Chapter 25
BETH
Iwas a mess. I hadn’t slept at all since I saw Chris the previous night.
The diner was open, and I was supposed to be working the morning rush.
But it felt as if the whole world was caving in on me and I didn’t have the mental or physical capacity to hold it all at bay right now.
And of course, this morning had to start out the worst of them all.
The breakfast rush was at its peak when the door chimed.
All the air inside the diner seemed to get sucked out in that moment as all of the customers paused eating and talking to turn and look at the blonde woman wearing a power suit and high heels stepped across the threshold.
This woman didn’t belong in this diner. And it was too easy to identify Jessica Martin on sight.
The air remained frozen in place, all eyes on Jessica as she approached the counter with confidence.
My knees almost gave out as I felt my blood run cold at the sight of her.
Her eyes flicked across the diner, surveying the scene with a sneer I couldn’t ignore.
But her gaze rested on me, as if she knew exactly who I was, even in my humble uniform, which I was sure she did.
“Beth,” Jessica greeted me, her voice just a touch too sweet and insincere, carrying easily through the hush. “So this is where you’ve been hiding out. I must say, I’m a bit disappointed. I was expecting something a little more glamorous after all the trouble Chris has gone through to find you.”
My hands shook, the glass I was filling spilling water onto the counter.
Lisa appeared out of the kitchen, and I felt relief at knowing she would be on my side, no matter how bad this got.
I had no idea what I would say. I hadn’t prepared myself to talk to Jessica, not without Chris there and not on my own turf.
This felt like a trap, though I couldn’t see a clear reason as to why.
“What are you doing here?” I finally asked, my voice cracking as the words came out. It was the only thing I could think to say. I wanted to tell her to leave. I wanted to order her out, but my mouth wasn’t working.
“Well, I’ve come to take your husband home.
” She paused, looking around at the disapproving faces of our small community, the ones who didn’t know what was really happening but still felt protective over the diner and what it stood for.
“You have caused a real ruckus in Seattle, you know? He’s not answering his phone.
His partners are getting concerned. And the money that has suddenly disappeared, well, I have my own suspicions about where it’s all gone.
” She spoke softly now, in a low and sweet whisper.
But the words she said felt like venom to me.
How dare she come in here and try to throw accusations my way, like Chris’s absence was somehow my fault.
“We’ve been looking all over for him, and now it looks like we’ve tracked him down. ”
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning, the words taking a moment to process.
Jessica didn’t know he was just across the highway, of that I was certain.
But what was she doing here? And why would Chris leave her in the dark about everything?
I had assumed this was some sort of leave of absence from the company.
Jessica, as much as she grated on my nerves with the way she spoke about me, was surely able to handle the business while he was gone.
There was something more happening here than met the eyes, but I didn’t have the context to identify her real motives.
“Chris is here?” I asked, more to keep her talking than out of any real curiosity. I knew Chris was in town, but it didn’t sound like Jessica knew. I was curious how she could get all this way without figuring out that her boss was doing manual labor across the street.
“He is.” She sighed, looking at her nails. “And he seems to be so invested in this quaint little project that he’s not paying any attention to the company he built. The company I worked just as hard as him to build.”
“I am unaware,” I said, lying through my teeth. But I wasn’t going to reveal any of his secrets. Not to Jessica, at least. “I haven’t spoken to him.” That part was true, at least.
“No? Because it sounds like he’s trying to buy you back or something equally asinine.
The way he’s been acting, it’s like he’s trying to atone for some crime that never happened.
” Her eyes were full of pity for me, and it felt so wrong, I was unable to form another sentence.
“And that’s just sad, because if you had been grateful for all he’d done for you, you would still have your penthouse and I’d be able to go home.
I’m only here because someone had to do something about his erratic behavior. ”
I couldn’t listen to this anymore. It was too much, and I was trying too hard to hold in my emotions, especially my anger.
“I don’t know why you think you can come in here and tell me what I feel or what my husband feels.
” My words were getting louder, but I couldn’t stop the surge of feelings.
“Chris made his own choices. This situation isn’t my fault, and it’s not yours to fix.
So I think you should leave. It seems like it would be for the best for everyone involved. ”
“Oh, no. I’m not leaving until Chris and I have a conversation.
I can’t let him just run off and act out like some immature teenager.
This isn’t just his money, and I’m not letting him blow through it because you hurt his precious feelings or some small-minded crisis you’re having.
” She didn’t raise her voice, though her words were as cold as a knife.
Jessica stood her ground, and it took everything in my power not to break down.
I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. But it was hard.
Seeing her brought back so many memories.
It was only now that I had been away from her snide comments and putdowns for so long that I realized how toxic she was, both to me and to my marriage.
I moved around the end of the counter, giving Lisa a chance to help me run interference if needed, though I wasn’t going to give Jessica the satisfaction of starting something physical in front of the whole town. “You need to go.”
“No.”
It was a simple statement that carried so much venom.
