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“Don’t fucking talk to my wife like that,” Santino interjected through gritted teeth.

“No.” Vanessa’s mouth was desert dry. “Let him have his say. Let him get it all out, right now, because I have no intention of ever listening to him or seeing him again. I’m sure he’s heard of restraining orders.”

Redirecting her gaze at Scott, whose face was blazing with derision, she folded her hands together on the table. Everyone sat frozen, breathless, leaning forward to hear what he had to say.

People claimed to be drawn to beauty, but they were even more fascinated by the grotesque.

“You won’t be needing one. Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘sour grapes?’” Scott took a sip of water, clearly relishing what he was about to unleash. “It’s from one of Aesop’s Fables , about this fox —”

“I’m familiar with it. You know I am, since you bought me a copy for my birthday,” Vanessa said quietly.

Scott smiled at her. “I was just checking to see if you read it. Rare edition with gold edges and that beautiful, embossed design on the front. It was gorgeous. I’m just warning you ahead of time that whatever I say about us isn’t going to be out of spite or because I’m so distraught at losing you to that dude,” he said, indicating the glowering man by her side.

“You were cool, V. I really did enjoy spending time with you. But based on things I saw over those four months and things I’ve seen since you’ve been up here with him, I’ve accepted it probably wasn’t going to work out, anyway.

Not without you getting a lot of therapy first.”

Okay, that was the second time in one day someone had suggested she seek help. The first time was way funnier.

“Well, damn, Scott. I almost think I’d prefer you just call me a bitch,” she exclaimed with a short laugh devoid of humor.

“He’d better not. And that sounded like fucking sour grapes to me,” Santino muttered.

“Nah, you see, I noticed things. Like how every time we went somewhere, you were checking to see if I was looking at another woman. When you said you had a bad breakup, I figured dude must have cheated, and you were still nervous about it happening again. I understood that, since I was paranoid like that myself for a while after it happened to me. Then this motherfucker shows up at my company. I thought to myself, ‘Damn. He does look like a cheater.’”

Now that she was no longer the object of his ire, Zoe laughed into her hand while Santino cut his eyes at her.

“Then he went in on me about you, insisting you were still his wife. He was all strung out on you. He reminded me of my dumb ass, still sleeping with my ex when she’d let me.

” His eyes swung back to Santino. There was no sarcasm, no hostility, only his own remembered pain.

“But did you do it? Did you cheat on her?”

“No. I didn’t,” Santino affirmed in a low voice, looking at Vanessa. “Never did, never would. She’s everything to me.”

Scott sighed hard, tapping the table with his fingertips. “Ah, but you see, she’s gonna think you did anyway, no matter what you try to do to prove her wrong. You’re a firefighter. You’ve probably got women flirting with you everywhere you go, whether you flirt back or not.”

Santino’s face reddened. It wasn’t guilt but silent acknowledgment that that is exactly how things had gone between them in the past. If Vanessa could have shrunk and disappeared, like that puff of magical smoke Bobby spoke of the day before, she gladly would have.

“I watched you guys at the concert, at the party. Did you notice how she kept checking to see if you were looking at the other women there? Did you notice her doing the same shit when you walked into the casino tonight?” Scott shook his head, the smile reappearing, but this time laced with pity.

“It’s not gonna stop. Something will pop off and she’ll accuse you again.

That insecurity is gonna make you fucking miserable.

So, good luck, man, because you’re gonna need it. ”

Gutted by what Scott had said, by the plain, hideous truth in his words, Vanessa couldn’t speak. When her eyes rose to meet Santino’s, he shook his head as if to reassure her Scott was wrong, that she wasn’t so broken that they couldn’t repair their relationship. But which one of them was right?

“I’m not saying I don’t wish you the best, Vanessa, because I do,” Scott continued.

“Right before we met, I started thinking maybe I could find someone and be happy, after all this time avoiding relationships. But after seeing how you all handle your shit, I’ve changed my mind.

If this is what I’d have to deal with, then nah, no thanks.

I’m not old, but I’m too old for the bullshit. ”

Apparently finished with the disastrous read, Scott downed the last of his water, pulled his wallet out of his pocket and peeled off a couple hundred from a stack in a money clip. He placed them on the table, then nodded at everyone as if they’d just had high tea.

“That was a good steak. Alright, everyone. Enjoy the rest of your time in Montreal.” Having had the last word, Scott straightened his suit jacket and strode off.

But after the shark had swum away, leaving ripped flesh and bloody ripples in its wake, the drama didn’t suddenly end for everyone else.