Page 26 of Heal You
Jan calmly walked away from Phil and took the stairs.When she landed in the bedroom and eyed the wardrobe where her large suitcase was hidden away, she took a deep breath.At forty-eight, she never imagined she would be leaving the house she had turned into the most beautiful home.When she’d woken up on what felt like a very distant Monday morning just last week, she hadn’t anticipated packing up her clothes so she could retreat to a lonely hotel room.But here she was, still sure andstillending the only thing she’d known for as long as she could recall.
“Jan,” Phil spoke quietly from the bedroom door.“Can we just sit down and talk?”
“The only time I’ll be sitting down to talk to you is with a lawyer present.”Jan glanced over her shoulder at Phil.The colour had drained completely from his face.“I don’t want to fight with you, Phil.I just want to get what belongs to me and go.Is that so hard for you to understand?”
“But I love you.”
Jan spun around.“I slept with someone else.”
“W-what?When?”Phil lowered himself to the edge of the bed and rubbed at his stubble.“In the past?”
“On Monday,” Jan said matter-of-factly.“So, there we have it.”
“You did it to get back at me, and I understand that.Let’s call it quits and figure our marriage out together.”
Jan barked a laugh at that.“I did it because they wanted me.I did it because I spent the most amazing evening with them.I did it because whiletheywere inside me, I wasn’t fucking thinking aboutyouand how much you hurt me.”
Oh, you would have enjoyed it regardless of why it happened.
Phil’s face fell, but Jan wasn’t surprised.She didn’t make it a habit to be so crass, but perhaps he would understand what she was saying if she approached it in this way.
“You can think what you want of me; I don’t care, Phil.The moment you climbed into bed with that woman downstairs was the moment you were no longer my husband.So, please, let me get what I need so I can be gone.You’re probably waiting to bring her up here anyway.Or have you already had her all over the kitchen?”
“Do you have to speak like that?”Phil scoffed and got to his feet.“This isn’t you, Jan.I never once thought this would be your reaction.”
“No, I know you didn’t.What youthoughtwould happen and what hasactuallyhappened is quite shocking to you, isn’t it?You thought your good little wife would roll over and take it lying down.You thought I’d forgive you because you’re my husband.Well, you’re wrong,” Jan paused when she heard the front door slam shut.“And now…you’re on your own.”She cocked her head and smiled, but Phil stared through her.“There’s a microwave meal in the fridge.Enjoy it and get used to it because I sure as hell will never cook you another meal again.”
With his shoulders sagged, Phil blew out a breath and turned for the door.“You’re making a mistake, but if you want to go, I won’t stop you.”
Jan cleared her throat.“Hey, Phil?”
He turned, and if Jan was judging this right, Phil seemed…hopeful as he smiled back at her.“Yes?”
“Do me a favour and fuck off.”
Chapter11
Feelingthe music pumping through her veins, Morgan bopped her head as she poured Finn a pint of her usual beer.They’d kept the conversation light since Finn had entered the bar some ten minutes ago with Gillian, and Morgan had a feeling they now both knew about Jan.Not that Morgan had slept with her—at least she hoped they didn’t know—but that Phil hadfoolishlybeen having an affair.
As Morgan stood behind the bar, she still found it hard to get her head around.Jan was the kind of woman you wrapped up in cotton wool.Not someone your eye wandered from.Then again, Morgan knew many men out there who didn’t know a good thing when they had it.Most of them ended up residing at the end of her bar until closing.But Phil?She’d seen them with one another on several occasions in here, and Morgan hadn’t once gotten that impression from him.Still, it had happened, and now all Morgan could do was be there for his wife.
She toyed with her lip ring, smiling to herself when Jan wandered into her mind.Just a few nights ago, she had stood in this very position while Jan moaned and writhed against her.Morgan hadn’t expected it, not in the slightest, but would she go there again if the chance presented itself?Fuck yes.She would have to be physically held back in order to keep her hands off Jan.It was one night.You’ll be lucky to see her again!
“What are you smirking at?”Finn asked, her eyes narrowed as Morgan looked up at her.“Well?”
“Just…happy.”Morgan lifted a shoulder as she set Finn’s pint down.“White wine for the missus?”
“Yep.”
Morgan turned her back, but she still felt Finn’s eyes on her.No matter what, she couldn’t doanythingto give away what had transpired here recently.Yes, Finn was a good friend, but Jan meant more to Morgan right now.She wouldn’t dare out her.Jan was going through enough already.Morgan filled a glass and turned, placing it down on the counter between them.“There you go.Card or cash?”
“Cash.”Finn handed a twenty over and puffed out her cheeks.“Hey, you know Jan?Well, her husband has been having an affair.You fancy hiding the body with me when I get my hands on him?”
Morgan closed the cash register and handed Finn her change, trying to keep her facial expression neutral.“You’re joking?”
“Honestly.I can’t believe it.”The anger in Finn’s eyes was quite a surprise to Morgan.She knew Finn and her wife thought a great deal about Jan, but Morgan hadn’t seen this side of her before.“He better hope I never see him again.”Finn ran a hand down her face.“I mean, who does that to someone?”
Morgan decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.If she opened up about how she felt when it came to Phil, the cat would be out of the bag within the next few minutes.“Amanda.Shealsodoes that to someone.”
