Page 130 of Six Month Wife

“Nap, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going back to the hotel, cracking the AC as cold as it will go, and lying naked on my bed.”

“Nice visual,” Charity says, swatting him with the rag on her shoulder.

When I open my eyes again, they land on the mantel. The bow is crooked, and the fucking candles are off-center. Shit. I meant to circle back to that.

I push up before I even think about it. “I’ll be right back.”

Sophie groans. “Elle, what are you doing?”

“Just one thing. I can’t leave it like that. It’ll drive me insane all night.”

“Yes, you can. Sit your ass down. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

“I swear. Last thing. Promise.”

“Elle, no.”

Before anyone can argue, I’m already dragging the ladder from where Vic left it, leaning against the fence. The metal scrapes faintly against the brick as I haul it over, setting it in front of the fireplace.

I test the feet on the uneven pavers, adjusting them until they feel steady enough. My hands are slick with sweat again, but I wipe them on my shorts.

“Elle,” Vic warns, watching me. “Let me do it.”

“It’s mine. I’ll be two seconds. Seriously. Go get naked in your hotel room.”

I climb. Sophie and Vic’s voices blur behind me. I lean in, adjusting it ever so slightly.

And then the ladder shifts.

My sneaker scrapes the rung. The metal wobbles where it meets the brick. My stomach flips as the world tilts.

I grab for the mantel. My fingers scrape rough brick, but my hand closes on the vase instead.

It’s cold.

Heavy.

Useless.

My shoulder hits with a thud, and heat blasts through my side. The sting of sweat blinds me for a second, and the air leaves my lungs so fast it’s like I never had any.

Glass shatters. The ladder crashes down on my legs.

I lie there stunned for a moment, then shove the ladder off. My hand slips on something, maybe sweat, or the water from the vase.

I try to push up, but my hand is oddly limp and won’t cooperate.

Then I see it. Blood pooling fast, spreading bright across the patio.

My friends shout as they circle above me. I turn my face away.

“Don't—” I try to wave them off with my other hand. “Just give me a second to?—”

But the blood keeps coming. The yard sways. My breath won’t come. The red spreads.

And then everything goes black.