Chapter 27
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
STEVIE
The following morning, we’re all on the couch in their living room watching whatever was trending on the streaming app. I’m between Bo and Audrey under a fuzzy blanket. Bo’s rubbing circles on my shoulder, and Audrey is doing the same on my calf that’s dangling over her lap.
There’s nothing better than this.
I have never felt more at home.
My soul is at peace, finally.
I must doze off for a second, the quiet and comfort finally letting me rest, especially after these brutal seventy-two-hour shifts—plus these two are wearing me the hell out. You’d think I was the one in my forties and not them.
The front door opens without any warning, and all three of our heads turn to the door—and my jaw falls.
Speechless—nothing can or will come out of my mouth.
Daniella Taylor.
Audrey’s voice cuts through the awkward silence. “Daniella, honey, what are you doing home? I thought you were staying with Kyle for summer break?”
How is Audrey not panicking right now…
In a venomous tone, Daniella bites out, “What the fuck is this, Stevie?” She doesn’t even acknowledge her mom’s words, hasn’t looked at either one of them—only me.
“I’m going to take that as my cue to go…” I whisper as I move the blanket off that’s covering all of us.
“No, don’t—” Audrey starts and grabs my arm, but Bo cuts her off before she can finish.
“I think it would be best for now.” As the words leave Bo’s mouth, Audrey’s hand falls from my arm, and he won’t even look me in the face as he stabs the knife into my heart.
I’m moving toward their room to grab all my things before anything else can be said.
The stinging in my nose builds has me stopping to pinch the building burn.
But there’s no use. My throat is clogging with tears as I go around their room collecting anything I know is mine and tossing it into my bags.
I doubt they’ll want me back in their house after this.
I debate going out their back door, but I’ve never been out that way, so I put my big girl underwear on and head back to the living room.
As I’m walking back in, I hear Daniella, “This is the three of you, isn’t it?
! This is fucking crazy, Mom! What the actual fuck!
That’s someone I used to call my best friend.
” She’s holding her phone out in Audrey’s face, and I see the picture. It’s from last night.
Bo’s opening the door for us, and I have Audrey pressed against the car, kissing her, in a way that’s too heated a kiss for the public. But after what happened in the restaurant, I wasn’t risking Audrey being scared for us to be out in public.
That old bitch took our picture and sent it to Daniella.
The only thing that’s going through my head is I can’t catch a charge from harming that old lady. I’m not risking my midwife license for her. She’s not worth it.
I can write a strong-worded email to the owner of that establishment, but that will be a later problem.
“Daniella, honey, I need you to breathe.” Audrey pats her arm, and I take that as my chance to dart.
I open the door and slide through it, but not before I hear Bo’s faint voice. “Stevie, we’re not done here.”
But there he’s wrong.
*We are done here.
I’m not coming between the two of them and Daniella. I’ve said that from the beginning.
This was never supposed to grow to what it’s become anyway. We should have never been delusional enough to think we could have gone anywhere with the three of us.
They should have told Daniella before. But it’s too late now.
Opening the door to my grandma’s house after crying the whole way here, I try to even out my shaky voice so the caregiver doesn’t know what’s going on. “Hailey, babe, you can head home if you want.”
She comes around the corner of the entryway and questions, “Are you sure? I feel like I just got here.” Then she sees the state of my face. “Oh my god, Stevie, what’s happened? Was it a mom or a baby… Actually, if it was, lie to me, I can’t handle that.”
“No, it’s the couple I’ve been seeing.” She tilts her head to the side like she wants to know more but doesn’t want to push with the state that I’m currently in.
“Now’s not the time to ask, but once it’s all figured out and you’re feeling better, I’m going to have to know what that’s all about. A girl’s intrigued.”
I chuckle lightly. “I’ll fill you in eventually.”
A soft smile forms on her lips. “She’s having a bit of a rough evening—not to pile on even more to you. But she’s asleep now and hopefully will wake up feeling better.”
“I had a feeling a bad spell was coming on. She had a couple of back to back good days. Better than I had seen her in a long time, and I soaked it up while I could. But I always manifest more good than bad.”
She places her hand on my shoulder and murmurs, “I do too, Stevie.”
I can’t think about the kindness this woman gives my grandma and me or I’ll start crying again.
She is a retired bedside hospice nurse with no kids or partner, who loves what she does.
And I hope she never quits because I would be lost without her and the patience she has with my grandma.
Even on my grandma’s worst days, she is so caring.
The silence of the house now is something I probably need to sit in, but instead I head to my room and go replay every second of what just happened with the Taylors.
I knew the way my life was playing out was too good to be true.
* Ballerina (with The World Alive) - VOILà, The World Alive