Page 55 of Dreaming of Dawson

“Whatever the shape was, it was broken when they left,” she says.

“Was it, though? If it was really broken, why is he still drinking so much?”

“I don’t know. People react in different ways when their relationships break down.”

“I know.”

I ran when it happened to me. That’s how I wound up here.

“I’ll admit I was lonely when Luca left,” she says, letting out a sigh. “But at least I had Laurel. She was always there when I needed her, even if it was just someone to yell at down the phone.”

“Did she rely on you in the same way, when her first marriage broke down?”

I’ve heard enough about the mysterious Mitch to know it didn’t end well between him and Laurel.

“It didn’t break down,” she says, shaking her head. “Mitch died.”

“Oh, my God. I didn’t realize.”

“Why would you? It’s not something any of us talk about very much… mostly because the guy was an asshole.”

“Excuse me?” I can’t believe I heard that, and I sit forward.

“Mitch Bradshaw was a cheating asshole,” she says, sighing deeply. “He was killed in a car accident while leaving town with his girlfriend… his pregnant girlfriend.”

My mouth drops open, and I have to make an effort to close it again. “His… His pregnant girlfriend?”

“Yeah. Obviously, Laurel knew nothing about any of that. She just knew the man she loved had died, and she was devastated.”

“I can imagine.”

“I tried to do what I could, but when the truth came to light, it just made everything a hundred times worse. She had to keep going for Addy’s sake, but without Brady, I don’t know what would have happened to her.”

“Has he been married before?” I ask, feeling intrigued by his background now.

“No. He’d been in love with Laurel for nearly ten years. He’d had to watch her marry Mitch and live a supposedly happy life with him.”

“Did he know Mitch was cheating?”

“Not until he arrived on the scene of the accident. The evidence was irrefutable.”

“But I thought you said it didn’t come out for a while.”

“It didn’t,” she says. “Brady held back all the details about Mitch’s girlfriend being in the car with him, and that she was pregnant.”

“Wow. What did Laurel do when she found out?”

“To start with, she blamed Brady. But then she realized it wasn’t his fault… and obviously they patched up their differences.”

“Obviously,” I say with a smile, understanding now why some people have reacted the way they have to the mention of Mitch’s name.

“Dawson’s situation is very different,” Peony says, getting us back on topic.

“I know. That’s what makes it so confusing. I get that his ex-wife cheated, but it’s not as though that’s never been done before, and in any case, he said he wouldn’t have her back… not even if she begged.”

“Maybe not, but not wanting someone back doesn’t mean you’re okay with them going in the first place.”

“Except he said he doesn’t regret her leaving.”

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