Authors: Danielle Sibarium
If I would've known he was bringing his wife, I would've asked Elizabeth along, and then the whole evening would've been different. No Mason. No Mrs. Shields. At least she would've thought twice before being so forthcoming. I hoped. I thought I could escape her when I excused myself and headed for the men’s room. I never imagined she'd follow close behind.
I knew what she wanted. I saw the look in her eyes at the dinner table. She hung on to my every word, and when I felt her foot rub against my leg, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. One glance in her direction, I could see whatever she was doing under the table was no accident.
I got up for the sole purpose of creating distance. I wanted to send a clear message this was a game I wasn't willing to play. Just as my hand was on the bathroom door ready to push it open, she called out fro
m behind me in a throaty voice.
"If you're serious about the funding, maybe we can set up a private meeting and go over just how you plan on turning a profit."
I turned around to face her, wishing her husband would suddenly appear. "I thought it was laid out pretty straight forward."
"Not quite, dear," she took a step closer to me. "I see how the children benefit, and I see how this works in your interest." She inched closer so that my back was flush against the door. If anyone opened the door from the inside to come out I would've fallen on my ass onto the bathroom floor. She licked her lips. "What I'm left to wonder is how I would profit. I mean what exactly is in it for me?"
A few months earlier I would've considered pulling her inside and giving her what she wanted. Before Elizabeth I would've been glad to deliver. But, not now. Although she was an attractive woman, she was married. And I wasn't interested. The only one I wanted was Elizabeth. She satisfied me in every way.
I thought of what happened with my father and Jamie, with Elizabeth and Mason, and how aggressively Mrs. Shields pursued me. Could it be me? Was I ignorant and old fashioned to believe in ideas like marriage and monogamy?
Chapter 59
Elizabet
h
The police were interested to hear about the recent events that happened at the office. I explained the details Jamie neglected to give them, like I was engaged to Dr.
Penbrook's son. The son she mentioned that walked back into his life after years of estrangement. What a bitch.
She tried to make it look like I was some sort of obsessed, love-sick girl with a thing for her husband. And like Carter walked back into his father’s life looking for a handout. Once they understood that I was there to try and offer support for Carter, and that Carter wouldn’t accept a penny of the money his father offered him, the cops wanted to know if I knew of anyone that had an ax to grind with Dr.
Penbrook. I described the scene with Sandy in as much detail as I could. After another half hour of questioning and a stern warning that we were all suspects, I was free to go.
By the time I walked in the door, my cell phone chimed with a text message from Carter. Tears stung my eyes as I read that Dr.
Penbrook passed. I didn't bother sending a message back. I called Carter directly. I needed to hear his voice, to know he was okay.
"Hey,
" His voice was low and broken.
"Are you okay? I can be there in fifteen minutes."
"Don't." His response was short and clipped.
"Carter, please. Let me be there for you."
"You are. I just need to do this part alone. The hospital is going to have a car come pick me up and drive me back to his office. I'll take his car from there."
"You shouldn't be driving right now."
"I'm fine." He was stern and curt. "After that I'm going to go back to his house. Jamie doesn't have the combination to the safe and I know he pre-paid for funeral arrangements years ago. We need to tell the hospital where to send the body."
"If you change your mind . . ."
"I won’t. Elizabeth?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too." I hoped he couldn't hear th
e tears streaming down my face.
"The only reason I don't want you to come is I'm trying to get through all this as fast as I can and come home to you. Please don't be upset."
I tried not to get too mushy while we were on the phone. He needed to keep it together for now, and there would be time to hold each other and cry later on.
I grabbed the bag I'd packed earlier in the night and headed to Carter's house as I promised. It was my first time using my shiny, new key. As I turned it in the lock, I let the tears fall freely from my eyes. I didn't know if I was crying for Dr.
Penbrook, Carter or me. All I knew for certain was that nothing would ever be the same.
Chapter 60
Carter
Jamie never made it back into the room before my father died. The nurse let me stay in there, stay by his side after they called the time of death. I'd been holding his hand when it happened. I expected his skin to already take on a cold icy feel by the time the nurse and doctor finished checking his vitals, but he was still warm, and that made it hard to believe.
The breathing machine, like the other monitors had been turned off. The room was quieter than it had been all night. I heard the click, clack of Jamie's heels as she came back into the room. I didn't look at her. My eyes were focused on my father, taking him in for the last time.
Jamie stopped, and the wailing began. I didn't want to be here for this. While my emotions toward my father were mixed, I felt nothing good for Jamie. It wasn't only that she hurt me. She destroyed my family, and made it near impossible for me to trust anyone.
"Oh, Carter," she sobbed, coming around to my side of the bed. "I'm so sorry."
Funny, those words never left her lips before, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was sorry for. Sorry my father died and we'd lost years together? Sorry for what she did?
Or sorry that in the grand scheme of things, she was the one to get fucked? She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Let's put the past behind us. We need each other now."
I slapped her hand away. "No. I don't need you. Not now. Not ever."
"Please, can't we be civil?"
"This is civil. Don't touch me."
"Carter, you'll never know how sorry I am for hurting you. If I could go back in time . . ." She managed to quell her tears long enough to speak.
"You're kidding me, right? My father . . ." I squeezed my eyes closed trying to keep in control of the anger racing through my veins with every beat of my heart. "Your husband just died. His body isn't even cold yet. We won't help each other through this. In fact, after today, I don't ever want to see you again."
