Chapter 8 #2
Wilson leans into the countertop, avoiding my raised eyebrows. What he does on his own time is his business, but him taking the family car all night sits wrong with me.
"I couldn't sleep. Drove by here to make sure everything looked okay.
" He turns to me and gives a half smile.
"Didn't like the thought of you being here alone.
" He chuckles and crosses one foot over the other, then switches them back.
"Okay, I'll admit it." He raises his hands in the air.
"I hung out here, outside in the car all night.
Even peeked in the windows a few times while you were sleeping.
Might sound a bit creepy, but I had the best of intentions, I promise. Just wanted to be sure you were okay."
He's lying.
Henrietta grunts at the soup pot. "You should tell someone when you take the car all night. You know better."
Wilson winks at me again, and my stomach tightens.
Why is he lying to me? Maybe he had a hot date and wanted to impress her with the car.
I hope that's all it was. I'd understand that.
He doesn't have much, and whatever he says, that has to sting.
I brush it off, tell myself to remember to increase his wages.
"When is May coming back?" Wilson changes the subject after a long pause.
"They’ll be back around three, but then Decker plans to lock them in the house for a week. Or two."
"Psssst, that will never happen, Zabka. You know as well as I do, as soon as they get back, May will be over here checking on you, and you two will be making all your usual plans."
"She's only been gone a day and a half," Wilson interjects, judgment creeping into his voice. "Wonder why they didn't go for longer? Doesn't seem like a proper honeymoon to me."
"May didn't want to go anywhere at all. Decker had to twist her arm just to get her to spend a night away."
Wilson shakes his head. "I think you both need to be careful."
"Are we talking money again?" Sometimes I wish I was born into a standard-issue, cookie-cutter, middle-class family. "Decker doesn't want her money. He even signed… No, he wrote up and insisted that May sign a pre-nup so he'd get nothing of hers. Even if she dies," I snap back.
Why Wilson won't accept that Decker loves May for May, not her money, is beyond me. And it's annoying. He's been on this kick since they got together.
"Listen." He grins. "I'm just saying. I've been out there…" He tips his head toward the door. "…more than you have in this life. I know people. Generally, if you think the worst, then you won't be disappointed."
My phone chirps on the table in front of me. I pick it up and find a text from Allister. A smile takes over my face as I read.
My precious unicorn… I pulled over on the way to Chicago just to text you.
Looks like I'll be here at least five days, then Indy, then the drive home.
I'm fucking pissed. I want to be there with you.
Your pussy's marked me, babe. I can barely fucking keep my eyes on the road.
I can't stop thinking about you. Please, make sure you eat.
I know Henrietta will be there, but I need to know you are safe, so be ready for about a thousand texts and calls today.
Okay, just so you know, I'm fucking off my nut for you, Leah.
Please take care of what's mine. I plan on calling you and giving you lots of direction on how to make that pussy cum for me over the phone.
Be a good girl and be naked and in bed around 8pm.
I want to hear how wet you are for me, and trust me when I say this: I will be hard all day thinking about you. Talk to you later, precious.
I'm still smiling two hours later when May finally runs in the door like a hurricane of newlywed glow and chaos.
"O.M.G." May spins around and flops down on the sofa where I'm sitting with my laptop, typing away on my story for Allister.
I flip the top closed before she can read it.
For some reason, I'm not ready to tell her about Allister, even though we share everything.
But even when I do finally tell her, this writing is just for him.
I set my laptop on the side table and settle back as May throws an arm across her forehead like a fainting heroine.
"So. You're married and knocked up. You do know how to get things done fast."
"Ha! Yes." Her voice turns down.
"What? Didn't you have fun? Wasn't the hotel nice?"
"Yes. It was great. Only, this morning…"
"What?"
"I don't know if it was something I ate or just all the excitement. But, well…" She looks at me, her face more serious and her voice lowering. "It felt like I was having, well, like cramps a little bit." Her eyes dart to the door, like she can't watch my face while she says it. "I got scared."
Her voice quivers.
"Did you tell Deck?" I sit up straight, pulling one leg around so I can face her.
"No. He was in such a good mood. Even with the news about the fires. I didn't want to ruin it."
"You need to tell him, May, right now. Go to the doctor. I mean it, May, do it right now." I reach for my crutches. I'm not sure why I want to stand up, but I need to.
Any thoughts I had of hinting about Allister are gone now.
"I don't want to," May whines.
"You go tell him, or I will." I wince as I take the first couple of steps toward the front door. The new ways Allister used my body have left me with a few glorious muscle aches.
She groans, her feet coming off the couch as she pushes up and moves my way. "Fine. But I know it's nothing. I just got a little scared. I wanted sympathy, not bullying."
"Well, if you think it's nothing, then go make sure it's nothing. Do I need to follow you and stand there to make sure you tell him?"
"No, I'll do it. I'm not supposed to even be over here.
He's on the phone with Allister about the fires, so I slipped out.
He went to the office for a few minutes to find some paperwork or something.
Oh, I don't know, that's his business. Anyway, he wants us to stay locked up in that house, maybe go out to eat, but since I didn't want a proper honeymoon," May makes air quotes around the last words, "he wants his private time with me. "
She giggles as she gets to the front door.
"I don't know if all men are like this, but as soon as this staycation is over, you and I are going to talk. Because I have things to tell you! The man is a beast."
"Go. We can talk in a week. Wilson and Henrietta are over here constantly anyway, bossing me around and driving me bonkers…"
"Well, without me, you need to find new interests.
Decker took over your former full-time job of keeping me in line.
Maybe get a cat. Yes, that sounds like a good idea.
You'd make a great cat lady. Get six or seven, you can afford it.
" She smiles. "You know I'm kidding. You're going to find love.
I know it, and you're worth it, Leah. You'll see.
It'll be just like Deck and me. You'll know it when it's right. "
I groan as she's out the door, skipping across the lawn on the path to the main house. She disappears behind the high bushes, and I figure I won't see her again for a week. Decker's a man of his word, and he does have a way of keeping her in line.