Chapter One Maria
Chapter One
Maria
Crozet, Virginia
The wine was smooth. I hadn’t expected it to taste so good.
I smiled across the table at my husband, Gabe. He grinned back, winking as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. He didn’t. He never did. But that was his default—flash a grin, toss a wink, pretend the world still adored him like it had in high school.
And despite years of disappointments and struggle, the old spark still tugged at me.
Gabe was a beautiful man. Tall, tanned, an electric smile, the lines carved around his eyes adding to his appeal. Maybe he carried a few extra pounds, but he looked just as good in a pressed suit as in jeans and a sweaty T-shirt.
I hated him. But I loved him, too. Two sides of the same coin.
He’d ruined us. Over and over. He’d made terrible choices. Always swearing he’d do better. “I didn’t mean to. It’ll be okay this time.”
But he was always screwing up.
Most days life kept me too busy to notice. An active five-year-old daughter, fifty hours a week at the hospital, bills stacked high, and Gabe’s struggling landscaping business.
But when it was quiet, like tonight, anger burned. Hot and bitter.
We’d first met in middle school. His mother had taken a job with my aunt and uncle to manage Hale House, one of the oldest houses in Virginia. As a child I’d spent many hours in Hale House playing with my cousin Raine. It was just the two of us until suddenly there was Gabe.
Raine and I would watch Gabe cut the estate’s massive lawns. Once he was finished, his sweat-drenched shirt would cling to his chest. We’d offer him lemonade. Silly girls charming a good-looking boy. I’d thought he’d choose Raine because everyone else did. But he’d picked me.
In those days, Gabe and I could talk for hours. I’d seen only his strengths. No weaknesses. And the sex. Amazing.
But as they say, first comes familiarity . . .
And then contempt.
I sipped my wine, savoring the oaky flavors. “How did it go at work today?”
“Great. We might have two new contracts.”
“Really, who?” I caught his gaze.
“An office park and a clinic. If they come through, it’ll solve a lot of the money problems.”
Money. Always money. His ideas never matched his execution.
“Explains why you were out late last night,” I said.
I’d once accepted his faults. Part of the package, you know? Take the good with the bad. But the late nights had stacked up. And then Molly had mentioned Daddy’s friend. After that, I’d checked his phone while he was in the shower. He’d changed his passcode. And I’d realized he was lying.
“Work, baby.” He grinned. “The new clients wanted to meet after hours. You’d think it was a billion-dollar contract versus twenty grand.”
“Drink your wine.” My voice was soft. “You bought it special for us.”
“You’re my girl.”
“We have a lot to celebrate. You’re working. Molly is healthy. The world is turning in our favor.”
He sipped his wine. He didn’t love it. But he wanted to keep the peace tonight.
I watched him. Remembered the AirTag I’d planted in his car. Remembered sitting in the dark parking lot, waiting. Remembered the blond in the silk slip, kissing him in the doorway of her town house. His hands on her body.
I knew her. She knew me.
Oddly, I wasn’t angry or disappointed. I’d expected too much of Gabe.
He’d always been a player. What irritated me was that I’d stood by him. Eighteen months in prison for an assault conviction. Through debt. Through business failures. But the blond?
I took one last sip of wine. Slowly, I rose and carried my glass and plate to the sink. I wasn’t sure if the house was too hot, or if I was furious. My hand trembled as I set the goblet down on the counter.
“When will you know about the job?” I asked.
“A day or two.” He sounded cheerful. Optimistic.
He came up behind me, arms encircling my waist, his breath warm against my skin. “We need a vacation. Mom can watch Molly, and we can go to the beach for a few days. You love the ocean.”
Offers like this weren’t real. I used to believe they were. But Gabe had terrible follow-through. Promises made, but not exactly kept.
“You don’t mean that,” I said.
“Of course I do.” He kissed me on the cheek, his lips curling into another smile. Despite my frustration, I leaned into him. Loving him was stupid. But I hadn’t always made good choices.
I pulled out of his embrace and walked back to the dining table to gather the pasta bowl. My mouth was sweating. “You make it sound simple.”
“It is easy, babe.”
I faced him. “Gabe, I went to the bank. You withdrew our entire savings account two days ago.”
His grin faltered. “Babe.” He held out his hands, pleading. “I had supplies to buy. I’ll put the money back.”
“When?”
“As soon as I get these contracts signed. We’ll be flush with cash soon.”
I couldn’t look at him. “You said that last year.”
“Look, the economy has been soft. It’s picking up.”
“You should’ve talked to me about the money first.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
My vision blurred as I faced him. “Are you sorry? Does Amy know you took the cash?”
“Amy?” The smile tightened. “What’re you talking about?”
“From high school. She now lives in Waynesboro. Works for a real estate agent you’ve been trying to hook up with.” I set the bowl down hard on the counter.
His grin faded. “I don’t know what you think is true.”
“You changed the passcode on your phone. A few weeks ago, you passed out. I held the phone up to your face, and it opened.”
His mask slipped. “What does that mean?”
My stomach tumbled. My chest squeezed. I recited, “‘Babe, you’re so hot. I can barely think when I see you.’”
“That’s not what you think it is.” His voice had dropped a notch, stripping away all traces of easy humor.
When had we become a cliché? “What do they mean, Gabe?”
“We were just joking around.”
My neck stiffened, and my mouth dried. I reached for a clean glass and turned on the tap. Concentrating, I angled the tumbler under the spigot. Water filled it. My vision blurred.
Sweat pooled between my shoulder blades. My heart rate doubled. Water flooded over the glass’s lip. I swayed.
What the hell? What was wrong with me? This made no sense.
I leaned against the counter to support my wobbly legs. My chest stiffened. I couldn’t pull in a full breath. I stumbled sideways, knocking the pasta bowl to the floor. It shattered, spraying shards and noodles.
Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on with you?”
My throat constricted. “Nothing.”
He reached past me and shut off the water.
I wanted to lean into him. I wanted us to be who we’d been. But that couple was so far gone. I didn’t know where to find them or if I wanted to. I had been naive. So sure that if I went along with what the world gave me, it would one day treat me fairly.
My knees buckled, and I fell forward, hitting my head on the counter as I dropped to the floor. My eyes rolled back in my head.
Strong arms grabbed me and rotated me onto my back. Gabe’s face hovered above mine, pale and frantic. “Maria! What’s happening?”
I was in real trouble. “Help.”