Page 95 of Malicious Marriage
No matter how often I replay it in my mind, I don’t reach any conclusion and I’m still lost by the time we reach the hospital. Jack wants to check in on Bobby so I follow him through the hospital until we reach Bobby’s room.
“Bobby!” Jack’s tone immediately lifts. “Holy shit, dude, you look good.”
Bobby is propped up against several pillows with one hand tangled between both of Frankie’s. Their son appears to be fast asleep in a rocker nearby on the floor. Just a glimpse of him makes my heart ache and I briefly wonder how Trisha’s daughter is doing.
“Jack. Thanks, I feel miles better.”
“Bobby. Frankie.” I greet them both with a small smile. “It’s good to see you looking well.”
“Who knew a heart attack would have me feeling better than I’ve felt in years?” Bobby chuckles.
“That’s the drugs, dear,” his husband replies. “Just the drugs.”
“Like I said.” Bobby smirks and brings Frankie’s knuckles up to his mouth for a kiss.
“Are you going to be here much longer?” I ask.
“Couple more days for observation,” Bobby replies. “Then home and bed rest.”
“Speaking of.” Frankie frowns at me. “You look exhausted.”
I wave his concern off. “It’s been a long day… a long week.”
“You’re telling me,” Bobby groans. “I hate to ask given… everything, but have you spoken to Clover at all? I tried to call her but she didn’t pick up.”
Jack and I exchange a look, then I quickly provide Bobby a rundown of what happened at her house. His face grows more and more stunned as I talk and by the time I finish, he looks angry.
“That can’t be right. That doesn’t sound like Clover at all.”
I briefly raise both my hands. “Or it’s who she really is. I don’t know.”
“We don’t have to worry about it just now,” Jack says. “You need to rest.”
Bobby and Frankie then exchange a look while Jack drops into a nearby chair. I remain standing at the end of Bobby’s bed.
“Look,” Bobby sighs. “There’s no way. Clover loves you. Look, I know she lied. I admit it, we both did. In the beginning… This was never the plan. When Hailey vanished, Clover was distraught. She’d just buried her father and then her sister was gone and Malcom was suddenly the king of the household. We were convinced that he’d killed her, but it wasn’t really his style. So Clover was terrified that she’d been sold into slavery or trapped in some terrible arranged marriage. All we knew was that Malcom had a call with some Russian family and he mentioned her name once. Then never again. And then he hurt Clover and disowned her. She spent four years riding the repressed grief of her father’s death and her uncle’s cruelty by pouring herself into finding her sister. She was desperate. And it got to a point that we both were.”
Part of me doesn’t want to hear this. I don’t want to hear the sob story that led to her calling me all the foul things she called me.
“Babe, can you pass me my tablet?” Bobby asks. Frankie obliges and Bobby busies himself with it while he talks.
“Things were fine while she could still borrow money from Ryan, and while they were dating, it was worth it. But he was just using her and she knew that but was fine with it because she needed money to stay afloat, to pay me, and to do everything within her limited capabilities to find Hailey. But then the money dried up, she was in insane debt, and we needed help, so yeah… we chose you because you were single and seemed like a decent man who might be in need of help yourself.”
So I was targeted. Having my suspicions confirmed is not a good feeling.
“At first, we just wanted the deal. We thought that if you were getting something out of it, then it wouldn’t matter that we were lying about a few of the details. And the goal was to find Hailey and then give you the amicable divorce you were looking for. But then Clover started to fall for you. Really fall for you. She was constantly in a toss up between coming clean and finding Hailey. Both were so important to her because you, Dean, became so important to her.”
For the first time in days, Bobby paints a picture of the truth which slowly untangles the mess of lies andwhat-ifsspinning around my mind. Could it be true that Clover’s lying isn’t as sinister as I feared?
“Then explain today,” I say. “All the things she said while kicking me out of her house.”
“I don’t know,” Bobby admits. “She was utterly broken after her reunion with Hailey. I imagine she’s feeling guilty about you and what happened to me. And her dreamy rescue of her sister turned into a nightmare. Maybe she’s not thinking straight, but that phone call…” Bobby taps quickly at his tablet. “I linked our phones but…”
“Dean!” Don suddenly bursts into the room, panting faintly. “How are you such a hard man to get ahold of?”
“Don?” Immediately my back prickles. “What’s wrong?” Patting through my pockets, I find my phone with several missed calls. “Sorry, it’s on silent.”
“Fucker.” Don laughs, then he leans against the wall and puffs out his cheeks. “Phew. Evening, gents.”