Chapter 42
Cori
Eden’s words play in my head on repeat. She’s right that my relationship with Dax is unconventional. Despite how unconventional it is, he’s still the best man I’ve ever been with. No one else has come close.
No one is as handsome or as sexy. No one before him is as smart and savvy. And absolutely no one has made me tremble the way he does. A kiss from him is enough to make my head spin.
But it was the events that happened last night that made me re-evaluate my plan.
When he came home, I was looking through the application for the New England School of Design.
He pulled me onto his lap and helped me fill it out.
After I showed him the draft of my essay, he helped me refine it and pick designs for my portfolio.
He said he would find professional models and a photographer to take the photos.
When we finished, he kissed my temple and told me he was proud of me. I wrapped my arms tightly around him and held on to him for what seemed like forever.
In that moment, I decided to ditch Selene’s plan and take Eden’s advice. I was going to make my marriage work. It wasn’t only about what he was doing for me. After a while, pretense gave way to reality, and my feelings for him became real.
I burst through the door, eager to see him.
“Dax!” I yell. “I found the perfect place for my shop, but I have to move fast to secure the lease!”
He doesn’t answer. In fact, the house is as quiet as a gravesite.
“Finch?” That dog loves the sound of her name. I go in search of one of her treats, but I don’t hear her paws against the hardwood floor.
Eager to speak with my husband, I kick off my shoes and set out to find him. All his cars are in the garage, so he has to be home.
The plush carpet drowns the sounds of my footsteps as I climb the stairs and walk down the long hallway to his office. I’m almost to his door when I hear his hushed tones. He’s not alone, but I recognize the other voice. It’s my father.
“I’m already paying for the daycare. I don’t know what else you want me to do.” I stop walking and stand against the wall so they won’t see me. I already know who they are talking about. “And I don’t want to keep that from her.”
I don’t understand why he would. He can afford it, and if Ruby is at daycare, that means my parents won’t have to watch her.
“My wife is upset. I’m here so you can fix it,” Dad says.
“I can’t fix something I didn’t break. You should have sacrificed more for your daughter. She was a much safer bet. Unlike your thief of a son, she’s actually competent.”
I wonder how Dax knows Devin stole from his former employers. I know no one pressed charges, so how would he have this information?
“Listen, Annette cried all night after that phone call.” I hear pacing. “We made mistakes as parents, but her mother needed her. Devin could not have done what Cori did.”
“Why? Because she’s a girl?”
“No.” I hear a sigh. “Maybe. What teenage boy wants to help his mother in the shower? Or help her dress? We did the best we could at the time, now Annette is feeling guilty.”
“And you never thought about splitting the duties, Leander? You both just decided to dump it all on Cori and leave your son out of it?” When Dad doesn’t respond, Dax continues, “Well, she should feel guilty about how she treated her daughter.” I exhale in relief at my husband’s defense of me.
“Not just that.” I hear another sigh and the sound of a squeaky chair.
“Things are going well with you and Cori, right?” I don’t hear a response, so I can only imagine that Dax nods his head in response.
“Well, since that’s the case, can you ask her to ease up on her mother?
The guilt trips aren’t helping with her recovery. ”
“I don’t understand why she’s suddenly feeling all this guilt. All of this happened almost a decade ago. And be honest, Leander, neither one of you feels bad.”
“That’s not true.” My dad’s voice rises. “I feel awful, but you’re the one who pushed for this marriage. I told you to court her and get her to fall for you, but you wanted what you wanted.” There’s silence until my dad speaks again. “That’s not what Annette is feeling guilty about.”
“Then what? I don’t have all damn day.”
“I don’t keep secrets from my wife. I told her everything.” I cover my mouth while I wait to hear what everything entails. “I told her about your bribe the same day.” I stop breathing.
“You don’t say.” Dax sounds more bored than surprised. I wonder if he already knew. “And she didn’t say no to save her daughter?” Silence. “She chose her son again.”
My heart drops. What the hell does Devin have to do with this?
“I told her to act like she didn’t know.
To pretend that she believes you and Cori fell in love.
” It makes sense why she never questioned me about it.
The only time she ever saw Dax and me together was the day he crashed our family dinner at Paulene’s, but she was thrilled about our engagement.
“She feels guilty about it and wants to tell our daughter everything. I’m worried it will stunt her recovery. ”
Convenient timing.
“Now, she wants to confess? After she got her surgery, and after I decided not to press charges against your son for stealing from me?”
“For all I know, you could have set up Devin to get what you want,” Dad says.
“Yeah. I set him up to steal. Get real.” My husband lets out a fake laugh.
“I told him to take money from the register and create fake returns? That was me?” As much as I want to wrap my hands around Dax’s neck and squeeze until the light dims from his eyes, I can’t blame him for that. Devin has a history of stealing.
But what if Dax knew that? I shove the thought away. How could he have known that? Devin has never been arrested for stealing, so there wouldn’t be a paper trail.
“I’m not here to talk about Devin.” My father clears his throat. Like always, he wants to throw Devin’s misdeeds under the rug. “I need your help in getting Cori to get off her mother’s back.”
“And how am I supposed to do that? I’m on thin ice myself, Leander. And I’m not the one who created this mess. You and your wife did because you didn’t put your daughter’s needs above your own. And you keep choosing your son over her.”
“We love both our children. Stop throwing that in my face. It’s untrue.”
“Really? Why were you taking five hundred dollars from Cori every month, only to turn around and give it to Devin? What have you ever taken from Devin to give to Cori?”
A gasp slips from my mouth, and for a moment, I fear they will hear and discover my presence. My eyes dart around, looking for a room to hide in, but the two men continue their conversation.
“I only started doing it when he lost his job. I didn’t have it myself to give to him. You don’t understand that—”
“I understand completely. You chose your son. Again. When it comes to Cori, all you do is take and take some more.” Dax’s last word is met with nothing but silence from my father.
“My suggestion to you is that you handle your wife. I’m not going to manipulate mine.
She’s been through enough, and if she finds out the truth, then good.
She has me now. She doesn’t need you for shit, and I’ll be damned if you’re going to use me to do your dirty work. ”
.