Page 132 of Fierce-Michael

“I knew nothing about a life insurance policy,” she said. “Nothing. He’d worked at his job for about a year or less. Not even sure. Then he got sick. He was out of work for months before he died. I never asked, I didn’t know. I didn’t care. It was meaningless to me, nor would I have thought of any of it.”

“You got money when Brian died?” he asked.

“About six months after Brian died, I’d already had no relationship with his parents. Nothing. I told you what happened at the funeral. They accused me of taking their son from them atthe end. I didn’t. They didn’t even call to tell me he died and he wasmyhusband.”

“But no one considered you married,” he said.

“No,” she said. She wasn’t going to argue with him over something she’d admitted.

“Then how did you end up with a life insurance policy?”

“Beats me,” she said. “He must have called his employers and changed it after we were married. It’s not like he was working or could go in to do it. I got a call telling me I’m the beneficiary and they were surprised I hadn’t come in to do the paperwork or make a claim. It was a hundred thousand dollars and I was listed.”

“Jesus,” he said. “That’s a lot of money for a nineteen-year-old.”

“That’s right,” she said. “It was. And you know what? I never once thought I should get it. So even though I had such a horrible ending with Brian’s parents, I went to their house and knocked on the door. I went alone. My parents offered to go with me and I said no, that I could do it. If I called, they wouldn’t answer. I had to do this in person.”

“Do what?” he asked.

“Give it to them. I told them what was going on. That I didn’t think I should get it. I didn’t even know about it. It wasn’t mine. They had all these medical expenses and the funeral. It should go to them.”

“If you gave it to them why are they accusing you of stealing?” he asked, frowning.

“They wouldn’t take it. They told me to keep it and think about everything I took from them in the end. That they hoped I could live with that guilt. What the hell was I supposed to do? I was mailed the check and I couldn’t rip it up. That’d be stupid.”

“So you cashed it and kept it?” he asked.

“I can see you’re condemning me for doing that,” she said. “You don’t even want to listen to the rest of this. Just take me home. I’m done with this conversation.”

“What?” he asked.

“Do it,” she said firmly. “You’re ready to find me guilty too. To judge me like so many other people and this is why I never told anyone. I told you thinking you of all people would and could understand, and yet, you’re not much different than the rest of them.”

She felt the tears trickling down her cheeks.

He started his SUV and drove her back to his place in silence. She got out and went to her car and just drove away.

She couldn’t believe this was happening.

To finally find the man she loved and wanted to be with and he couldn’t even give her the courtesy to listen to what was going on.

He could give his ex five years to make excuses and get her shit together, but wouldn’t give her ten minutes to fully explain a painful event in her life.

40

SEE THROUGH IT

“Morning, Kelly.”

She looked up from her desk the next day to see Cade standing there. “Hi, Cade. How are you?”

“Good,” he said. “Looking better than you and I only get about five hours of sleep at night.”

She forced out a grin. “I didn’t sleep well.”

Her boss came in and shut the door. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” she said.