Chapter 32 #2
I wave to Frankie at the checkout, whose eyes grow wide at the sight of me, which is fair. I likely look crazy right now. My curly hair is large and in charge.
“Snickers? No. Twix? No. Hershey’s? No.” I scan my options while the information I just learned scrambles around in my brain.
“I should call Carri. But, how would I address it? Hey, so I never did anything with your husband? That sounds crazy, Bethany. That is something a crazy person would do.”
Bethany pats me on my arm. “I’m going to grab your Gala—”
“Pink Lady.”
“Pink Lady. You keep arguing with the chocolate.”
I grunt at her and place my fists at my hips. “He never tried anything with me?” I smack myself with the palm of my hand a few times to try and loosen up a halfway decent thought out when a voice I would happily never hear again calls from the end of the aisle.
“Paige.” I close my eyes and pray for all the patience that I do not have to guide me.
I look over to see Krista coming in quickly.
My fingers tighten on the Reese’s I grabbed as I consider lobbing it at her.
The camera pointing down the aisle limits my options.
Officer, my hand slipped when I was pretending to throw it at—sorry—to her stupid flawless face.
“Go away, harlot.” Oh, hell.
She freezes in her tracks and looks me over, head to toe. I am in baby care wear. Don’t mind getting it dirty, easy to maneuver, not flattering. “You look fatter.”
Oh my God. She did not. “Thanks, sugar. What can I do for you? Hygiene products are the next aisle over, but the pharmacy is on the other side of town for your prescription.” I look meaningfully at her waist. “Some things can’t be resolved with a bar of soap and a condom.
” I close my eyes and apologize to my granny for my complete public meltdown.
“Wow, Paige. Here I was feeling bad for you. You don’t have to be such a fucking bitch. I saw you come in with Bethany and decided to apologize to you, but whatever.” She turns on her heel to walk away, but she catches my curiosity.
“Apologize?”
She flips her hair when she spins back to me. She’s put together—head to toe coordination. “Yes, apologize. I never wanted your husband, but he was a means to an end. I hope you understand it was nothing personal, you know?”
I don’t need to have these babies behind bars.
“Of course it wasn’t personal. He’s done nothing but tell me about how much he regrets the time he spent with you and assure me that he never wanted you that way.
Something about you being a dull reflection of me.
” Liar, liar, Paige. “It’s cute, actually, how often he reminds me how little you mean to him.
” Krista’s face is turning red, but whether it’s in embarrassment or anger, I’m not sure.
I blink at her, widening my eyes in feigned innocence.
“When are you including Bethany in this apology tour?”
She snorts, quickly recovering from my response to her underhanded apology.
“Oh, she knows it was only a matter of time before someone like him stepped out on someone like her.” She runs a hand over her soft curves and flips her long hair over her shoulder.
“I did her a favor. Maybe she’ll thank me. ”
“Thank you.” Bethany stands on the other side of Krista, a bag of apples and chips in her hands.
“I appreciate that you’re there for my fiancé when he requires someone to take care of his basic needs when I’m busy.
” She passes Krista, knocking into her shoulder as she walks up to me.
“It’s interesting to me that you settled for being a mistress, though. ”
“I’m not a mistress … and you aren’t his fiancé. God, how delusional—” Her voice trails off when Bethany lifts her hand, showing off a ring I didn’t even know existed.
Krista’s eyes narrow on Bethany’s hand, and she takes a step closer. A couple of women walk into the aisle, see the three of us in our standoff, and scurry off.
Bethany twirls the ring on her finger a few times before holding her hand out in mock pride for Krista to see. I try to hide my own surprise and play along.
Krista’s shoulders drop, and her mouth opens and shuts without a sound. “I did everything he asked me to. Everything.” Her voice is a broken whisper, and Bethany squeezes my hand. She’s watching Krista break, but she’s standing tall through it all.
Somehow, accepting a man’s proposal—her man’s proposal—is breaking her former best friend.
“I also did everything he said. Did you know that? I did everything. He. Said. I was exactly what and who he asked me to be. How did he repay me, Krista? Hmm? What did Bobby do to repay me for years of devotion and quiet submission?”
“Have you looked at you? He loves me, and I love him. We are meant for each other.” Krista straightens, meeting Bethany toe to toe.
Her voice is a cutting whisper and is choked in tears.
They’re the same height, and something in their face is oddly similar, but that’s where the similarities end.
Bethany is full-figured, pale, with dark straight hair, and Krista is slender, tanned, with light hair.
Bethany reaches out with her left hand and tucks a strand of Krista’s hair behind her ear.
A move that completely throws off her scathing retort.
As she leans in to Krista, I hear footsteps behind me and the quiet whisper of Bethany’s low, throaty voice. “And yet, I’m still the one with the ring. How does it feel, Krista? Knowing that you tried to break all of these relationships, yet in the end, nobody picked you?”
A familiar hand settles onto my shoulder, and I fight against shrugging it off. Having this woman feel like she has a right to talk to me like this is partially his fault.
“You superior, little bitch! If you only knew—” She snaps her mouth shut, then looks at the man who joined us. “Trevor. You wouldn’t believe it. I was here trying to get some groceries when these two—”
“Drop it, Krista. Bethany called me the second she saw you.” He lifts his phone and hangs up his call he apparently had with Bethany. Well played, Bethany.
“I—She—They—”
He swipes his hand through the air. “You are so far from innocent in all of this. As my personal assistant and family friend, you were taking advantage of my trust and sabotaging my communication with my wife. My pregnant wife. That was all about being with the man you love? You stupid, naive girl.” Krista’s eyes widen, and she drops her gaze to the soft curve of my stomach.
“You know it’s great to have a phone during an emergency, right?
So when my pregnant wife got into a terrible accident and flipped her car, why couldn’t she get hold of me, Krista?
” Her eyes go wide and she pales with dawning horror.
“Any clue, any inkling why that may be? Why couldn’t my terrified, pregnant wife contact me that day?
How does that fit in with being with the man you love? ”
“Enough.” I step forward. “You’ve done enough.” I grip Bethany’s hand and pull her back with me. “Get help. Figure your shit out before you try to rip apart another couple, or another marriage.”
I dismiss her, then look back to my chocolate options and see a Tootsie roll—chewy and chocolatey.
I nab it and open it right there in the aisle, taking a bite while they all stand there.
Bethany snorts. I take another bite and chew.
“Mmm.” Delicious. “Do you want a bite?” I offer it to Krista, but snatch it back in an instant.
“Wait, no. Never mind. I don’t know if I trust where that mouth has been. ”
Krista sputters, so I turn away from her and wave the candy bar over my head.
“Don’t worry if you want some. I don’t know if I can finish this candy bar anymore.
I may need someone who doesn’t mind sloppy seconds, so I don’t waste any of it.
” I don’t see her reaction, but I can see Trevor and Bethany following me out.
Thankfully, Bethany still has the chips and apples.
I pay for the groceries, though Trevor tries to step in. I hold my hand up to him then tighten my shirt across my belly for Frankie, so she doesn’t think I’m crazy, just pregnant. She doesn’t seem to give a damn.
I, on the other hand, am livid. I direct Bethany to the Suburban and hop into the passenger seat of Trevor’s car. I think it’s time he gets a piece of Pregnancy Rage Paige.