Page 364 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
My arm starts to feel heavy as I lift the pizza to my mouth, and my eyes feel the exact same way.
The doctors had requested I take things easy, but taking Dollie’s mind off everything that tormented her was more important to me.
I force my trembling hand to stay where it is and shovel the rest of the slice into my mouth as quickly as I can without looking like an animal.
Maybe that motivates Dollie. Either that, or she wants a distraction from her phone buzzing on the table.
Shane’s name appears over and over.
“I broke up with him.” Dollie wipes the crumbs from her mouth with a red napkin. “I’ve been meaning to block him after what he did the day you went into the hospital, but Nyx and I ended up talking, and I guess it slipped my mind.”
“What did he do?” I almost demand. “You still haven’t told me.”
It couldn’t possibly be worse than all these bruises.
“It doesn’t matter.” She shrugs those dainty shoulders, lying to me again.
Her gaze tells the truth as it stays on me, taking in my face.
“Another lie, Dollie.”
Greasy fingers wipe on the napkin before feeling all over my body.
“You’re here. That’s all that matters.”
“Did he tell you I wouldn’t be?” I swallow down my anger with the lingering taste of pizza so that she won’t hear it in my voice.
She nods, that look in her eyes bringing tears to the surface.”He showed up at the hospital, and I left with him?—”
“Why?”
“Because it was on me to end it. It wasn’t fair to Annabelle or Valaria to witness his behavior, and I was ashamed for letting him get away with it for so long. We had an argument in the car, and Nyx happened to be driving by at the time. For a minute, I almost chickened out again, but I ended things there and went home with Nyx.”
I let her finish, hoping she doesn’t feel the heat rising to the surface of my skin, hoping she doesn’t realize the tensing of my body is through anger because I know—I fucking know—it wouldn’t have been as simple as her stepping out of the car.
I get closer to her, my face dips into her neck, where new bruises greet me instantly.
There’s no denying the anger growing inside me. My body feels like stone. Hard and unmovable. Hot blood running cold.
His fingertips stain her neck and my soul.
“When I got home, he called and pretended to be the hospital. He told me you’d died from some kind of blood clot, and I had a breakdown. The reading room was a mess. I was mean to Bubbles. I didn’t hurt her, but I couldn’t have her near me, and?—”
Dollie stops, her phone buzzing again.
“Can I answer it?” Dry words scrape my throat.
“Let’s not add fuel to the fire.” Dollie pulls the phone across the table.
Sixteen messages wait on the screen.
Another flashes as she picks up her phone.
Shane:
I bet you’re with him, aren’t you!
Then more…
