Page 161 of Trust Me

“Is Aunt Riley okay? Is she hurt?” Eve runs to the door.

“N-No—” I stop to clear my throat because my voice is hoarse from yelling. “She’s fine. I just had to yell over the shower so she could hear me.”

Eve’s shoulders slump in relief. My sister continues to look at me suspiciously.

“Mom’s downstairs. Eve forgot her favorite T-shirt she wanted to wear today.”

“We’re going to the mall and then to a picnic,” Eve declares.

I nod and don’t say anything as they head to her room.

I stand there like a fucking fool because I can hear the shower going. Riley won’t even acknowledge me standing here.

“Bye, Aunt Riley,” Eve yells.

“See you later, Ladybug,” Riley calls through the door. On the surface it sounds cheery, but I can hear the tears still in her voice.

My sister’s final look of suspicion haunts me as they both exit.

I’ve just destroyed my marriage.

CHAPTER39

Riley

“You look like crap,” Charlotte tells me when she enters my office.

I hang up from the phone call with Aaron Townsend and his assistant. I finished giving him one of my end-of-job reports regarding the Waterson merger.

“Thanks,” I murmur, turning toward my computer screen. It’s been five days since my blow up with Kyle. Every day is a struggle to breathe, let alone get through it.

“These should help you feel better.”

When I finally turn to her it’s to see yet another vase of flowers in her arms. Another bouquet. This one is huge and composed of pink roses and purple hyacinths.

“You know,” Charlotte says as she heaves the oversized bouquet onto my desk, “that’s the third bouquet that’s come this week.”

I glance over at the other two that sit on my windowsill but I don’t say anything.

“Considering that today is only Wednesday, I’m wondering if I should expect to have to lug these things into your office every day this week.”

I snort. “I told you to tell the delivery guy to take those flowers wherever the hell they came from.”

“And I toldyouhe said that the sender said he’d lose his job if he didn’t make sure those flowers were delivered to you.”

“He was bluffing,” I mumble.

“I don’t think so.” Charlotte plops down in the chair across from me. “For one, that husband of yours is scary.” She shivers. “Even though he did call me to apologize about that first time he met me in that meeting.”

“He did what?”

Charlotte nods. “Yeah, a few months ago. I thought you made him do it.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I didn’t even know he was rude to you.”

Charlotte waves it off. “No big deal. He gifted me with like six months’ worth of free lunches at any restaurant in the city to make up for it. That’s why today’s lunch is that French restaurant I love but is way too pricy for my budget.”

I don’t know what to say because I had no idea. However, I tamp down on the way my heart gets all soft from what Charlotte’s said. Kyle’s probably just using her, too.