The dam burst, and the uncontrollable crying ensued. "Please." Her body racked with sobs. "My parents won't speak to me. And your family hates me. Please . . . Please help me make the calls. They deserve to say goodbye."
I stood. "You can leave messages for them."
"I already did. No one, not one person bothered to call me back or show up here. No one, but you."
It hit me like a baby grand falling from the sky. She was right. Where were his sisters? I hadn't spoken to them since I first found my father and Jamie together. They begged me to forgive him, but where were they now?
And their kids? Did they all cut my father off for his transgression with Jamie?
"Fine.
I'll help you make the calls, but that's it. After that, I don't know you. And I just want to make one thing perfectly clear, I'm doing this for him, not you."
*
I don't know how agreeing to a few phone calls got turned into retrieving his car, and opening the safe as well. I only agreed to fetch the car because it bought me time away from Jamie, and I wouldn't have to bother Elizabeth to come pick me up. Besides, someone had to be at the office when it opened to deliver the news. I recognized Joan, the former receptionist when she got out of her car. I knew from Elizabeth she was running the show since Sandy's termination.
After fulfilling the duties assigned to me, I went home. My heart leapt as I pulled up and found my car in the driveway. Elizabeth was here waiting for me. I just wanted to crawl into bed and hold her.
I opened the front door and stepped into the living room. Elizabeth shot to an upright position on the couch. She must have fallen asleep waiting for me. Before I knew it, her arms were around me, and I was safe, in my sanctuary.
I buried my face in her sweet smelling hair. She always smelled so good, like strawberries. I lost myself in her because I knew I could, without fear of judgment or rejection. She just held me. We didn
't need words, just each other.
Clinging to her, I didn't mean to cry. Before I saw my father lying so helpless on his death bed I didn't think I even cared if he lived or died. But she knew better, and holding her, feeling her soft, warm body against mine, I was overwhelmed with emotions.
"Is there anything I can do? Anyway I can help?"
She moved back just enough so that I could look into her eyes. I moved my hands to the back of her neck under her hair. My thumbs came around and brush
ed the soft skin of her cheeks.
"You already have."
I pulled her head to my chest. I just wanted to feel her heart beat against mine. And know that we were alive and safe, and full of love for each other. After a few minutes, I followed as she led me by the hand to the bedroom.
Chapter 61
Elizabeth
I pulled back the cover and sheets on his bed. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and nudged him to sit on the side of the bed.
"Elizabeth, I'm not . . ."
"Shh," I kissed his cheek. "Just relax."
I got down on my knees in front of him, looked up, and met his grey eyes. They looked so pained. I wished I could make it better. I knew a lot of that pain had to do with everything that happened with Jamie and all the ye
ars they lost because of her.
I pulled his shoes off one at a time and took my time massaging each foot. Carter didn't wear suits to work. In thinking about it, I hadn't seen him in a suit since the night we met. Staying in the same clothes all night long was bad enough but to have to stay in shoes for over twenty-four hours, I was certain his feet were aching, even if he was too numb to feel it.
"You don't have to do this." His arms came around my shoulders.
I smiled at him. "I know," I felt an outpouring of love for him. My heart was so full it was overflowing. I was cool with that as long as I used the excess to shower him with love and affection. "I want to."
As I moved up to remove his shirt, I noticed that it was buttoned properly. I paused a moment as I wondered, with his father sick and dying before his eyes, how did his miss-buttoned shirt even register? I felt a twinge in my stomach as I imagined Jamie fixing it for him.
I knew anything happening between Carter and Jamie was as unlikely and ridiculous as anything happening between Mason and me. While both were possible, an igloo in the arctic would have to boil over before it happened. I pulled his shirt off him and tossed it to the side of the bed.
I pushed Carter down. He took hold of my arms and squeezed his eyes tight. "Elizabeth, I can't."
"You don't have to do anything but close your eyes and rest."
"Rest?" He looked confused.
That was just like him, his mind was always on sex.
I ran my hand through his wavy hair, "I'm thinking you had a rough night and I want you to get some rest."
He pulled me down so hard I lost my balance and fell on top of him,
then rolled me over so I was on the bed next to him. "Only if you're with me."
"No place
I'd rather be."
*
We spent most of the day lying in bed together holding each other. Carter's eyes were closed, but I don't think he slept for more than an hour or two. I only left him for short intervals. Each time I'd return, I found him sitting up in bed texting with someone.
I went to the kitchen to prepare food. We hadn't eaten all day, and since it was already after three o'clock the meal I was prepari
ng was likely to be all we ate.
I offered to bring the food to Carter, but he insisted he was fine, and he wanted a change of scenery.
"Is everything alright?" I asked as I tossed the omelet I cooked from the pan onto a plate.
He nodded. "You told the cops about Sandy?" He asked narrowing his eyes.
"Yes." I stopped what I was doing and gave him my undivided attention.
He let out a long, exaggerated breath, "She's dead."
"What?"
"Seems like she killed herself.
She left a note behind with her written confession. She poisoned my father because she was in love with him."
"It doesn't make any sense; then why would she kill him?"
His jaw clenched. I watched his chest expand as he filled it with air. "She was jealous of you. She said she stood on the sidelines as she watched his marriage disintegrate the first time, and wasn't about to stand by again and watch himself destruct for you."