Page 60 of King of Deception

“Don’t mention it. Careful with the glass, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Without looking at the phone again, I tossed it in my bag and ran downstairs.

Standing in line at the coffee place, I glanced at the faces around me. A couple in their mid-forties was contemplating the various muffin options, while three teenage girls argued about the best biscuit to go with their dairy-free iced coffees.

“Ella?” Vanessa’s voice made me spin, almost hitting the person behind me. “Wow, I was just thinking about you! Guilty!” she rolled her eyes and giggled. “I was gonna call you since I’m right around the corner, but—”

“No hard feelings, trust me,” I tittered, calming her down with a wave of my hand. “I’m just grabbing a quick coffee for me and the cleaning lady.”

“Oh, cleaning day, huh?” she scrunched her nose. “Where’ve you been? You’re such a grown-up all of a sudden. Busy all the time?”

“Yeah,” I nodded and sighed. “Had this tight crunch at work.”

“Not tonight, though, I hope. They’re having Ladies’ Night at Randall’s. Why don’t we go?”

“Uh—I’ll have to check. I’ll text you, yeah?”

“Deal!”

When I went back to the apartment, Dana was emptying the dustbin into a plastic bag. I heard the sharp rattles of broken glass and felt a shudder run down my spine.

“Gee, Ms. Boraine… some of that was on the bed!”

“Yeah, well,” I mumbled, putting down the cups on the kitchen counter. “Must’ve been in his shoes.”

She widened her eyes at me.

“Uh—My ex broke it by accident,” I explained. “He must’ve stepped in it.”

She nodded with a sympathetic look on her face. “Still fresh, isn’t it?”

“What?”

Putting down the bag by the door, she approached and took her cup. “Thanks,” she lifted it up to me before taking it to her lips. “The break-up?”

“Um, yeah,” I looked down, hopping up to sit on the high stool. “Pretty fresh.”

“It’s okay to miss ‘em,” she shrugged, leaning against the edge of the counter. “Even if they’ve done you wrong.”

Smiling, I wondered why she thought she could talk to me about something so personal. Still, since I couldn’t share anything about Abel with Vanessa or any of my girlfriends out of shame, I felt like I needed some female input. “You think?”

“Totally normal,” she shook her head in confirmation. “I heard that after a breakup, a switch flips in your brain, and it suddenly remembers all the good stuff about them.”

I silently nodded.

Recalling the way Abel beat up Jude for my sake, I was embarrassed to admit—even to myself—that I actually liked it. But he had been lying to me. I didn’t know if that was something I could forgive.

“But you also gotta remember,” she added, “you deserve better than a man who gets into bed with his shoes on.”

If only it were that simple, Dana.

Chapter 18: Escaping

Abel

I was in deep trouble, and there was no denying it. I couldn’t focus on work or enjoy spending time with my friends. I’d missed the last two family gatherings, and my mom was beginning to worry. When my father called a week later, I was already on the brink of drunkenness.

“Hey, dad,” I ruffled the thick fur across Dylan’s neck.

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