19. Bethany
Chapter 19
Bethany
T he sound of a woman raising hell across the street prompts me to step out of my house. It’s Susanne, and she sounds unhappy about what’s going on in Nolan’s driveway.
“And here I thought you were the sane one.” She points to Cora, who’s standing in front of what I assume was her wedding dress dangling over the driveway. “This madness is not something my sweet granddaughters need to witness. It’s a good thing I came early, so I could get them out of here.”
Cora looks like she’s about to launch a full bottle of wine at Susanne’s head until her friend—I believe her name is Rylee—grabs Cora’s wrist to stop her.
Shaking her head, Rylee calmly speaks to the older woman behind her. “Not all of us can turn the other cheek, Susanne. I commend you for putting up with your cheating husband for as long as you did. Might want to clean up the skeletons in your closet before scolding Cora for banishing hers. We all can’t be as forgiving as you, now can we?”
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t done in a calm way. Rylee just knew a better way of wounding the other woman that didn’t involve assault.
“Where is Nolan? What are you two doing out here? Does he approve?” Susanne looks around before turning her back and heading into the house. “There is no way my Stephanie would have allowed this. She’s probably rolling over in her grave.”
When Susanne reaches the front door, Cora yells, “You’re wrong. Your daughter would’ve been the first to throw one of these bottles at my dress.” Popping the cork, she tilts the bottle back and takes a healthy swig.
“You’re drunk.” With a sigh, the older woman shakes her head, conveying her disappointment. “I can’t believe my son-in-law would approve of you drinking while watching his children.”
“I’m not drunk. Not yet, at least. Later I will be, though.” Cora brings the bottle to her lips and tilts it back. “Damn, this is good. We really should’ve tasted it before throwing so many bottles and wasting them. How much did you say this wine was worth?”
Her friend reaches into a box filled with more bottles and whistles. “Fifteen hundred.”
With a curious expression, Cora lifts the bottle and examines it closely. “But there were like twenty cases of this delivered. That can’t be right. Are you sure that’s not for all of them?”
Lifting the invoice up to the sky, Rylee studies it. “Troy’s parents sent twenty cases to the apartment?” Her friend’s mouth drops when Cora nods.
“I called them. Told them to come get them before I donated the cases or left them behind for the new renters.” With a heave, she sends the bottle flying; it shatters on the pavement, showering her dress with red wine, staining its pristine white. “They said they wanted me to hold on to them. Tried telling me Troy would come to his senses.”
Rylee picks up another bottle and opens it. “It’s too late for that.”
“Damn straight.” Cora yanks the bottle out of her friend’s hand and walks up to the dress and begins pouring it all over the garment, staining it more. “He can fuck right off. I told them that. That even if he came back, I wasn’t marrying him. I’m done with his ass and his tiny five-point-three-inch pencil dick.”
Her friend nearly doubles over laughing. “I still can’t believe he bragged about that. I need to pee. Try not to hurt yourself while I’m gone. I’ll hurry the girls along, so Susanne stops glaring at us from the window.”
Something happens as soon as the front door closes. Cora’s demeanor shifts and she becomes angry, spewing out a string of words that are barely audible. That’s when I slowly make my way across the street using my new old woman cane. I’m supposed to be using crutches, but they hurt my armpits. It’s not the one I’m aiming to use in a few weeks. This version is more stable. I’m just glad I ditched the walker so quickly. I hated that thing and couldn’t get rid of it soon enough.
Her voice starts off as barely audible and grows louder until she’s screaming.
“Stupid motherfucker with shit for brains. I hope you catch a horrible dick eating disease that is painful and leaves you deformed.” Grabbing the large pair of scissors, their metallic gleam reflecting in sunlight, she mutilates the already ruined dress, each snip a brutal act of destruction, tearing the fabric to shreds.
The neighbor next door to Nolan must have heard the commotion and steps out of her house. “Do you mind? You’re being a little loud and using inappropriate words.”
“Fuck you.” Cora aims the scissors at her. “You, of all people, have no right to come out here and scold me. Must I remind you of how just last week I heard you yelling at your ex-husband, in front of your children?”
Cindy glares at Cora, stomps her foot, and turns to head back into her house.
“That’s what I thought. And word to the wise. My brother isn’t interested in your skank ass, so stop.”
From her porch, Cindy opens her mouth one more time. “I can see why your ex took off now. Boy, did he dodge the bullet. You’re crazy.”
Throwing the scissors on the concrete, Cora takes a few steps toward Cindy. Thankfully, her friend returns just in time to put a hand on her chest. “Hold up. She’s not worth going to jail for.”
“Bye, Aunt Cora,” Kellie hollers as she climbs into her grandmother’s car. “I texted Dad.”