This woman would fight for whatever she wanted, and I had to admit that it was something to be admired.
But I needed her out of my diner and out of my life.
I just needed to make that clear. But Jessica wasn’t looking at me as a threat.
Her eyes were moving over my body and I felt naked before her scrutiny.
“Maybe you don’t understand the gravity of the situation, but I’m here to make sure you do understand, one way or another,” Jessica continued as she closed some of the distance between us.
“If I need to drag Chris home kicking and screaming, I will. I won’t let him give up his empire for you.
So you can make this easy on him by getting out of my way or hard on him by sticking around for the showdown.
” She stood tall before me, an imposing presence that made my blood boil even more.
“Oh, I understand it just fine.”
Jessica chuckled. “You really don’t get it, do you?
Chris found you by slumming it. You were never good enough for him.
You’ve proven that time and time again. You didn’t belong in his world.
That’s why you’re back here, in your little world, where you think you’ll find happiness and contentment.
” Her condescending tone only made my resolve harder.
“You’re out of your depth with him, and it shows. ”
I blinked, shocked by how deeply her words hit me, even when they were completely untrue.
I took a breath, ready to argue with her, but the dizziness came on fast, stronger than I expected.
The world began to spin, and I swayed on my feet, trying to focus.
It was too much, her presence and the words cutting into me, but also my exhaustion and everything I had been pushing down since last night.
But I willed myself through my exhaustion.
I would not be put down by this harpy of a woman any longer.
I had suffered her insults and abuse for long enough.
“I don’t know why you’re still here, but this conversation is over,” I told her.
“And I don’t care what you think. This is my home, and you’re not welcome here. ”
I turned, hoping to put my back to her and end the interaction. But Jessica reached out and grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around with more strength than I could have anticipated. “Don’t turn your back on me. I’m not done with you yet.”
“Don’t you dare touch my sister,” Lisa shouted.
Several customers rose from their seats, seemingly ready to defend me after Jessica made this physical.
But I knew what I was doing. I was done being her emotional punching bag.
“I’ve got this,” I said before turning my attention to Jessica.
“I will call the cops and have you trespassed if I need to. You forget that you’re in a private establishment right now and I can make you leave.
And just to make it doubly clear, you’re the one who touched me.
If I have to call the cops, you’re going to jail for trespassing and battery.
I don’t care what you do out there, but you’re not allowed in this restaurant. Is that clear?”
The anger radiating off this woman was palpable, but she wasn’t moving.
Maybe she was thinking through all the scenarios, but I stood firm, waiting for her next move.
My stomach churned, as it had been doing for weeks, and I felt myself getting light headed, but I stood my ground. This had gone on long enough.
“This is ridiculous.” Jessica spun on her heel and started toward the door.
As she reached to grab the handle, she turned and looked back at me.
“I never understood why Chris was so drawn to you, and now I have all the evidence I need to know that he made a mistake. He could have done so much better.”
She flung open the door, making it bang loudly against the frame in the process, before she stormed out.
The bell chimed loudly again and the door slammed closed.
A hush settled over the diner as I watched her climb into a fancy sports car.
The motor revved and gravel sprayed out from the rear tires as she drove away, heading toward town.
Part of me wanted to laugh. If she had been serious about dragging Chris back to Seattle, all she would have had to do was cross the street.
He was right there, although I doubted she would recognize him anymore.
He wasn’t wearing a suit and tie anymore.
He didn’t wear expensive Italian loafers.
He wore work boots and canvas pants. He drove a truck that I was sure wasn’t worth what her tires were.
Lisa was beside me, her arm wrapping around my shoulders. “That woman was something else. You knew her?”
“Chris’s business partner,” I said as I felt a sudden rush of blood to my head.
The room spun a little, and I braced myself against the counter for support.
I needed to sit down. I felt all eyes on me again as the buzz of conversations picked up throughout the room.
This was a lot of gossip for these people, I was sure. And there wasn’t a good way to explain.
“Then why is she trying to make a scene here?” Lisa asked as she walked me around to one of the booths, pushing me down onto the cushioned seat.
“I wish I knew.” My throat felt so dry that it was almost impossible to form words, so I closed my eyes for a moment, just trying to clear the spots in my vision.
The dizziness lingered. My heart felt like it was beating too fast. This was the first time in weeks that I had felt like the nausea might overwhelm me.
But I couldn’t get sick right here in the diner, not when we had so many people eating breakfast. I opened my eyes, trying to will my body to calm itself.
“You need to rest.” Lisa didn’t give me a choice, lifting my feet up onto the vinyl cushion, a firm and gentle order.
“I will as soon as it’s not busy anymore.” That was a weak protest, and I wasn’t even sure who I was talking to. My eyelids felt heavy, the desire to close them growing by the second.
“Beth? Can you hear me?”
Lisa sounded so far away, even though she was kneeling right beside me. I felt the blood leaving my brain, making my limbs heavy and my thoughts slower. It would be okay if I just closed my eyes. I could open them again once the world stopped spinning.