Chapter 51
LUCY
I’d come up with a single test to determine whether I’d divorce Eddie.
People would probably think that’s silly, and I guess I couldn’t really blame them, but this test cut to the core of whether Eddie had been full of shit from the very beginning.
I called my oldest friend, Nia Clemons. My one friend who hadn’t trusted Eddie from the beginning.
Nia and I had known each other since we were both in second grade at Barrington School.
Nia was one of the very few black girls at the school, and I think I instantly felt a connection with her, because I also never quite felt at home at Barrington.
For different reasons, I admit, but we still seemed to bond over being the outsiders.
I felt bad because I definitely hadn’t talked to Nia as much since Eddie and I got married. The reason was obvious because Nia didn’t like or trust Eddie, and he knew it. I was trying to make my marriage work, so it wouldn’t make sense to have Nia around all the time.
That doesn’t mean I still didn’t love her. I did. That wouldn’t change. And after my father’s reversal on Eddie and Eddie’s acting odd recently, I was willing to concede that maybe Nia had been right all along.
She answered the phone in her usual, sarcastic manner.
“Is this Lucy Tanner? I seem to remember that name.”
“It’s Lucy Sykes now.”
“Oh yeah. No wonder I didn’t recognize you. Speaking of recognition, if I don’t recognize the wedding, can I have my old Lucy back?”
Nia had never sugarcoated her dislike for Eddie. And while she may sound rude for bringing up my wedding, that’s just the way she was. She was a straight shooter, love her or hate her.
“Maybe you were right,” I said.
“Oh no, Lucy. I’m sorry. I was just trying to be funny.”
“Well, there might be some truth to it. I really don’t think I have been myself this last year.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. It happens with most people who get married. Even those who pick a good spouse.”
Nia hadn’t changed one bit.
“Ow. That hurts.”
“Tough love, Lucy. Tough love.”
“I had an idea,” I said.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“Do you remember how Eddie and I met?”
“Of course. You’d never shut up about it. You were at a library, and he knew the book you were reading. A fart in the wind or something.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“The Shadow of the Wind. And don’t make fun of one of the best books I’ve ever read.”
“That title sounds so pretentious. No wonder Eddie loved it.”
“Never change, Nia.”
“I don’t plan on it. Speaking of plans, what’s yours?”
“Eddie had been adamant about how well he knew that book. If he really knew the book as well as he says, he’d definitely remember things about it. I mean, jeez, we only met like eighteen months ago.”
“I like where your head is at, Lucy. Am I going to quiz him on The Shadow of the Wind, twenty-questions style?”
“Something like that, but hopefully a little more subtle.”
“You know me, Ms. Subtle.”
“Yeah, we might need you to tone it down just a little bit.”
“I can do that.”
“Perfect.”
“So you guys haven’t been great lately?” Nia asked.
“No, not great. Take last night. David left at like 7:15 and told me he’s going to see an old friend.
He doesn’t even say who it is. And then he’s back barely an hour later.
It takes twenty to thirty minutes to drive anywhere substantial in LA.
What, was he meeting a guy for five minutes during heavy traffic?
It makes no sense. HE doesn’t make any sense lately. ”
“You didn’t want to confront him?”
“What was the point? It just would have led to an argument. Instead, I started coming up with my plan for you.”
I could feel Nia smiling from the other end of the phone.
“Tell me more about this plan,” she said.