Page 80 of With Love

“Owen? What the fuck is this?” I ask him. “Please tell me this is some sort of sick joke.”

“This morning, Lucy told me that she needed more supplies. She took the car and told me she’d be back. A few hours later I came looking for her. I ducked into her room to see if she was there and I found the letter…”

“Did you find anything else?” What the fuck did she leave him?

Owen just shakes his head.

I look at Marshall, angry tears running down my face. I am shaking with rage.

“Marshall,” is all I can manage to say.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he walks toward me.

“I’m not your fucking sweetheart! Don’t touch me!”

“Adrienne, what the hell?”

“No.” Dropping the letter to the ground, I march toward Lucy’s room. I can’t talk to him until I find whatever it is that she left behind for him. Walking to the dresser, I open each drawer looking for anything that she could have left behind and hoping like hell that I don’t find anything.

This can’t be true. Please don’t let this be true.

I pause before opening the last drawer. Oh God, oh God, oh God. Closing my eyes I pull on the drawer. Slowly I open my eyes and look inside.

Nothing.

I start to sigh in relief before remembering that there are a few drawers in the closet too.

Stomping over to the other side of the room, I pass Marshall on the way. He’s just barreled into the room and is shouting something at me. He grabs ahold of both of my arms and swings me around so I’m looking at him.

“Adrienne, whatever this is, isn’t true at all! I have no idea what possessed Lucy to write this, but none of it is true,” he holds the letter up to show me.

“Let. Go.” I say to him placing my hands on his. He releases me immediately.

I walk into the closet and open the drawers that are meant for smaller items, like lingerie.

I open the first drawer. Empty.

I open the second drawer. Empty.

I take a deep breath, say a prayer, and open the third drawer.

Inside I see a pair of baby pink, lace panties and another note, addressed to Marshall. I grab the note, stand up, and read it out loud so Marshall can hear it.

“I’ll never forget you. Lucy.”

“Adrienne, nothing happened between me and Lucy! I am just as confused and angry as you are right now.”

“Then what the fuck are these all about?” I turn around and grab the skanky panties out of the drawer and throw them at him. He catches them before realizing what they are and throws them to the ground.

“I don’t know! Why don’t you ask him?!” He grates out, pointing to Owen.

“Don’t you dare! Of course you’re going to blame this on him. You hate him and you’d do anything to get him out of the picture.”

“No! I’m just saying that when we left everything was fine. Now that we’re back everything has exploded. Lucy is gone, unable to defend herself. That leaves Owen. Only he can fill in the blanks for us.”

Fine. If this is true, I need to know what transpired this weekend causing Lucy to suddenly grow a conscience.

“Marshall is right. This is awfully out of the blue. Owen, what happened here this weekend?

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