Page 82 of The Seven Month Itch
Last night’s dinner and cranberry mocktails erupt from my stomach in a repulsive mix. Beads of sweat tickle my brow, which is inches from the bottom of the toilet that I wish would flush me away. Nausea wasn’t my companion—at least not like this—during my last two pregnancies. It takes what little strength I have left to rinse out my mouth and brush my teeth with steady feet. Pain surges through my chest.
I’m alone.
How do I begin to deal with the nightmare that’s become my new life? Running away is the easiest option. It’s one I’m acquainted with, but it will get me nowhere. Let’s say I take off a few weeks. Then what? I still have to face the fact that the man I thought loved me is a cheater.
They say you shouldn’t do life alone, so I trade my pajamas for a vintage shirt and leggings and call the one person who’s been my anchor through the darkest storms.
Emma picks up the video call on the fourth ring. She’s still in bed but she’s camera-ready with a glow like she had morning sex. “Was video necessary?” Her voice is rough.
“Terrence is cheating on me with Elena fromThe Vampire Diaries. Do you want to go on a coffee run? I can’t work the machine here. Tony Stark left no instructions.” Not sure if any ofthat made sense. My sanity is somewhere with my self-esteem. Long gone and not in this room.
“Wait, slow down. What about Terrence andTheVampire Diariesgirl and coffee with Tony Stark?”
I blow out a deep breath. “I went out with SiSi last night over in West Hollywood.”
“Uh-huh.” She squints at the screen as if it will help her decipher my meltdown.
“Terrence was out after a business meeting. He was across the street with some guy and a woman when I went to my car.”
“Okay. Drinks after business meetings are normal.”
My nostrils flare on an inhale. “He put his arm around her and twirled her. They took a Lyft to a hotel. I followed him and tracked them down but jumped into an ice room when I heard them coming. They reminisced about Pop-Tarts for breakfast, hugged, and confessed I need to know about the two of them.” My voice chokes. Here comes the ugly sob. “Tony Stark’s coffee machine requires security clearance, and I can’t even have caffeine right now because of my current state.”
“And you call menow? What the hell, Jay?”
This hurts too much. “Well, you know, I had a breakdown.” The tears and snot smeared across my face are souvenirs.
Her voice softens. “Hey, hey. Everything will be okay, Justice.”
My laugh morphs into the pitch of a hyena. I scrub my hand across my eyes and nose. “For all I know, they’ve been dating since we separated. You should’ve seen him, Em. He looked so happy.”
The rumble of a deep growl interrupts my tears. My eyes dart across the room until I realize the sound is coming from her end the phone. Muffled whispers ping-pong before the camera whips from Emma’s face to one I didn’t expect to see in the same room, let alone her bed.
“I’ll fucking kill him myself.”
No.
No.
My lips stumble to form his name. “Miles?” His eyes are pitch-black and his muscles tensed. The sight is enough to make me want to hide under the bed.
“Are you still at the house?”
At any moment, someone will jump out of the closet and point at the hidden cameras of a reality show. A god-awful show where my husband cheats on me, and my best friend sleeps with his on the low. This train wreck writes itself.
“Justice?!” I jump at the bite in his voice. This level of anger is new territory. “Are. You. Still. There?”
“Y-yes.”
He tosses the phone back to Emma. “Stay there.” His voice is a bark in the distance. It’s pointless to beg him not to come over. The man is as stubborn as I am. He also can’t hear my pleas because of his argument with my best friend. The camera shakes in a scuffle that goes from a view of the ceiling to Miles.
Head to toe naked.
The screen is small but still needs an “objects are closer than they appear” warning label.
“Hisdick!” I turn in complete horror. This is now the second time I’ve seen every inch of him.
“Sorry, sweetie!” Em’s face fills the screen. Holy eggplant. I need therapy. Lots of it.
