificent performance,” Stasia assured her. “You’re not going to even think about Tony. Not tonight. Got that?”

Odalie looked at her and managed a wan smile. “I’m not going to think about Tony,” she agreed.

And the fates laughed.

Everyone was seated. Odalie was backstage in her costume and makeup, trembling with fear, almost in tears as she heard the murmur of the enormous crowd outside the curtains.

“Odalie!”

She actually jumped as she heard Stasia’s urgent voice.

She went to her quickly, surprised. “Stasia, you can’t...!”

“Tony’s been shot.” Stasia’s face was white, and she’d been crying.

Odalie’s gasp was audible. “When? How? Is he alive?!”