Page 50 of Forbidden Sins

He looked up, just as he had the night Ellie had seen him playing and they’d made love on the piano. But this time the marble hallway was empty. He sighed and swallowed more scotch past the lump in his throat.

He’d spent most of the day just as he had the others since Ellie had left him—lost, listless, drinking. Who was he? He wasn’t Gabe, the lawyer. He wasn’t Gabe, the husband. His doorbell chimed, ricocheting off the bare hallways. He stood and walked to the door, and saw it was Alana. He frowned, remembering their fight, and how wrong he’d been. He felt stupid. He wasn’t even Gabe, the friend, anymore.

“Hey,” he said, turning and leading her into his house. He knew she followed when he heard her close the door, the click of her high heels on the floor.

He walked into the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’ll have a Perrier, if you’ve got one.”

He passed her one, and opened a beer for himself. “Are you here to gloat?”

“About what?”

“You were right about Ellie. It was all a mistake. And guess what, she even told me that it was all to mess with her dad.”

Her eyes widened. “Really. Did you believe that?”

“No. But she said it. And she believes it.”

“I think I may have put that thought into her head.” She looked to the floor. “Sorry about that.”

“Whatever.”

“Are you okay?”

“Just fucking peachy, Lana.” He punctuated it with a swallow of beer. “What can I do for you?”

“That’s all you have to say to me?” She sighed. “Fine. I’m sorry, okay?”

“You’re sorry? Didn’t I just tell you that you were right?”

“It’s not about being right or wrong. I know I was wrong. You shouldn’t have given up so easily. And maybe you were right, too. Maybe I was just a little jealous. You and all the guys have so much going on personally right now. Maybe I feel, sometimes, like the odd man out.”

“I don’t want to hear this right now.”

Alana looked at him closely. He knew she saw his unshaven face, his sweatpants. “Did you not go to work today?”

He laughed. “Didn’t you hear? I quit.”

“You quit your job?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I was tired of the whole goddamn thing. The career I spent years building.” He chuckled without mirth. “It’s over.”

“Have you been playing?” she asked, looking over at the piano, seeing the almost empty bottle and his glass sitting atop it.

“A little. Ellie said I should play at the club. Think that could be my new job? I’m not exactly looking forward to being unemployed.”

Alana smiled. “You know, I think that’s a pretty good idea.” Her phone beeped in her purse. “Damn, I’ve got an appointment. But are you going to be okay? Why don’t you call the guys over?”

“I’m fine.”

“And think about doing a show, Gabe. Take a chance. Do the unexpected. It could be great.”

Ellie was sitting in front of her television, a glass of red wine in one hand and a frosted cinnamon roll in the other, when her phone rang. Her eyes were still red-rimmed and burned, and she looked over at the papers she’d left on the coffee table in front of her. The annulment papers that Gabe had given her more than a month ago. The proceedings were winding their way through the legal system. Their day in court was quickly approaching, and she didn’t know if she could face Gabe in front of the judge.

She briefly considered ignoring her ringing phone, but she picked it up, and saw her father’s name on the screen.

She sighed, wondering which emotional barrage to prepare herself for. “Hello?”