“Hello, Miss Beth.” Mollie waves as her grandmother shoves her in the backseat.
I wave to both girls, noticing Susanne’s unhappy expression. She slams the backdoor before climbing into the front seat, not even bothering to acknowledge any of us before driving off.
“Bitch.” Both ladies say with a smile plastered on their faces as they wave at the girls.
“I hate her,” Cora grumbles.
Huffing and puffing, I finally make it up the drive and stand next to them, admiring her work. “Now that’s what my sister should’ve done with her dress after her divorce.”
When she sees me, her shoulders sag like she thinks I’m about to scold her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for this to get so out of hand.”
With a wave of my left hand, I dismiss that thought. “Please. We all need to let it out, and this is great. I might have to add it to my list of shit to do for my clients. Have you burned his things yet?”
“We did that a couple of days ago. Nolan helped.” Bending, Cora reaches for the scissors and then shifts her attention to the dress suspended on a rope I presume was hung by her and her friend. It’s looped over a long branch that hangs over the drive. Pretty impressive. They’ve covered something tall behind it with a blue tarp and laid another orange one on the concrete. Probably to keep Nolan from losing his mind, considering they’ve made one big mess.
“To replace my bachelorette party, we thought this would be therapeutic.” She stares at the dress and then, out of nowhere, burst into tears and falls onto her ass. “Why is this so fucking hard?”
“Everything worth molding us into a better version of ourselves has to hurt.” I know what I sound like, and when Cora glares at me, I can’t help but snicker. “I know, crazy, right? But think about it. When we look back on the toughest trials we’ve faced, later we realize how much we’ve grown. I know you’re tired of hearing this, but in a few years, you’ll look back on this whole shitshow and realize this was a turning point in your life. One that provided you with the freedom for personal growth that led you to become a better version of yourself.”
Cora doesn’t look convinced.
“Plus, can I be honest with you?” I wait for her to nod. “I always thought you were too good for him. There was just something off about him. He never seemed as into you as you were him.”
“Amen!” Rylee shouts, and then shrugs. “What? It’s true. I believe I said the same thing not long after you got engaged. Asked you if you were sure. I dropped it when you said you were, because if you were happy, I was happy for you, even if I wasn’t a fan of fuck face.”
Pulling up to the house in his truck, Nolan emerges, looking concerned. “Do I even want to know?”
“I’ll clean it up.” Cora falls onto her back, gazing up at the sky. “You know what I think? I think you and my brother should use the room Troy booked for us this weekend. The hotel called earlier this week to confirm the reservation. Seems he forgot to cancel and now it’s too late to do so. Rylee and I considered partying in it hard and putting everything on his tab, forcing him to foot the bill. But you two should use it instead. The girls are with Susanne this weekend. Nolan doesn’t have to work because he already had it scheduled off. We can get smashed at Rylee’s before she gives me a ride to the airport. It’s too nice of a suite to let go to waste. Are you free, Beth?”
My eyes drift to the man who’s occupied my thoughts ever since he left my home last weekend; his absence awakening sensations long dormant. “Yep. The boys have plans. Alicia left for DC to pack up her life and move here. There’s one thing I’d need to do, but after I take care of that, I was planning to just enjoy the quiet.”
“Perfect. I’ll send the information to Nolan.” From her position on the ground, Cora glances in my direction. “Thanks for being honest. You’re right. I’m not ready to hear it yet, but one day after my heart stops bleeding, I’ll think back to this, and your words will sink in. You should charge me for a session.”
“You’re going to be fine, Cora. You’re a strong woman. I’m glad you’re taking this trip. I’m optimistic about it. A change of scenery can provide fresh insight.” The sight of a car pulling into my driveway has me wrapping this up. “I need to go. That’s my ride. Once I get back, I’ll call you, Nolan. We can talk about this idea your sister has.”
Nolan walks up to me and offers me his arm. “Is that an Uber?”
Holding onto him, he helps me walk across the street. “Yep. I need to talk to Dillon. Jodi called me an hour ago. Said he looked a little lost.”
“I could’ve driven you.” He opens the backdoor so I can climb in. “I was just at the gym.”
“It’s fine. I’m not sure how long I’ll be and didn’t want to bother you.” With a flick of my wrist, I throw my cane inside and lift my eyes to meet his gaze. “I’ll call you when I get back.”
He nods, grabs my face, and leans down to kiss me. “FYI, you could never bother me by calling. Next time you need a ride, call me first. Understand?”
“We’ll see.” I pat his cheek and slide into the car.
The door closes behind me, and Nolan takes a step back. He’s not happy with my answer, and I know I’ll catch some flak for it later. But he’ll come to learn that I do things my way. Refusing to rely on anyone to take care of me or my needs.
The sooner he learns that, the better.